Rothko Museum Announces Contemporary Sculpture Commission to Mark the 1991 Barricades in Daugavpils
The Rothko Museum announces an open call for an individual sculpture residency leading to the creation of a permanent public sculptural object in Daugavpils. The work will commemorate the January 1991 Barricades and the civic movement for Latvian independence.
The month-long residency, scheduled for October 2026, invites professional sculptors from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to propose a contemporary public sculpture reflecting on the events that shaped Latvia’s restoration of independence. The selected proposal will be realised either in situ during the residency or in the artist’s own studio, before being installed in University Square on Vienības Street in Daugavpils – a site closely associated with the civic gatherings of the Third Awakening.
In January 1991, as tensions escalated in Rīga, more than 50,000 people from across Latvia travelled to the capital to defend key state institutions. Several hundred came from Daugavpils and the surrounding region. At home, residents gathered at the square in front of the university to express solidarity with those manning the barricades and to voice support for the Latvian government.
At that point, the square had already acquired symbolic weight. In February 1989, still under Soviet occupation, at what was then the Daugavpils Pedagogical Institute, the Latvian national flag was raised during a public rally – a gesture that signalled a turning point in public expression. Further demonstrations followed, including a mass meeting on 22 August 1991 backing the constitutional law affirming the statehood of the Republic of Latvia.
The Rothko Museum’s commission seeks to translate that history into a work that resonates within the contemporary urban landscape. Proposals will be judged on artistic merit, conceptual engagement with the theme of the Barricades, sustainability, technical feasibility and sensitivity to the surrounding environment.
The organisers will cover the artist’s fee, production and material costs, accommodation and workspace in Daugavpils, as well as installation coordination and publicity. The chosen artist will be responsible for the conceptual development, detailed technical planning and realisation of the work, alongside supervision of its installation and copyright clearance.
Applications close on 30 April 2026 and must be submitted electronically through the museum’s website. Full guidelines are available via the link above.
The residency is supported by the Daugavpils City Council.
Publicity image: open call’s visual identity
