From August 21 to 28, 2026, the art space Toinen Kerros (Nokiantie 2-4, 00510, Helsinki, Finland) will host Latvieshi International, a week-long audiovisual art exhibition. It will feature new works by six Latvian artists based in Latvia, Iceland, and Finland.
The central theme of the exhibition is background noise. Six artists (Uģis Albiņš, Aina Bikše, Jurģis Peters, Mārtiņš Ratniks, Sandijs Ruļuks, and Lidija Zaneripa) approach this phenomenon from different perspectives. Their works explore non-human communication, algorithmic systems, industrial sound, mechanisms of perception and attention, as well as the traces and residues left on memory and identity by moving and existing within other cultural spaces.
The conceptual foundation of the exhibition is the question of the boundary itself: what separates signal from noise, and who defines it? In these artworks, noise is perceived as a material that can be organized, listened to, and purposefully manipulated. What is perceived as a disruptive background in one context can become structure, language, or meaning in another, and often becomes noticeable only when it suddenly disappears.
The exhibition is complemented by a public program that is open to everyone and free of charge:
August 21: Exhibition opening night featuring musical performances created by the artists.
August 23: An educational exhibition tour for children and youth, including students from the Helsinki Latvian diaspora school Pikku Putni, using worksheets and tasks specifically developed for this exhibition.
August 26: A moderated public discussion with Latvian and Finnish cultural representatives on the relationship between signal and noise in the cultural environment. The discussion will be followed by a live sound performance led by musician and artist Michael Holland. It will be based on a score created specifically for this exhibition, performed by six musicians using both traditional instruments and homemade musical instruments crafted by artist James Prevett. The sound piece will combine the themes of the exhibition with the archives of Latvian folk music, particularly highlighting its oldest layer—near-speech singing and chanting. Using the exhibition's motifs and contemporary textual material, the performance will interpret and seek musical parallels between Latvian and Finnish historical traditions.
About the Organizers The Latvieshi International project is organized by the association Datu ainavu kartogrāfi (founded by artist-researcher Jurģis Peters and cultural producer, urban researcher Džesika Petere) in collaboration with the Äänen Lumo organization, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Finland, and the Rozentāls Society (Rozentāls-seura).
Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), Culture Moves Europe, Labietis Brewery, and Valmiermuiža.
The opening of the Latvieshi International exhibition will take place on August 21 at 18:00 at the Toinen Kerros art space, Nokiantie 2-4, 00510 Helsinki.
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