Museum Night at the Rothko Museum: Exhibitions, Workshops, and the Oscar Winning “Flow”
On Saturday, 17 May, the Rothko Museum will come alive for the European Night of Museums with a vibrant programme of activities. Visitors can look forward to creative workshops, inspiring art exhibitions, and the celebration’s crowning moment – a one‑night‑only opportunity to view the major international awards of the now‑legendary animated film “Flow”, alongside an exclusive open‑air screening of the film itself.
The evening’s festivities will spill out across almost the entire Daugavpils Fortress. From 6 p.m., the museum’s storage courtyard at 2 Komandanta Street will host “The Culture Pizza” – a lively, interactive event for the young offering two hours of creative workshops and a pop-up exhibition of children’s drawings.
Also from 6 to 11 p.m., the Rothko Museum’s Contemporary Ceramics Collection will be open to visitors in the fortress’s 7th bastion casemate. Meanwhile, at the 4METRI outdoor gallery, 8 Hospitāļa Street, art lovers can view the International Ceramic Laboratory Symposium exhibition, accompanied by a live musical performance.
The Rothko Museum’s main building at 3 Mihaila Street will welcome Museum Night visitors from 8 to 11 p.m. with three exhibitions: “Temple” by Ritums Ivanovs, “Desire” by a group of artists from Latgale, and a special project by textile artist Ilona Utināne, “From Loop to Dream”. Some of its exhibits – fabulous crocheted hats – will be available for both viewing and trying on. Also throughout the night, a dedicated children’s art space will entertain the museum’s youngest visitors.
The crowning moment of the night will celebrate the international success of “Flow” – the stunning animated film by Gints Zilbalodis that has captured hearts around the world.
From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Rothko Museum, in collaboration with the filmmakers, visitors will have the extraordinary chance to view the film’s two most prestigious awards: the Golden Globe and the coveted Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
At 9:45 p.m., the Rothko Museum courtyard will host an exclusive open‑air screening of the legendary “Flow” itself.
Winning the Oscar marked the culmination of “Flow’s” remarkable journey through the international awards season. Beginning with its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed in the “Un Certain Regard” section, Gints Zilbalodis’s work has enjoyed phenomenal success, garnering over 70 awards across nearly every continent.
In addition to its major accolades – the European Film Award, the Golden Globe, and Oscar – “Flow” has also received two Annie Awards from the International Animated Film Association in Hollywood, more than 10 awards from various American film critics’ associations, the César Award for Best Animated Feature from the French National Film Awards, and nominations from other prestigious institutions, including BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts), where the film was nominated in two categories.
The film has also earned major recognition at home, securing seven nominations and winning six awards at Latvia’s Lielais Kristaps National Film Awards, including Best Animated Film, Best Screenwriter, Best Director of an Animated Film, Best Composer, Best Sound Director, and the Audience Award.
All events are free and open to the public.
Publicity image: Museum Night at the Rothko Museum by Didzis Grodzs; publicity screenshots from “Flow”
