TUR_space exhibition 'Liminal Limbo'

  • 2024-10-22

On October 25th at 18:00 TUR opens their final exhibition of 2024, Liminal Limbo. This group show, featuring new work from artists Katrina EW, Oto Holgers Ozoliņš, Kristina Rezviha and Patrīcija Māra Vilsone, reflects on the unique perspectives of a generation on the cusp between Millennials and Gen Z, at a time when the world itself is facing its own pivotal transitions.

Liminal Limbo brings together new work from four artists – Katrina EW, Oto Holgers Ozoliņš, Kristina Rezviha, and Patrīcija Māra Vilsone – who are on the cusp of Generation Z and Millennials. The premise of the exhibition is for these artists to create personal reflections on the times we live in, specifically from the perspective of a generation that has just begun to arrive on the scene and participate in cultural conversations with voices that carry significant and insightful reflections on humanity and the future course of history. As with every generation, Gen Z is shaped by the events and technological shifts that have occurred during their formative years. Gen Z is often characterized by their adaptability, social consciousness, and digital fluency, though they also face challenges such as heightened anxiety and a tendency towards instant gratification. This characterization reflects not only the influence of previous generations but might also offer a fresh point of view.
In Liminal Limbo, the artists present work that embodies the complexities of this generation's identity, exploring how the uncertainties of the present moment affect both personal and collective experiences. A defining characteristic of Gen Z is their frequent nostalgia for a past they never personally experienced. This sentiment is strongly reflected in the work of the four artists featured in Liminal Limbo. Oto Holgers Ozoliņš contemplates the increasing militarization of recent years in response to a belligerent neighbor and the wars creeping closer to our reality. His work references a time when toys for boys glorified war, subtly asking whether this will once again become a norm for the next generation. Katrina EW feels deeply that she stands at the crossroads of two generations. While Gen Z is known for being digital natives, she vividly recalls a childhood without social media, one spent climbing trees and playing outside until dusk. As part of a generation that openly discusses mental health but is often criticized for being overly sensitive, her work is an abstraction of a "safe space," where generational traumas—whatever they may be—can find healing. Kristina Rezviha reflects nostalgically on the values of previous generations who were more inclined to grow their own food, maintained stronger connections to nature, and had greater access to lifelong careers, cheaper education, and home ownership. In Liminal Limbo, she cultivates a "concrete garden," filled with plants and flowers that symbolize what her generation has lost sight of, or perhaps never had the chance to experience. Similarly, Patrīcija Māra Vilsone begins with a sense of nostalgic longing as she grapples with the complex freedom won by her parents and grandparents. She likens her experience to the trains of the past, present, and future—where the past trains deported her grandparents east, and future ones offer her opportunities further west. Yet, the emotional weight of leaving behind the family who sacrificed for Latvia’s freedom keeps her rooted in place, suspended in a state of liminal limbo on the station platform of the present.
A vital fifth contribution to Liminal Limbo, complementing the work of the artists, comes from three architecture and design students from RISEBA – Reinijs Acht, Nikita Merkushin, and Kate Onckule – who, like the artists, navigate the liminal space between Generation Z and Millennials. Tasked with creating a liveable environment within TUR’s expansive space, their project mirrors the broader challenges faced by Gen Z. As they designed and built their structure alongside the exhibition, it became a reflection of the precarious future their generation inherits, where resources grow scarce and funding for creative ventures continues to dwindle. By repurposing materials from TUR’s previously dismantled cube, the students' design not only transforms the space physically but also serves as a metaphor for the adaptive resilience required of their generation – crafting something meaningful out of the remnants of what came before, even in uncertain times.

About TUR

TUR's ambition is to complement Riga's contemporary art scene by working closely with their selected artists to create high quality, curated art exhibitions. Collaborating with the distinctive characteristic of the space - which refers to both the traditional white cube and the building's industrial past - artists are invited to create new work and encouraged to experiment beyond what might be their conventional practice. Since it was founded TUR has organized contemporary art exhibitions as well as concerts, performances, and poetry readings related to the exhibitions. Several of TUR's exhibitions have been nominated for the Purvītis Prize with Luīze Rukšāne's “Folding Lines” receiving the honor earlier this year. Last year “Voices in My Heads” by Rūdolfs Štamers and “Lapa uz lapas” by Maija Kurševa were nominated. 

TUR_telpa is a non-profit art initiative supported by the Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation and Rigas dome. For the latest news and events, please follow TUR_telpa's Instagram (tur_telpa) and/or Facebook page (TUR).