Archive

Valerijans Dadžāns „COLORFUL FANTASIES”

  COLORFUL FANTASIES Valerijans Dadžāns was born on February 11, 1932, in Abrene district, Viļaka civil parish, he died on March 25, 2012, in Jelgava. In 1953, he graduated from the Faculty of History at Latvian State University. Since 1953, he had been a teacher at Atašiene secondary school, Vircava secondary school, Jelgava boarding-school, at school in Jugla sanatorium; he had been a research associate of a former Revolution Museum (at present – Latvia’s War Museum). He was a self-taught painter and had studied painting also privately. He also was a metal craftsman and stage designer in Jelgava music school. From 1965 he began participating in exhibitions. His solo exhibitions have been held in the gallery “Jāņa sēta”, Riga (1993), Ģ. Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum (1993, 2002), J. Čakste museum “Auči” (2000, 2001 2002), in Stuttgart, Germany, (1994), in Nashville gallery, USA, (2002). The memorial exhibition was held in Ģ. Eliass Jelgava History and Art museum and in the gallery “Antonija”, Riga (2013). He was a member of Jelgava Artists Association since 2009.

„THE GATE TO KURZEME”

THE GATE TO KURZEME (A travelling exhibition of the 2014 Art and Poetry Days in Kurzeme)   One of the traditions characteristic of Kurzeme is to organize Kurzeme Art and Poetry Days every other year, done already for the tenth time (since 1999). Every time, the festival is organized by some of a bigger town of Kurzeme. This year, the artists of Tukums joined their forces with writers and held a joint art and poetry festival. The artists created art works where poetry and art were merged into a united synthesis (a video “Pretī” [Opposite], poets’ dedications to art works “Readings of the Exhibition” etc.). The festival was aimed at demonstrating the latest achievements of Kurzeme artists and writers, their joint analysis of processes and at setting aims for the future. Consequently, the exhibition “The Gate to Kurzeme” was organized, and it included art works created by artists from towns and cities (Liepāja, Ventspils, Saldus, Talsi, Tukums, Kandava, Aizpute), from seaside villages (Saunags, Vaide, Kolka, Kaltene), as well as from other places of Kurzeme. It incorporated and joined various kinds of art and different generations of artists, thus showing art tendencies typical of this region. A special collection from this exhibition was assembled for presenting in Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre in February, 2015. It will give an insight about art processes where artists draw their inspiration in Kurzeme.

“Latvian Landscape”

  Latvian Landscape   In this exhibition, five Latvian photographers (Arnis Balčus, Reinis Hofmanis, Alnis Stakle, Iveta Vaivode and Ilze Vanaga) and five scholars (Sergejs Kruks, Klāvs Sedlenieks, Kārlis Vērpe, Laine Kristberga and Ivars Austers) have co-created a unique interdisciplinary study of contemporary Latvian landscape. Since 2013, they have worked in pairs (scholar/photographer) to create five semantically linked series of photographs and five articles, which combine to approach a specific topic through double means of photographic narrative and text. The overarching theme of the exhibition is landscape, which is construed as a surface for contemplative viewing, a stage for a quaint or ordinary event and, beyond any doubt, a catalyst for an individual’s becoming who they are only when embraced by a particular landscape.  Nowadays, to the overwhelming majority of people observing a landscape, whether through actual presence or by mediation on an image, is a common enough process as they pass time by gazing through the window of public transport, explore the content of digital or printed media, look out of one’s bedroom window, etc. Yet, one cannot and was never able to experience genuine natural landscape. Even remote natural parks untouched by civilization or desert-like sunsets on a remote beach will always have a postcard look or appear as images from a commercial advertisement, inevitably loaded with culturally coded meanings. Our understanding of the observed landscape is always psychologically and/or socially constructed, which in most cases also determines our preconceptions, feelings and ideologies about the essence of the picturesque and the sublime fundamental elements of landscape.

“TELEVISION. WE ARE YOUR OWN PEOPLE.”

