I Invited Locals To Decorate Their Balconies For Christmas, Here Are The First 8 Original Decorations

In light of the extension of the second lockdown in Lithuania, I welcome the artists and the residents of Vilnius to let their imagination shine through the quarantine restrictions and make festivities especially safe by decorating an unexpected area of their home—their balconies. We aspire to demonstrate that holidays can transgress their traditional aspect and that there are safe alternatives to all-family events.

Since the first project was inspired by the newly-formed quarantine reality, I wanted to make the second lockdown more in tune with the holidays. My first project involved taking pictures of people in fun situations on their balconies and through their windows during the first lockdown. So for the Christmas season, I wanted to create something festive yet safe. By inviting the citizens to decorate their balconies as originally as possible, I wanted people to unleash their fantasies and see this as an opportunity to show the world that celebrations and fun are not over even in a pandemic.

The project was launched by presenting 8 balconies decorated by artists in various neighborhoods of Vilnius. One of the balconies decorated by me features a face mask with a protruding Christmas tree. Another artist, Kotryna Čalkaitė, designed a balcony with a colorful Christmas forest containing a reindeer, a rabbit, and a crow. The joint creation by Rūta Karalytė and Dovilė Lukoševičiūtė displays a Christmas tree made of neon strings cascading down two balconies.

Jolita Vaitkutė has put up impressive decorations on the balcony of Hostel Jamaika in Vilnius Old Town. She wanted to shake the usual understanding of traditional items and festivities: “The idea of a bent-over Christmas tree was born out of the life-changing global events of 2020. I put an animal completely unfamiliar in Lithuania—a pangolin—which was thought to be a plausible cause of this entire pandemic situation. Rays flashing out of its eyes symbolize the whims of nature which we cannot control,” Jolita Vaitkutė shares the concept of her creation.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, residents are finding creative means to maintain connections while observing safety measures.

Innovative uses for drones have demonstrated how technology can serve as a bridge between friends during these times. Just as decorating balconies can bring a community together, drones offer a way to keep personal connections alive from a distance.