The unusual personality and vivid talent of MAIJA TABAKA, after 40 years
of active contribution to Latvian painting, still gives rise to debate as
intense as it was at the beginning of her artistic development. Provocatively
alien to the mainstream of Latvian painting of the 1970s, her art retains to
this day its aureole of an off-beat phenomenon.
The artist had formed her own independent style of painting in the
seventies when appeared characteristic figural compositions with portraits of
the main heroes, detailed depiction of the environment, interiors and costumes.
The people in her paintings personified the urban culture of the new age and
demonstrated that which officially endorsed art was careful to hide: interest
in the private world and social escapism. Maija Tabaka was interested in young
people who stood completely aloof from the ideals of the ruling ideology and
were instead attracted more by the achievements of Western capitalism in rock
and jazz, in contemporary design, art and undeniably also fashion. Glamorous
figures, use of cinematic techniques: spotlighting the faces and attaching
great importance to details, special costumes, staged unreal situations, the
simultaneous representation of many layers of reality were characteristic to
the images of Maija Tabaka’s paintings.
Success came to Tabaka surprisingly soon, most demonstratively in the
international context. Thus, she participated in the 40th Venice
Biennale, won German Academic Exchange Service DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer
Austausch Dienst) scholarship competition (1977), judged by the jury of the
Kassel Documenta of that year, and also became friends with the Fluxus artist
Wolf Vostell and Valdis Āboliņš, an activist of the movement and important
figure in West Berlin art structures, entering into a long-lasting
correspondence with them.
Many times the artist has participated in exhibitions representing
Latvian art abroad (exhibition „Riga – Lettische
Avantgarde” in Berlin (1988), 3rd
International Art Exhibition “20 Realists from the Soviet
Union” in Düsseldorf (1973) etc.)
1979 saw an exhibition of Maija Tabaka’s work at the West Berlin
Künstlerhaus Bethanien, in 1984 there was a solo exhibition at the Central
House of Artists in Moscow, in 1992 – a solo
exhibition at the State Museum of Art in Riga.
The artist’s works were shown in numerous solo exhibitions at
RIGA GALLERY.
Maija Tabaka’s works are found in collections of the State Museum of Art
(Riga), the Artists’ Union of Latvia Museum (Riga), the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow),
LudwigMuseum
(Cologne, Germany),
Berlinische Galerie (Berlin, Germany), JaneVoorheesZimmerliArt Museum in RutgersUniversity (New Brunswick, New Jersey,
USA) as well as
in many private collections.
Artworks which have already become iconic, such as „Wedding in Rundāle”
(1974), „Women” (1974), „Artist Wolf Vostell with His Family” (1978),
„Basketball. TTT” (1980), „Self-Portrait” (1981) were shown at the White Hall
of the State Museum of Art. These paintings demonstrate the influence of
photorealism because in the distant 1970s Maija Tabaka and a group of
like-minded fellows – Bruno Vasiļevskis, Imants Lancmanis and others – had
stable interest not only in Western European painting but also in American
photorealism and its different manifestations.
The tone of the exhibition is set by an artwork known only from
reproductions – „Portrait of Maija Tabaka” made in 1978 by the world-famous
German artist Wolf Vostell. The artist characterizes precisely the personality
of Maija Tabaka and her artistic interests, combining the image of a Romantic
beauty with a cool analytical gaze and a symbolic photo camera at the centre.
Riga Gallery will exhibit fourteen large-size paintings by MAIJA TABAKA. Several
important artworks painted during the Berlin Period will be on view, such as „Jungle”
(1977), portraits of the Latvian actress Regina Razuma, some paintings from the
Gypsy series that got lost for a variety of reasons or ended up in important
private museums and collections.
Exhibition curator and exposition concept author – art historian, Riga
Gallery Director Inessa Rinke.
Awards: 2000 - Three-Star Orden of the Republic of Latvia
2008
-Ministry of Culture
Republic of Latvia Award for lifetime contribution to national culture care
2004 - Freeman of the Jurmala city
1984 - Artist of Outstanding Public Service of
the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Selected Public collections:
State
Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia.
Artists’
Union of Latvia Museum, Riga / Latvia.
State
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow / Russia.
Berlinische Galerie, Berlin / Germany.
Ludwig
Museum, Cologne / Germany.
Jane
Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick / New Jersey /
USA.
Greatest Private collections:
Ainārs
Gulbis’ private collection, Riga / Latvia.
