Winners of the 'Linstow Art Award 2026' Professional Art Prize Announced

The “Linstow Art Award 2026” competition has concluded, with an international jury selecting three laureates from among 36 applications submitted by graduates of the Art Academy of Latvia’s Master’s programmes. Dzelde Mierkalne, Oto Holgers Ozoliņš, and Mika Solomon have been named the winners of the “Linstow Art Award 2026”. Their submissions and in-person presentations stood out for their distinctive artistic language, conceptual depth, and compelling creative vision, marking the emergence of a promising new generation in Latvian contemporary art.

This year, the professional art prize received 36 applications from graduates of the Art Academy of Latvia. In a highly competitive field, the international jury selected three laureates whose works most fully met the evaluation criteria and demonstrated outstanding artistic quality and development potential.

The mission of the “Linstow Art Award” is to provide long-term support for emerging Latvian artists, foster the development of the creative industries, and strengthen the lasting presence of art in the urban environment. Each of the three laureates will receive a €3,000 monetary award and the opportunity to use, free of charge for one year, a 25-square-metre art studio at the SPORTA 2 quarter in Riga (www.sporta2.com), along with opportunities to exhibit their works.

“For the second consecutive year, we have witnessed strong interest in the “Linstow Art Award”, confirming how important professional and practical support is for young artists at the beginning of their careers after graduation. The award has become a sustainable platform that combines professional recognition with meaningful support – both financial and practical – by providing studio space and the opportunity to further develop artistic practice. We believe that this initiative not only contributes to the growth of emerging talent, but also strengthens the development of Latvia’s creative industries and the presence of contemporary art in the urban environment in the long term. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Art Academy of Latvia, especially Rector Kristaps Zariņš and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Antra Priede, as well as to the international jury for their trust, responsiveness, and close cooperation,” says Evija Majevska, Commercial Director of “Linstow Baltic”.

Overall, in its second year, the “Linstow Art Award” received 36 applications from graduates of the Art Academy of Latvia who had completed their Master’s studies within the past three years. Applications were open to this year’s graduates as well as artists who had graduated from the Visual Arts, Visual Plastic Arts, Audiovisual Media Arts, and Design programmes during the previous three years. We would like to thank all applicants for their participation, dedication, and willingness to share their artistic vision.

Interestingly, all three winners of the “Linstow Art Award 2026” represent the Art Academy of Latvia’s Visual Arts programme:

- Dzelde Mierkalne, a 2023 graduate of the Visual Arts programme, submitted her work “Cradlecodex 42” (“Šūpuļkodekss 42”).

Jury chair Inga Lāce describes young artist’s work: “Dzelde Mierkalne is an artist whose practice reimagines historical craft techniques through a distinctly contemporary and self-taught approach. Combining experimentation with meticulous handwork, she develops innovative material processes that bridge folk traditions, popular culture, internet aesthetics, and speculative visions of the future. Her works often draw on cultural history and national symbols, reviving forgotten methods and visual languages while placing them in unexpected contemporary contexts.”

- Mika Solomon, a 2024 graduate of the Visual Arts programme, entered the competition with “Spatial Drawing – DOM Gallery” (“Telpiskais zīmējums – DOM galerija”).

Inga Lāce assesses that “Mika Solomon is an artist whose practice centres on drawing as a tool for world-building. Inspired by Japanese anime, gaming cultures, and online visual communities, Solomon creates intricate fictional universes populated by original characters and narratives. Through a tactile and sensitive approach to drawing, the artist transforms one of the oldest artistic mediums into a vehicle for exploring contemporary digital culture.”

- Oto Holgers Ozoliņš, a 2024 graduate of the Visual Arts programme, participated with his work “Artifacts of Process” (“Procesa artifakti).

“The practice of Oto Holgers Ozoliņš moves between sculpture, performance, and social intervention. Working with found objects and recycled materials, he develops projects that are responsive to his surroundings, often creating situations that invite new forms of encounter and audience participation. His work frequently blurs the boundaries between art and everyday life, transforming familiar actions into poetic, humorous, or subtly critical gestures,” says Inga Lāce.

The submitted works were evaluated according to several criteria, including the artist’s previous creative achievements and development potential, the quality and technical execution of the submitted work, formal and thematic solutions, and the relevance of the work’s conceptual message.

We thank all applicants for their dedication, courage to share their artistic vision, and willingness to be part of the “Linstow Art Award” community.

All applications were evaluated by an international jury composed of leading Latvian and international experts with extensive professional experience in contemporary art, design, architecture, and cultural policy. The 2026 jury brought together both art institution leaders and patrons, including the founder of the award and art patron Paulina Rider Wilhelmsen; jury chair Inga Lāce (Chief Curator of the Almaty Museum of Arts); Joanna Nordin (Artistic Director of Bonniers Konsthall); Susanne Østby Sæter (Curator at the Henie Onstad Art Centre); lawyer and founder of the “VV Foundation” Vita Liberte; and architect and researcher Dina Suhanova (Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture, Art Academy of Latvia).

The professional art prize “Linstow Art Award” was established in 2025 through a partnership between “Linstow Baltic”, one of the leading real estate developers in the Baltics, and the Art Academy of Latvia. Its aim is to provide a modern platform for emerging Latvian artists to launch their professional careers and further develop their talent. The “Linstow Art Award” forms part of Linstow Baltic’s sustainability approach, bringing together art and business on a shared platform to foster the growth of emerging talent and the development of a creative urban environment.

More information is available at www.linstowartaward.lv. Follow the latest news about “Linstow Art Award 2026” on Facebook and Instagram.