Painting across Borders: International Symposium in Honour of Rothko Begins at Rothko Museum
Artists from the United States, Austria, Estonia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, Spain and Latvia gather at the Rothko Museum in Daugavpils for “Mark Rothko 2026”, an international painting symposium dedicated to the world-renowned artist.
This year, interest in the two-week symposium has reached an all-time high, with 290 applications submitted from nearly fifty countries. The museum’s expert committee selected ten artists whose work best reflects the symposium’s focus on dialogue between contemporary painting and Rothko’s legacy.
Audiences are invited to meet the artists on 22 September at 3.15 p.m. in the Rothko Museum’s Video Hall and discover their creative portfolios.
The symposium concludes on 2 October at 4 p.m. with the opening of the participants’ group exhibition.
Admission to both events is free.
The symposium participants are Nicole Mueller (USA), Gustavs Filipsons (Latvia), André Hemer (New Zealand/Austria), Weronika Hempel (Poland), Mice Jankulovski (North Macedonia), Rosa Juanco (Spain), Vilen Künnapu (Estonia), Henry Mandell (USA), Peter Maslow (USA) and Emma Velde-Schaffer (New Zealand).
Held annually in Rothko’s birth month, the Rothko Museum’s international painting symposium honours the world-renowned artist in his native city. The residency draws hundreds of applicants inspired by Rothko’s art and philosophy. The participants have two weeks in the museum’s studios to develop work for the symposium exhibition. Selected artworks enter the Rothko Museum Collection, further strengthening its holdings of contemporary painting.
Support: Daugavpils City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia and Cultural Programme for Latgale 2026
Publicity image: symposium visual identity