Artist catalogue:
MAIJA
TABAKA.Solo exhibition in the State Museum of Art. Riga: Riga Gallery, 2004
MAIJA
TABAKA. PAINTINGS. Riga: LIESMA, 1983
Selected Editions:
100
Latvijas sievietes kultūrā un politikā. Riga: Latvijas Universitāte, 2008
Art
of teh Baltics: The Struggle for Freedom of Artistic Expression under the Soviet,
1945-1991.Ed. by Alla Rosenfeld, Norton T.Dodge. London: Rutgers Iniversity
Press, 2002
Latvijas
Glezniecība: 1945-1985 Plus [catalogue]. Ilze Konstante. Riga: Doma, 2000
The Joy of Being [catalogue]. Riga: Valsts
Mākslas muzejs, 2000
Baltic
Art: Contemporary Paintings and Sculptures: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
[catalogue]. Washington, USA:World Premiere Baltic Art Exhibition, 2000
Nonconformist
Art. The Soviet experience, 1956-1986. The Norton and Nancy Dodge
Collection.Ed. by Alla Rosenfeld, Norton T.Dodge. London: Themes and Hudson.
1995
Nodieva
Aija. Latviešu jaunākā glezniecība. Riga: LIESMA, 1981
Rīga
– latviešu avangards [catalogue]. Berlin: 1988. — 80.
THE
INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR FOCUSED ON CENTRAL & ESTERN EUROPE
BOOTH NoA 0502
Messe Wien, Halle A, Messeplatz 1,
1020 Vienna |Austria www.viennafair.at
IEVA ILTNERE
OBSESSION. PAINTINGS
This year International
Contemporary Art Fair Viennafair focuses on the Central and Eastern European
countries. International jury selected 127 galleries from 26 countries to take
part in the fair, including the Rīgas
Galerija participating with Ieva Iltnere exhibition Obsession.
Solo project Obsession includes seven
paintings analysing obsession of creating collections and archives, pointing to
challenges of conservation with modern digital technologies and quoting an
internationally renowned art curator Boris Grois who said that there was
probably very much art... A parallel program provides a list of performances
supporting the idea.
Ieva Iltnere is one of the most outstanding and creative artists of her
generation, participating in exhibitions since 1978. Iltnere has created a
particular imagery that clearly marks her individual works. Her paintings
feature subdued colouring and discrete intonation, paying particular attention
to light and composition. Each work is endowed with a personal touch.
Ieva Iltnere will participate at the opening of her exhibition at the Messe
Wien, Hall A, Messeplatz 1 in Vienna.
This year also 21 internationally recognized curators were attracted to create
exhibitions from private collections thus illustrating their vision on private
collection development. Romanian curator Lilian Popsecu for Knoll Galerie Wien
has selected works of two Latvian painters featured in different private
collections Harijs Brants and Ritums Ivanovs.
Riga Gallery will participate at international art exhibition BUDAPEST ART FAIR 2010 Heroes Corner Section (Mücsarnok, Dózsa György utca 37, 1146 Budapest) with RITUMS IVANOVS painting "Madonna on stage" which is published on exhibitions web: www.budapestartfair.hu.
25 Galleries to Showcase the
Best of Central & Eastern Europe
HEROES CORNER:
RAISING THE CURTAIN
No
fewer than 25 galleries from 12 different countries are taking
part in the 2010 Budapest Art Fair – in a special new section devoted to
the art of Central & Eastern Europe: HEROES CORNER.
As
well ashonouring the pioneering efforts of
the region's artists and galleries,HEROES CORNER refers
to the Fair’s venue: the Belle Epoque Mücsarnok (Art Hall) on grandiose Hősök
Tere (Heroes' Square), situated at the far
end of Andrassy Avenue, the 'Champs-Elysées of Central Europe.'
HEROES SQUAREhas
also been adopted as the new name for the Budapest Art Fair – which was founded
in 1994 and this year splits into two separate events, with furniture and
objets d’art granted their own fair, Antik Enteriőr, at the Ethnography
Museum.
Meanwhile
the rebranded flagship event – Budapest's Modern & Contemporary Art Fair –
remains on… HEROES SQUARE.
In
total some sixty galleries, half from Hungary, will be exhibiting at HEROES SQUARE Budapest Art Fair. The fair runs November 25-28 (VIP opening November 24).
BUDAPEST: WHERE WEST MEETS EAST
The
Budapest Art Fair has a track record in attracting prominent foreign galleries.
