The exhibition, which brought together representatives from various fields of the coastal community - including scientists, artists and the local Lutheran community – found its home in one of the defensive bastion tunnels of Klaipėda, right next to the future reconstruction site of St. John's Church. The project is titled "Guten Tag" – a phrase that, in a territory with a historical past marked by Germany, was once upon a time used as a greeting.
According to the author of this project, Dr. Raimonda Nabažaitė, visitors will be invited into three different spaces set apart by unique forms of expression. This project fuses historical visual material, archaeological findings from researchers who explored the site of the destroyed church, documentation that reflects the research process, and elements of light and sound.
The arch-shaped part of the tunnel, which itself echoes the deep history of the city, will host a gallery of photographs, historical and archaeological images that depict the architecture, interior, and different states of the church. Six exhibition stands representing archaeological research from recent years will be installed here. For younger visitors, an archaeological box with sand and remnants of buildings from the 16th-17th centuries will be set up, inviting children to experience "live archaeology."
The second space - a vaulted room - is adapted for video documentation. It will present the archive of archaeological research and various cultural initiatives carried out from 2020 to 2022.
In the WWII shelter, which was titled the "Time Tunnel" by the creators, an artistic installation with special lighting has been set up. Developed by artist Neringa Poškutė-Jukumienė, it represents a synthesis of the past, present, and future. This artistic space will spotlight historical figures who contributed to the construction of the church or had other connections with it, as well as contemporary creators of Klaipėda whose works intertwine with the search for the unique identity of the city.
"The final result is a harmony of classical and modern solutions," says Dr. Raimonda Nabažaitė. She admits to impatient longing of spring and warmth – a time when everything will finally come together and the exhibition will become available to the public. According to her, it‘s an optimistic note for the return of one of the most beautiful and important historical buildings of old Klaipėda - St. John's Church - to the architectural fabric of modern Klaipėda.
The main sponsor of the exhibition is the Municipality of Klaipėda, and the project is being brought to life by the Charity and Support Fund for the Reconstruction of St. John's Memorial Church of Klaipėda Lutherans (led by Lilija Petraitienė) in partnership with Klaipėda University.
