Archive

Marek Radke “BLACK”

  MAREK RADKE BLACK Marek Radke was born in 1952 in Olsztyn, Poland. During the 1970’s he studied art and pedagogy in the Universities of Gdansk and Poznan. In 1984, M. Radke moved to Germany. By the end of the 1980’s Marek Radke abandoned figurative painting and focused on abstract geometry. The artist had always been impressed by geometry’s ability to rationalise and to put in order the world of emotions and thoughts. However, Radke’s geometry is not the same modesty that inspired Bauhaus artists in the early 20th century and American minimalist artists in the middle of the century. The artist draws inspiration in nature which virtuously disturbs the order of “pure” geometry, thus introducing a living harmony in it by a lively game with space, light, colour and shape started by the artist.

Artists of Latgale region „EITHER IS, EITHER NOT!”

  „EITHER IS, EITHER NOT!"  is the unifying concept for the exhibition of selected artists of Latgale region at Daugavpils Mark Rotho Art Centre, as well as an age-long question of what is and what is not art, of what it must be like to be called art. This question is important for each artist and for everyone who appreciates art. This is a question with no answer, however, many tries themselves. In the beginning of AD Dionysius of Areopagite, the Athenian philosopher, attributed art as a suprasensuous beauty, which is a cause of general fascination and universal convenience and grace. By its light-like radiance this beauty makes everything beautiful, attracts all and shares its unity with all.

Marc Chagall and the Painters of European Avant-garde

Marc Chagall and the Painters of European Avant-garde   Marc Chagall is one of the legendary artists of the 20th century. The artist, who has born in Vitebsk (Belarus) and died as the citizen of France, became the master whose signature style is undeniably recognized in different parts of the globe. This exhibition presents the creative work of Marc Chagall on the scope of the 20th century avant-garde art classicism, stylistic innovations and formal search of the West European and American artists. The creative work of Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Fernand Léger, André Masson, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Antoni Tàpies and Raoul Ubac allowed to significantly expand the boundaries of art thinking of the time. “The artists of the 19th century realized that they constantly need to have a model in front of their eyes, in the 20th century they realized that they should not see the model at all” , noted the American writer Gertrude Stein in her memories about Picasso. 1

JELENA VOLKOVA NOSTALGIA

JEĻENA VOLKOVA NOSTALGIA   Jelena Volkova was born on April 18, 1949 in Valmiera, where she spent the first two months of her life. The sculptress spent her childhood and adolescence in Riga, where she finished high school and Secondary School of Applied Arts, the department of decorative sculpture and design; she also graduated from the Latvian Academy of Arts, Sculpture department with distinction. During the school years Jelena visited folk art studio, and already at the age of 14, the artist was awarded for M. Gorky's old Izergil portrait and conferred - honorary master of folk sculpture. After graduating from the Latvian Academy of Arts J. Volkova’s diploma work “Figurative portrait of German Sculptor Ernst Barlach” was displayed at the USSR exhibition of sculpture diploma works in Moscow, where it got the first prize. Despite the fact that after the graduation the new sculptress is offered the position of Sculptors’ Artistic Council Chairperson at the combine “Art”, as well as a workshop space, she decides to move to Daugavpils. Since 1977 the talented sculptress, artist and graphic artist has lived and worked in Daugavpils. The first workplace of J. Volkova in Daugavpils was in the Commerce Department, where she worked on the original interiors of shops and cafes. Soon, she was provided with a workshop space where the artist could creatively express herself.

IZABELLA KROLLE “DEDICATION. TRANSFORMATIONS OF TIME”

IZABELLA KROLLE DEDICATION. TRANSFORMATIONS OF TIME   Izabella Krolle was born on May 22, 1938. In 1940’s Izabella's father was repressed, and in 1946 her mother with two daughters moved to Rīga where Izabella graduated from Riga Primary School No.49, and later in 1957 from Ceramics Department of Riga College of Applied Arts. From 1957 till 1963 she continued her studies at the Department of Applied Arts in the Art Academy of Latvia. Izabella Krolle participates in exhibitions since 1958. Her works have been exhibited in group exhibitions in Latvia and abroad. Izabella Krolle is also one of the founders of the Ceramic School in Ķīpsala. However the painting and graphics have always been close to the artist, though ceramics have the key role in her creative work.

Russian Painting from the Collection of Latvian National Museum of Art End of the 19th – 1st half of the 20th century

Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA) owns the biggest collection of Russian art in the Baltic region. During the last five years, the museum collection’s artworks of Russian painters were successfully exhibited both in Latvia and abroad- in Italy, Lithuania and Estonia. The exhibition “Russian Painting. End of the 19th – 1st half of the 20th century” is the first project of collaboration between Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre and Latvian National Museum of Art. Artworks of 29 artists are displayed in this exhibition. Many of these authors belonged to the generation of the Silver Age. In the collection of LNMA this period is widely represented with the masterpieces of such painters as Isaak Levitan, Vasiliy Surikov, Nicholas Roerich, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Philipp Malyavin, Ilya Mashkov, etc. The majority of these authors’ works was seen in the exhibition “The Silver Age. Russian Art from the Collections of the Baltic Countries. 1890-1930” which took place in the Art Museum „Riga Bourse” from 2nd November 2012 till 20th January 2013.

THE EXHIBITION OF ART SCHOOL GRADUATES WORKS OF LATGALE REGION

  The exhibition of art schools graduates’ works of the Latgale region as a point of reference shows the performance and contribution of Latgale Art schools to this county and region, as well as the possibility for others to evaluate and look at the authors’ first major independent works in the beginning of their  artistic career. In Latvian culture Latgale region has always been rich with traditions- in each farmstead there were always heard music sounds, widely- known traditions of producing household objects, making decorations and individual farmstead signs (design of “location signs”), the culture of sacral painting. All of these have made the history of Latgale, which is supplemented with the history of the development of crafts and design. Continuing the cultural and historical traditions, Latgale brings in a unique point of view on contemporary events, and on the reflection of nature and religion in culture.

Ilgvars Zalāns “Bridges”

  Bridges, which link and separate, which open new worlds and new opportunities allow to get enough courage and fearlessly go and explore the unknown. This is the description that can be given to the recent-year style of artist Ilgvars Zalāns - the ability to build a bridge between the western and eastern lifestyles, to bring to life what he has seen on that other bank – the bright light, the joy of colors, unusual features, and roughness of textures; the ability to express experienced moments and feelings encompassed in canvases, and to share them with a viewer in paintings.

City Space Art

  In May 2012 the administrative district of Görlitz, in collaboration with Europahaus Görlitz e. V., hosted an international Pleinair with the aim of introducing the Lower Silesian Upper Lusatia region to artists from different European countries: Germany, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. If we here allow the works of the plein-air exhibition “STADT I RAUM I KUNST” to fill our senses, we will intuitively move away from the concept of outdoor painting and begin to realise that this working group meeting of artists involved mainly the question of conveying the spatial experience of architectural, historical, social and mental landscapes.  

Alexander Rolof “TIME WITNESSES”

    Alexander Rolof was born in Liepāja in 1969. Already in his childhood he had shown a great interest about painting. From 1985 till 1989 he studied at Liepāja Polytechnic School. In 1992 he moves to Germany. The artist characterizes the further years of his life as “a time period of an intensive self-exploration in the field of fine arts”. From 2008 till 2012 he studied at the Graphic Art and Painting division of the Bochum University of Applied Sciences (Germany). In 2012 - 2013 he attended prof. P. Sonnenwend’s master class. A. Rolof constantly participates in exhibitions and has also organized several solo exhibitions.