The core of this exhibition is reflections on the individual and his/her living environment or human person in the city environment, activated in the 80’s by an architect and multimedia artist Hardijs Lediņš (1955-2004). When thinking of Hardijs Lediņš one mainly recalls his creative work in experimental music, while his theoretical reasonings on modern and postmodern city planning – zeitgeist and the atmosphere of a place – have remained rather unknown. However, his contribution to modernist architecture analysis is well up-to-date both in the ideological and methodological aspect. Thereby this exhibition takes a critical and reflexive position towards the architectural “contemporarity”, its social role and material functionality in the relationship between a human person, the city and living environment.
In addition to the archive by H.Lediņš, an interesting documentation of the formation of new regions in Riga during the 1970’s, 1980’s and today will be shown in the exhibition. Furthermore, there will be a display of photos by the artists of new generation Ieva Epnere and Iveta Vaivode, depicting life in the housing areas of Riga and other cities. The film “Human in the Living Environment”, made in 1986 by H.Lediņš, will also be shown as a part of the exhibition.
The authors of the concept and format of the exhibition: architect Toms Kokins, sociologist Viesturs Celmiņš and art historian Maija Rudovska; project leader - Elīna Hermansone.
Organizers: The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art in collaboration with Riga Art Space.
Supporters: State Culture Capital Foundation, The Culture Department of Riga City , Architects‘ bureau ARHIIDEA, Company Laika stars, Noass, Rīgas Laiks.