TUR_telpa will open the Contemporary Art Exhibition “Optimized Flow” by Jānis Dzirnieks On August 10th, 2023

As part of their third exhibition in the series “Monumental Encounters” contemporary art space TUR_telpa, in Tallinas ielas Kvartāls, will open with “Optimized Flow” by Jānis Dzirnieks On August 10th at 18:00. 

Contemporary art space TUR_telpa is excited to announce the opening of their next exhibition “Optimized Flow” with new work by Rotterdam based, Latvian artist Jānis Dzirnieks. This is the third and final exhibition in the summer series “Monumental Encounters” in which TUR_telpa invited their artists to consider the presentation of their work in relation to the unique character of the exhibition space and the summer conditions of the busy Tallinas kvartāls that it is a part of. 

For “Optimized Flow,” Dzirnieks has continued a practice that is influenced by his interest in heavily technologized processes, planned obsolescence, synthetic environments and the exploitation of vulnerabilities of the human psyche. Heat, and how it flows through natural and artificial environments plays a focal role in the new work that makes up this exhibition. Central to it will be a large polystyrene sculpture that many will recognize as distinct to Dzirnieks. The polystyrene material he works with delivers both a desired aesthetic and conceptual result. In essence he is recycling a product that comes from the oil and chemical industry toward which he is critical. The original product is made for the insulation of buildings which helps retain warmth and that is arguably good for the environment. However, it also contains toxic chemicals and redundant polystyrene is rarely recycled as it offers little return (being 98% air). 

To make a modular sculpture, he uses rectangular slabs of polystyrene and cuts them with a hot wire tool of his own design. He “records” his movements as the tool glides through the material according to self set instructions, creating the pattern that he subsequently shapes into a sculpture. The finished result can be either disassembled or assembled into a variety of configurations, including back to its original rectangular shape, which is the most optimized version of each object. For the exhibition at TUR_telpa the sculpture will be placed on the platform of the large 5x5x5 meter cube and Dzirnieks will see how it flows in relation to the rest of the space. Supplemental to the modular polystyrene sculpture are two-dimensional works that also reference ideas around optimized flow of heat and draw from his interest in the technical drawings and illustrations found in scientific papers. 

About the artist: 

Janis Dzirnieks (1992) is a Latvian artist based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He studied visual communications at the Latvian Academy of Art and obtained a Master's degree from the

prestigious Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam. His practice involves research into material and processes, which result in sculptures, installations and wall based objects. In Latvia he has previously had exhibitions at 427, KIM? and RIXC as well as having exhibited abroad. 

About the TUR_telpa 

TUR_telpa is an independent art space that values experimentation and process-based art. Since 2020, TUR_telpa has become an important contemporary art space in Riga, organizing contemporary art exhibitions as well as concerts, performances and poetry readings. Since opening three years ago, several of the exhibitions have been nominated for the Purvītis Prize. This year both “Voices in My Heads” in June by Rūdolfs Štamers and “Lapa uz lapas” by Maija Kurševa in April were nominated. The other nominated exhibitions were "O" by Sabine Verners and Kristine Krause-Slucka's solo exhibition "Forced Movements of the Past." 

The three exhibitions of the summer series “Monumental Encounters” are curated by Dutch artist Edd Schouten in close collaboration with the artists and team at TUR_telpa. “Optimized Flow” is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, from 17:00 to 22:00 and runs till September 9th. 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) 

Organized by: Uldis Trapencieris, Rūdolfs Štamers, Edd Schouten and Kristīne Ercika Curator: Edd Schouten 

Production: Kristīne Ercika 

Exhibition mediator: Andris Freibergs 

Technical Support: Maksimilians Kotovičs 

Graphic design: Estere Betija Grāvere 

Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Rigas Dome, Tu jau zini kur and Rilak Paints.