TELEVISION. WE ARE YOUR OWN PEOPLE. It began in 1954 as an inquisitive adventure – modish and unusual. Now, more than half a century we are together. Through complicated times of oppression, through so diverse years of independence until today. We are together. Our values are RESPONSIBILITY, EXCELLENCE, INDEPENDENCE. Our vision – to be a responsible, independent and excellent company which INSPIRES, INFORMS, EDUCATES and ENTERTAINS its viewers all over Latvia. We – through hopelessness, expectations, through spitefulness and Awakening. We – through lessons of freedom, horrible nightmares and anguish, stumbling and rising, to always go further. Our television shows what is essential, makes you think and is always with you. We are your own people. Yours Latvian Television The author of photographs, Valts Kleins: “LTV is stories about life we are living, and in which we are searching for reliable   landmarks to have the answer to what and who we are. The value and credibility of these stories are created by people-personalities with broad mental vision, by those who are free from seeking for the only verity. Looking at and listening to them we discover the diversity of the world for whose development anyone’s opinion is necessary. Yours – too.”

FOUR EXHIBITIONS – Vija Zariņa, Kaspars Zariņš, Paula Zariņa and Marta Zariņa-Ģelze (1987-2014)

FOUR EXHIBITIONS – Vija Zariņa, Kaspars Zariņš, Paula Zariņa and Marta Zariņa-Ģelze (1987-2014)   Project FOUR EXHIBITIONS consists of four individual solo exhibitions. Artists’ biographies are unmistakably related, because they are family members, but simultaneously they are absolutely independent in their creative searching. And this fact is to be considered the biggest challenge of the project – in both the expositions and interpretation, to keep a reasonable distance from the family sentiment, from the sentiment of the Zariņi family and devote all the attention to art only. “Portraits” by Vija Zariņa, “Symptoms” by Kaspars Zariņš, “Awareness” by Paula Zariņa and “Collection of Tears” by Marta Zariņa-Ģelze are independent solo exhibitions, each with its own creative task and story told by the author. It seemed wrong to organize FOUR EXHIBITIONS in Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center without mentioning Mark Rothko’s art. Therefore the description of each exhibition begins with some quote devoted to Mark Rothko. However, it should be said at once: the exhibition does not make any attempt to conjoin the four artists with Mark Rothko, its task is not to prove the non-existent   influences. Each of the authors of FOUR EXHIBITIONS has his own and individual aims in art, nevertheless art can be discussed in comparison and contexts. The territory which is common for art, independent of author’s individual aims, is not techniques, themes and styles, but rather metaphysics of art or its spirit. On this territory, amazing interfaces emerge, and FOUR EXHIBITIONS show them to the viewers.

YURI DOJC “LAST FOLIO”

YURI DOJC LAST FOLIO   No foreign sky protected me, no stranger´s wing shielded my face. I stand as witness to the common lot, survivor of that time, that place. Anna Akhmatova / Requiem 1935 ‐ 1940 Yuri Dojc about his exhibition: In January 1997, at the funeral of my father I met a remarkable woman, Mrs Vajnorska. She was one of the thousand or so girls, who in early 1942 boarded the very first train to Auschwitz. She spent three years there, lost her entire family except for her brother. She told me of her daily home visits to others who survived like she did. I asked her if I could accompany her on her daily rounds. She agreed. And so I began photographing these people and the world they live in. 30 L A S T  F O L I O  Y U R I  D O J C August 1968, Soviet tanks occupy Czechoslovakia and Yuri’s status of a summer student in London changes overnight to one of a refugee. A year later he lands in Toronto where he still lives. Four decades later Yuri Dojc is a major figure on the global photographic scene. He has earned considerable recognition for both his commercial and artistic ouvre. His work ranging from portraits of Canadian War veterans to cityscapes is exhibited and published regularly. His recent work in Rwanda has appeared in the French daily Liberation under the dramatic headline of “Landscape of Genocide”.

