🎉 Opening: February 20, 7:00 PM

📅 February 20 – August 31, 2025
🎟️ Free admission

The Museu d’Història de València presents Optical Art in the Textile Tradition of Lithuania, an exhibition that invites visitors to explore the rich legacy of Lithuanian folk textiles and their fascinating connection to contemporary optical art.

Moving beyond a purely ethnographic perspective, the exhibition highlights the work of the weavers who brought these pieces to life, recognizing them as true works of art. It also establishes a link between traditional techniques and the Op Art movement of the 1960s, creating a dialogue between past and modernity.

Since the 19th century, Lithuanian textiles have stood out for their striking visual effects, resulting from the perpendicular intersection of warp and weft. The first examples of optical illusion in these textiles appeared in white linen fabrics in the early 19th century. Later, the combination of white cotton warps and linen wefts dyed with alder or oak bark enabled the creation of vibrant patterns. These designs, characterized by strong color contrasts and remarkable geometric precision, are particularly evident in bedspreads, blankets, and tapestries.

The exhibition showcases the harmonious simplicity of Lithuanian textile ornaments, emphasizing rhythmic repetition, visual clarity, and proportion. It also highlights their connection to the work of Kazys Varnelis (1917–2010), Lithuania’s most influential Op Art artist, whose exploration of geometry and color echoes these centuries-old traditions.