Rothko Museum Will Display Its Collection in Ventspils
From 26 April to 15 June, the Rothko Museum will display select pieces from its extensive art collection in Ventspils. Featuring artists from Latvia, Germany, France, and Switzerland, the exhibition “Mono/Chrome” will be on show in the gallery space of the Ventspils Livonian Order Castle.
Derived from the Greek mono, meaning ‘one’, and chroma, signifying ‘colour’, the term ‘monochrome’ refers to the myriad shades and subtle gradations of a single hue. The origins of monochrome painting reach back to the early 20th-century European avant-garde, most notably the pioneering work of Kazimir Malevich. His radically monochromatic, non-figurative canvases transcend the boundaries of form, embodying a vision of reality that reaches out towards the infinite. The rise of monochrome painting paralleled the ascendancy of abstraction and conceptualism, echoing the artistic philosophy of Mark Rothko, a pivotal figure in colour field painting. By renouncing figurative forms and overt symbolism, the artist enshrined colour as the essence of his work, exploring its psychological and emotional resonance.
“Mono/Chrome”, the latest exhibition from the Rothko Museum Collection, explores the expressive interplay of black-and-white palettes across painting, printmaking, and textile applications. Drawing from the museum’s rich holdings in painting, graphics, and textile art and featuring both Latvian and international contributors, the exhibition offers a compelling showcase of creative visions and technical approaches. With a distinct chromatic lens, it traces the evolution of modernist impulses across generations and geographies, illuminating the expressive potential of artistic dialogue.
The exhibition also presents a curatorial challenge, inviting viewers to engage with and interpret the space both intellectually and through sensory perception. Far from being a constraint, the exhibition venue – with its heritage status and historical connotations – becomes an opportunity to experience how enduring themes and age-old visual motifs play out in a dynamic interchange with contemporary artistic expression.
Drawn from the Rothko Museum Collection, the exhibition features works by Silva Linarte, Ilze Volonte, Mārīte Kluša, Dace Pudāne, Ilona Linarte-Ruža, and Anna Grinčuka (Latvia), Barbara Gaile (Latvia/France), Petra Heitkötter (Germany), Caro Jost (Germany), Martin Voßwinkel (Germany), Isabel Mouttet (France), and Susanne Lyner (Switzerland).
The exhibition “Mono/Chrome” in the Ventspils Livonian Order Castle gallery space will be unveiled at 2 p.m. on Saturday, 26 April, and will remain on show through 15 June.
The exhibition is supported by Latvia’s State Culture Capital Foundation, the Ventspils Museum, and the Rothko Museum.
Publicity image: Caro Jost, Germany. “3 Mihaila Street, Daugavpils. The Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre”. Acrylic on canvas. 2020. 61 x 46 cm (detail). DMRMC 628
