Artis
Photography
What have you learnt from the changes in recent years in Latvia and the world?
In Latvia and Europe the number of exhibitions and art projects taking place has decreased in number – it enables you to get an easier feel for what you miss, and what you can also do without. There is more time to create works and to start projects simply because – one wants to and enjoys it, not because it has to be submitted for some event. For me it’s been fairly natural that every day, as well as in art projects, I’ve started working with photography – it is an accessible and fast way of communicating with reality. In addition, it lets you continue what comes out best – not to provide answers, but to pose questions.
How does your project for in SURVI- VAL KIT 2 fit in with the Festival theme?
This is a documentary photo project about the artist Artis, who paints the Rīga Cinema’s posters. I was first of all interested in the fact that it’s possible to create an art experience for oneself and for passers-by using simple means. Secondly, Artis superbly shows a way of maintaining individuality in a hyper-unified visual language era. In addition, the chain of many copies is simply fascinating: 1) film as a copy of reality, 2) the cinema poster as a copy of the film, 3) Artis’ painted work as a copy of the cinema poster. And then my photo project as a copy of Artis’ paintings. As a result of these multi-levelled happy activities a conclusion arises – one can survive, if one can survive cleverly!
Why haven’t you left yet?
In the last years of the Soviet Union’s existence there was a joke about the fact that all people can be divided up into two groups – those, who have been to America, and those who are getting ready to go there. Probably the best way to look at the question is as a joke. Though if one looks at it seriously, then there really isn’t a sufficiently important reason that could be mentioned without irony, except perhaps a physical entity like the pull of gravity.