Prestigious past exhibitors include Pascal Lansberg (Paris), Galerie Hilger
(Vienna), Le Minotaure (Paris/Tel Aviv), Knoll (Vienna/Budapest/Moscow), and
Gilden’s Arts (London) – to name but a few.
Now
the Fair aims to exploit Budapest’s position as an international crossroads by
filling an existing vacuum: the absence of a flagship contemporary fair for
Central & Eastern Europe.
Inspired
by the Tremplin (Springboard) section at the 2010 Paris Biennale, the
new HEROES CORNERsection will feature 20 of the most dynamic modern and
contemporary art galleries in Central and Eastern Europe, plus five Western
galleries specializing in East European art.
Each
gallery will display a single work on a special stand in the centre of the
Fair. Gallery owners will be present throughout the Fair to meet visitors and
talk about their artists.
The
twelve countries represented onHEROES CORNERare Bosnia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Ukraine and, from the West, France, Switzerland and the USA.
The geographical sweep on HEROES CORNER ranges from Sarajevo (Duplex/10m²) up to Riga (Alma, Tifāna, Rīgas)… and
from New York (Art-Fira) across to Ekaterinburg in the Urals (Art-Slovar).
EASTERN PROMISE: ALL STYLES & MEDIA
The works on offer on HEROES CORNER span a 75-year period, from a 1935 Portrait of a Girl by Pavel
Filonov's student Vladimir Luppian (Na Lenivke, Moscow) to a host of
'hot-off-the-press' works produced in 2010, including Sandor Bartha's In The
Park (Ivan Gallery, Bucharest); Ritums
Ivanovs' Madonna On Stage (Rīgas
Galerija, Riga); and Kandinsky & Melamid's Russian Sudoku (Art-Fira,
New York).
Some paintings are overtly Political, likeTara von Neudorf's Don't
Let Your Dreams Fall Asleep, with its Russian flag and USSR logo (Anaid
Art, Bucharest), or Yevgeniy Fiks' Portrait of US Community Party member Esther
Moroze (Barbarian, Zurich). Some are more Philosophical, like
Łukasz Jastrubcz's The End(Pies, Poznan) andValery Chtak's Why Is
This Happening? (Paperworks, Moscow). Others are Geographical, like
Vladimir Migachov's Black Sea (Russkiy Mir, Paris); or Escapist, like
Konstantin Batynkov's tiny Tarzan in a black-and-white jungle (VP-Studio,
Moscow).
HEROES CORNER
will provide a unique, thought-provoking overview of the finest artistic talent
to have blossomed since the fall of the Iron Curtain.
A
strong photography section features six galleries, with startling images like
Katya Belkina's naked self-portrait on horseback, inspired by Petrov-Vodkin's Bathing
the Red Horse (Fotoloft, Moscow); a harrowing depiction of Vladimir
Putin by World Press Photo Award-winner Sergey Maximishin (RussianTeaRoom,
Paris); and Boštjan Pucelj's triptych Missing In Action (Fotografija,
Ljubljana).
Also
available on HEROES CORNER
will be graphic art, video (Adriana Jebeleanu'sCopy Paste at Little Yellow Studio, Bucharest, Alina Gutkina'sMy Mom at GMG of Moscow), and a variety of sculpture
– from Paolo Vivian's iron Bar Code (Bulart, Varna – Bulgaria) and
Małgorzata Warlikowska's six-part ceramic/silkscreen Eat Your Brain Out
(Galeria BB, Krakow), to Olaf
Brzeski's porcelain plates (Czarna,
Warsaw) and Nazar Bilyk's tall glass and
fibre-glass figure Rain (Black Square, Kiev/New York).
One
of Eastern Europe's newest art galleries, Prospekt of Bucharest, will be taking
part – and one of the region's oldest, Slovakia's Gandy Gallery, founded (in
Prague) 18 years ago. 'Central
Europe deserves a great fair!' enthuses gallery owner Nadine Gandy.
*******
To
oversee the new section, and develop the Budapest Art Fair’s international
profile, the Fair has appointed Simon Hewitt as International
Advisor. Mr Hewitt is an Oxford University-trained art historian based in
Geneva, and a respected international art critic with many years’ experience
writing for Art + Auction and other leading American, British, French
and Russian specialist publications. He says:‘Budapest Art Fair is one
of the oldest and most firmly established art fairs in Eastern Europe, and I
admire the determination of owners Sandor & Kati Galambos to establish the
Fair as the leading event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. These are
exciting times, and I am thrilled at this opportunity to help bring
international artists, gallerists and collectors to HEROES SQUARE.’
for images and further information please contact Viktória Vető
participated
in the prestigious 14 International Art FairART MOSCOW 2010 for the tenth time at Central
House of Artists (10 Krymsky Val, Moscow)
from 22nd till 26th September.
