Exhibition
Within the framework of: Meeting Europe – Latvia
Artists : Arnis Balcus / Kristine Briede / Ieva Jerohina / Peteris Kimelis / Daiga Kruze / Elina Lihaceva / Katrina Neiburga / Reinis Petersons / Martins Ratniks / Kriss Salmanis
Curator : Mara Traumane
« Blinks » were mapping out and thematically side-noting tendencies, topics and individual characters within the young video-and-art scene in Latvia. Some of the authors were represented by two or three art pieces in order to highlight the scope of experimentation and to draw an additional attention to continuous practices.
« Blinks » attempted to mark some of the vectors for the insight into Latvian art and video scene.
The selection included works created between 2001 and 2005, it comprised thirteen films by nine authors. The curator Mara Traumane, organised the selection in three parts that provided loose, thematic and interpretative guidance through the works.
Part I included artists’ interpretations of the course of history, concepts of statehood and attributes of national and local belonging – it could be generally regarded as a reaction to the “operational” historic surroundings.
Part II – revealed personal and intimate approach, narrativity, stories and moods enveloping individual existence. It oscillated between essays, observations and anthropological investigations.
Part III included works fusing different genres and experimenting with the image and textual or sonic properties of the video. Conceived in the interchange with the fields of writing and sound these pieces revealed abstract language of image, sound and word that appealed to the process of perception, duration and sensory effects. This part was indicative of the collaborations of artists from different fields in a shared search for the new media of expression.
Presented artworks :
Chapter I : Historia
Kriss Salmanis and Daiga Kruze, “Historia”, 2001, (3’32) / Martis Ratniks, “Independance day 18”, 2001, (4’00) / Reinis Petersons,”Orangutan Spectre’s United Mens Choir”, 2005, (2’46) / Kristine Briede and Eurowatchers, “Eurowatching”, 2005, (8’18)
Chapter II : Persona
Ieva Jerohina, “Zenta”, 2004, (12’54)
Katrina Neiburga,”Kroxa”, 2005, (2’53)
Chapter III : Ad interim
Martins Ratniks,”103 seconds”, 2004, (1’57) / Elina Lihacova, “Sanbox”, 2002, (2’07) / Planktons and Aquarell (Peteris Kimelis), “Focal point”, 2002, (9’44) / Martis Ratniks,”Spectrosphere”, 2003, (4’00)