MARK ROTHKO 2022
International Painting Symposium
Eighteen and counting – that’s how many times Daugavpils has brought together artists from across the planet into a shared time-space to give free rein to their creativity and, possibly, change the world for the better, at least a little, because every bit counts. After all, encounters with things unknown, diverse and uncommon can lead to a more critical understanding of universal human values, emotionally stirring processes and ideas with local and global relevance.
This is the tenth time the International Mark Rothko Painting Symposium has been held at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, making it an anniversary occasion. There is no stronger argument for the importance of such creative forums than the incredible implications of the first eight Mark Rothko symposiums (then – plein airs) and the ten that followed: Daugavpils has acquired a world-renowned art centre, the Daugavpils Fortress is experiencing a true renaissance, and the citizens finally have a great anchor for self-identity.
Artistic expression inspired by abstract expressionism has a lot in common with freedom of speech – you can like a statement or hate it; it can spark discussion or disagreement, but what matters most is the very option of making it. This possibility of expression has always stood at the cornerstone of development for the arts and humanity at large.
The exhibition demonstrates the creative statements of ten artists who spent a fortnight behind the Daugavpils Fortress walls, engaged in stimulating discussions and absorbed in intense creative practice. The upshot of this is an exceptionally diverse body of paintings and masses of creative energy that have the potential to keep changing the world for the better, however slightly, for every little bit helps.
Participants of the International Mark Rothko Painting Symposium 2022:
Siddharth Pathak (India/The Netherlands)
Biljana Milenkovic (Serbia)
Lihi Turjeman (Israel)
Amit Kalla (India)
Agata Żychlińska (Poland)
Agata Magdalena Sulikowska (Poland)
André Rigatti (Brasil)
Mika Vesalahti (Finland)
Aleksejs Naumovs (Latvia)
Bence Kala (Hungary)
16.09.2022. – 19.02.2023.