Riho Toomra “From Thread to Art”

Riho Toomra (Estonia) “From Thread to Art” At the beginning of the last century German lace knitting was taking a new direction. Rather than repetitions of motifs based on Tyrolean and Bavarian folk traditions, fashion dictated more complicated patterns. This technique was further developed culminating in state-of-the-art creations by a man who was later known as the Great Master of Lace Herbert Richard Niebling (20.12.1903-15.05.1966). He learned to knit at an early age and devoted his whole life to this amazing technique, developing it and striving for perfection. While the traditional motifs were knitted from memory, the complicated new patterns needed to be written down. The systems of the signs developed and by the 30s Niebling had created a simple and universal set of symbols. So the patterns were widely disseminated in magazines and hobby knitters started to copy the designs. After surviving WW II, he proceeded to create knitted patterns, finding inspiration from the form and structure of the flowers in his garden and also the unusual plants that he collected on his travels. The laces knitted by him are gone with the wind, but hundreds of his fantastic patterns with their filigrane beauty keep amazing people even today.  Exhibition of Estonian artist Riho Tomra in the Rothko Centre is dedicated to 111th anniversary of the Great Master.

Aleksandra Šļahova “Transitions”

Aleksandra Šļahova "Transitions" Artist and art teacher Aleksandra Šļahova (1948)  is a personality, who with her works, her attention, clarity and brightness speaks to everyone, inviting for conversation and common work. With strength and sensitivity nursed works that are created in watercolor, enclose decorative, stylized and zoomed nature subjects, form and phenomenon study. In watercolors dominate characteristic to Alexandra color purity, their contrast and harmony that are cherished scrupulously and successively from an idea to the result in material.  The author captures simple things in the nature and life in general, seeing and transforming the most valuable edges,  and reflects the perceived shape for our view in a special zoom. A number of works have been created in a stylistic mood, expressing her personal attitude and feelings, focusing on what is happening that can be felt in every part of the watercolor layers, forming the composition story. Each work has special and imperceptible at first sight, the philosophy of work and its psychological character. Watercolors are bright, symbolic and at the same time laconic magnets that attract all of us and every individual, hearing, seeing the depth of work and uniqueness.

“Boriss Bērziņš”

  Boriss Bērziņš – one of the most outstanding representatives in the cultural space of the second half of the 20th century. The artist was born on October 7, 1930, Riga. From 1947 to 1952, he studied at Riga Janis Rozentāls Art Secondary School, from 1952 to 1959 - at Latvian State Art Academy, which he graduated with a diploma work “Plostnieki” [Raftsmen], done under the supervision of Eduards Kalniņš. From 1955 he participated in exhibitions, from 1961 he was a member of Latvian Artists Association. Bērziņš began working at the Art Academy of Latvia already in 1963; first – as a lecturer at evening training courses, later – at the Department of Painting. When Eduards Kalniņš died in 1988, he took over and led the Painting Studio of the USSR Art Academy in Riga, and always followed his students’ career in art. His studio had always been open to creative conversations on art, even in the time when health problems prevented him from participating in the events. Apart from holding the post of professor at the Art Academy, he had received significant awards and titles both in Latvia and abroad. In his life, a very significant event occurred in 1979 when he received the 2nd prize at the Cleveland 4th International Drawing Biennial held in Middlesbrough, England, but in 1983 he was given the 3rd prize at the 6th biennial organized at the same place. In 1994, Bērziņš was elected the honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, in 1995 he was awarded the Order of Three Stars. Since 1997 Bērziņš was a life grant holder, given to him by the State Cultural Capital Foundation. In 2000, for his life-long contribution to art he received Spīdola prize of the State Culture Foundation.

Anita Nikulceva “Four Seasons”

Anita Nikulceva "Four Seasons"   Anita Nikulceva has studied interior design at Riga College of Architecture and Design, has obtained bachelor’s degree in computer design and master’s degree in art at Daugavpils University. The artist regularly participates in exhibitions organized in Latvia and abroad. In her graphic works, using minimal means of expression, mainly color and form, Anita tries to depict the different levels of understanding things, processes and phenomena. The cycle FOUR SEASONS includes twelve graphic works, each work representing one month of a year. They show how observing the continuous processes in nature man comprehends the secrets of nature. The source of inspiration for these works was Japanese haiku carrying a strong philosophical message, which also form the system of images of every work, as well as provide compositional and color solution.