Exhibition by Brigita Zelca-Aispure and Kristaps Grundsteins

RIGA - From 22 March to 19 May 2019, the Creative Studio of the ARSENĀLS Exhibition Hall of the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga (Torņa iela 1, 2nd floor) will show Brigita Zelča-Aispure and Kristaps Grundšteins’ exhibition No More Places.

There are no places left on the plane, no free places left for the performance, no places left at the preschool educational institution, no place left on the hard disk, no state-funded places left at the university. From frightful online news, establishment of facts, announcements on displays in the bus, to workplaces for spending life comfortably. The authors of the exhibition ask the question: “What to do when no places seem to be left? It may be beneficial for some, but the majority of society must deal with the situation of fitting into structures that are already closed.”

The ARSENĀLS Exhibition Hall of the Latvian National Museum of Art is part of Vecrīga’s Northern Gate ensemble. And, despite the fact that this is one of the architecturally most spacious buildings in Riga, here too there is no place left. The conditions for keeping the collections are very cramped. In the premises, each square centimetre is being used. Thus, 4 166 works from the collection of painting are kept in 359 m².

Despite the shortage of spaces, Brigita Zelča-Aispure and Kristaps Grundšteins’ exhibition will be an attempt to squeeze into the more than 186-year-old architecture of the building, using it not as a container for their works, but becoming a part of it. Together the artists have created an object, which will literally pass through the entire ARSENĀLS building, investigating the borders between art, architecture and design.

Announcement: Since the artists have no place left for the storage of works, we will give away the installation’s 130 metal elements for further use after the end of the exhibition. Please apply at: [email protected].

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Brigita Zelča-Aispure (1986) graduated from the Department of Visual Communication of the Art Academy of Latvia. She has taken part in exhibitions in Latvia and abroad since 2007. The artist’s work is characterised by a clear conceptual core and an investigation of paradoxes, intertwining the achievements and mishaps of nature and culture, apologia of certain phenomena and the highlighting of their versatility.

Several of the artist’s works have been created in collaboration with Sandis Aispurs. Two objects for urban environment were made in the framework of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation’s programme Art in Public Space – Still Life in the Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia and The Edge (2015) in Viesturdārzs.

Kristaps Grundšteins (1983) is a designer and researcher. He graduated from the Master’s Programme of the Department of Design of the Art Academy of Latvia and the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia. Co-founder of design studio FortyFour. Kristaps’ approach to art is characterised by a research-based contextual perspective on various processes – societal aging, historic-aesthetical memory, technologic change, and mono-matter. He has taken part in exhibitions since 2006. The most notable among them – research-based project Golden Years (2014) – made in collaboration with studio Rijada.

Together the artists created a souvenir line dedicated to Boriss Bērziņš.