RIGA - The exhibition "Be Healthy and Well" 's which appears, at first glance, designed to promote alternative (and unquestionably unorthodox) healthcare 's occupies one room. Yet it's a full room, with pictures on every wall, each with captions in Latvian, Russian and English, and a television repeating a film 's approximately every 20 minutes 's that reiterates what's shown in the photographs. Quite appropriately, the film's soothing soundtrack sets an atmosphere of well-being.
The entire exhibit can easily be viewed in less than 40 minutes. Yes, it is minimalist. But it is also provocative; proving once again that less can be more. Watching people crunch away at unpeeled quail eggs and give biting ants free reign of their arms and legs, it's difficult to conceive of illnesses actually worse than their cures. In fact, arthritis, rheumatism, faulty immune systems and the other specific ailments mentioned in this exhibition are not the reason behind it.
Artist Iveta Laure uses images of natural treatments 's walking through nettles, jumping naked into snow - to suggest the use of alternative thinking as a treatment for a broader human condition: the inability to access our personal higher awareness. Laure encourages onlookers to "step out of the box" and away from commercially imposed beliefs and social programming, challenging people to think independently and re-establish a personal connection with themselves and nature.
In a world where technology is frequently valued over the planet's ecosystems, "Be Healthy and Well" is a thought-provoking statement that encourages a respectful return to nature. A caption below a picture of ants swarming human arms reads, "When treatment is completed and the ants are being removed, handle them with love and care."
The exhibition is open for one more week at Arsenals. "Be Healthy and Well" is definitely worth the time and the 50 santimi ticket. If afterward you find yourself craving a cup of herbal tea, over that highly advertised, chemically infused soft drink you once found so enjoyable, you may want to toast Ms. Laure for a job well done.
'Be Healthy and Well'
State Museum of Art, Arsenals
Runs through Nov. 26
More info: www.muzeji.lv
