Last Thursday of the month is here and there are no excuses to stay inside when there is so much to see!
Hopefully, you will not fear the beautiful snow and enjoy the beginning of winter with some art and activities. The darkness should not keep you inside, instead, it can make you welcome more light in your life. Perhaps, the light inside Riga's galleries and art spaces?
This month, more than usual, we introduce non-traditional art spaces. Bars and cafe's that are overall casual, but at the same time unique, with artworks inside - open for observation. In this way, art in Riga keeps finding ways to be found and seen.
So, what is there to see this month?
[UPDATE! Opening of Alksnājs is postponed until 1st Dec due to technical difficulties. On 24th Nov it is unfortunately closed] Pop up ALKSNĀJS is transforming - POPAPS VOL 3. CIRCUS features five young artists, who will exhibit artworks and make performances about the struggles of their creative life. The lives of people around us is something we should definitely take note of.
In Aminori this Thursday you can meet the artist - Dainis Lesins in his solo exhibition “Labyrinth”, which presents objects made of paper clay porcelain. “A structure or matrix is underneath everything. The mind has traveled from one situation to another and has arrived to the beginning.” Intriguing, right?
Three great artists have found a common ground in Bolderāja. The cycle "MOM, I CAN DIE MYSELF" began with the exhibition of Elina Semane, this november three female artists are solving questions about the freedom of the spirit, looking for manifestations and signs of the abstract concept. In the second exposition of the cycle artist Ieva Stalšene focuses on the aspect of faith and institution, obedience and independence.
How are stereotypes being represented in art and what do they tell about us? Find out in DOM's exhibition "+/- Children" by Mailo Stern, Laura Feldberga and Ilze Veze-Balode. Each author of the exhibition represents a conventional stereotype of femininity or a general human stereotype, but each has his own very personal story about relationships with children or their absence.
Who doesn't enjoy seeing new places and spaces? ISSP offers solo exhibition by Reinis Hofmanis, that offers a collection of photographs taken over the span of several years exploring the visuality of various, mostly hidden spaces. The technical spaces of industrial buildings, warehouses for various materials, rooms long abandoned or, on the contrary, adapted for contemporary use, have been transformed from a three-dimensional experience into visually pleasing two-dimensional images.
Kim? Offers two thought provoking exhibitions by two wonderful artists. Leonards Lagaonvskis in 1995 staged a series of photographs on the premises of the Galerie Barbara Weiss, enacting the image of the “contemporary German female gallerist.” For him this newly discovered role connected the dynamics of the mutual relationship/dependency between art and money with a particular understanding of the regimen and activities required to maintain one’s self-image, youth, and mental and physical health. Meanwhile at the heart of Evelīna Deičmane’s third solo show at Kim? Contemporary Art Centre lies a deeply personal/sensitive concern – which nevertheless remains motivated by social processes – about getting to grips with the art of being (and staying) alive. How could we miss seeing their works?
Gallery - ISTABA this month offers an insight in to the loveliest children's book illustrations by the publisher “Liels un Mazs”, featuring original artworks from books published in recent years. In 2022, the publishing house received the prize for the best children's book publisher of the year in Europe (BOP). Until the end of this year, gallery ISTABA will also host the “Liels un Mazs” Christmas pop-up shop.
This month an artsy bar called LIEPA is showing paintings by two artists - Roberta Riežniece and Santa Siliņa. Roberta is focusing on the complex world of womanhood, while Santa is looking at fairy tales for grown ups.
What makes our lives happen? NAGLA is a recently created exhibition point at the Art Academy of Latvia, which always exposes one special painting. This time it is Valdis Putniņš's work "Creator". The character system chosen in the painting combines sacred and secular elements of life. Special for RLT - there will be a chance to meet the artist Valdis Putnins and have a conversation about his painting “Creator”.
At VILCE, you will have the opportunity not only to see the exhibition, but to observe the painting study process in person, to get acquainted with the behind-the-scenes of creating works of art and to talk with students
It is hard to imagine a more pliable, more solid and at the same time more volatile material than sand. The same is true of human consciousness. In his latest works presented at LOOK gallery, artist Dāvis Ozols is fascinated not only by the qualities of the watercolour technique, but also by the challenges inherent in the process of building a sandcastle.
Meanwhile, gallery LOW reminds us to be one with nature. Flower, Strain, Kiln, Pigment is an exhibition commissioned by Feminist Culture House (FCH), and curated by Gladys Camilo and Paola Jalili. It showcases four newly commissioned works by Helsinki-based artists Özgü Gündeşlioğlu, Natalie Hamada, Sara Moayed, and Haliz Yosef.
Within what collective time are we living now? Art center NOASS offers an open-air Naive art exhibition. For different reasons, Naive art falls out or is not included in the circulation of popular art but it is important in the history of Latvian art and culture, conveying the stories of people's lives - how creative personalities worked and survived in the Soviet system.
Meanwhile M/Gallery will host the opening of the group exhibition “Christmas Edition Vol. 2”, where it will be possible to view and purchase more than 50 works of art from 19 different young Latvian contemporary art artists.
If you want to know, what is happening in Pilot, the only way is to go see it. The exhibition is an attempt to reconstruct both the objects and the story behind them. We were unable to find any supporting information to explain the context of these documents - their origin and purpose remain as mysterious as the objects they refer too.
Māksla XO this month is asking serious questions about conversations. Marko Mäetamm says - the inspiration for making the series THEY SAY comes, similarly to works from real life. As a freelance artist, sales are always important to me. And as a sensitive person I don’t feel too comfortable when the buyer starts to bargain and argue about the deal and say things I particularly don’t like to hear.
Galerija Rāmis this time offers to discover their alternative art space in Agenskalns Market's bar "Marmelāde", where you can get a fresh perspective on the paintings of I. Šlesere-Gražule.
MASA studija invites you to visit personal exhibitions of Arseny Ivanov and Anton Logvinov in two different locations. We will not tell you any more, the only way you can find out is - go and see! “Arseny’s works are a dream of American wandering hippie from the 60s, drawn by a French sci-fi artist from the 70s about what is happening now.”
In Totaldobže this November another Black Hole event is taking place. Seven internationally working artists have been playing and developing absurd board games, colour hunting, diving into the silence of awareness walks and dancing around bonfires as a daily art practice in the Latvian wilderness.
After the gallery walk, see you at the Official RLT Afterparty at cultural centre M/Darbnīca, with DJ duo High on Vinyl! They are two vinyl heads that love to bring good vibes and make the crowd move to their strictly back-2-back DJ sets, no matter what type of event, venue, or genre it is. Talking about genres, they do not limit themselves to any, but Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop are among their favourites. The duo lights up the room with their extensive collection of records that have been collected over the years. Free entry