In the exhibition were shown art works from Ieva Iltnere, Ritums Ivanovs, Liga
Purmale, Leonards Laganovskis, Henrihs Vorkals, Evelina Deicmane and Ilmars
Blumbergs.
This year, ART MOSCOW exhibit 37 galleries from 14 countries. Exhibition was
attended by more than 20 000 visitors.
Exhibitions parallel programs were presented at the project on topic Medialization,
Virtual Museum Folkwang (Essen, Germany), etc., and leading international art
institutions of the market leaders - Gagosian Gallery Director Valerie Blair,
White Cube Director Graham Steele, Christie's auction house director Matthew
Stephenson, etc. presentation, as a guide for young collectors.
At the exhibition house 3rd floor was presented
exhibition of prominent Kandinsky Prize nominees.
A record of three artists from Latvia, have been shortlisted for the 2009-10 Sovereign European Art Prize. Evelina Deicmane, who has previosly exhibited at both The Venice and Moscow Biennales,Liga Purmale whose painting was sold in internacional aucton house Sotheby`s sale in London (2009) and leading conceptual art representative - Kristaps Gelzis
The exhibition opened with great success and has had a record number of visitors since its been open to the public.
DAVID BIRKIN was announced the winner of this year’s €25,000 prize and was absolutely delighted!
The remaining 29 finalist art works will be auctioned, with the proceeds split between the artists and the Barbican Centre Trust, a charity whose recent project activity includes working in neighbouring boroughs in East London to make the arts more accessible to schools, families and communities.
Awarded annually, the Sovereign European Art Prize is the only European – wide prize for contemporary art. It offers the chance to purchase works by some of the rising starts of the European contemporary art world.
These works are available for bids until this Sunday 20th June. This is a wonderful opportunity to support these artists, put forward by yourselves, and also this charitable project.
The pieces can be viewed in advance of the event at the exhibition at the Barbican Centre from the 9 - 20th June (Monday to Sunday.10am-8pm)
Messe Wien , Hall A, Messeplatz 1, 1020, Vienna | Austria
LEONARDS LAGANOVSKIS
SOLO -
SHOW
Stand Number: A1802
Leonards Laganovskis (1955), one of most
visible and consequential Latvian contemporary art representative, his creative
actions started in beginning of 80ies when he brightly introduce himself
together with Hardijs Lediņš and Imants Žodžiks in avantgarde group.
Leonards Laganovskis
participated in legendary art exhibition in 1984. „Nature.
Environment. Man” at St. Peter’s Church (Riga / Latvia) and in first Latvian art important
exhibitions in the west „Riga – Lettische avantgarde” in Berlin 1988.
Artist’s most popular works from 80ies
– 90ies are based on language of socart using recognizable cliché from soviet
life (McLenin (1992), End of Movie etc.)
At paintings, prints, photographic and
objects which are created at late 80ies mark themes, motives and conceptual
developments whose are characterize artist’s creations till nowadays.
Criticizing authority mechanisms Leonards Laganovskis
with help of framing text or image and overstatement fragments ironical
paraphrase authority symbols and languages cliché in what he discover absurdity
of that.
In the early 90ies Leonards Laganovskis mostly worked at Berlin. Participating in Germany’s art life, organizing solo exhibitions as
well as taking part in the international group exhibitions and cooperate which
Germanys premier art Galleries and art institutions, artist has taken wide
international experience and is grand holder of several grants.
After returning in
Latvia with new verities and new experience Leonards
Laganovskis very bright confirms himself in International
12th Tallinn Print triennial (2001) to getting 1st Prize for his work in which
in one page were assemble all texts from Holy Bible.
At 2004
L.Laganovskis benefit Latvian Art Union Prize of Year for the best solo
exhibition “Right to Desire” hold at Riga Gallery.
Play with measures, concept and language
is brand and trade mark of Leonards Laganovskis.
His eternal theme - technologies of authority which are look through political,
social and commercial prism.
Works by Leonards
Laganovskis represented Latvian contemporary art in important
exhibitions like "Bouquet" at RussianStateContemporaryArtCenter (2008, Moscow/
Russia) and international
art fairs like ART MOSCOW (2005, 2006, 2009, Moscow/
Russia).
At 2009 in major solo exhibition “Normal” at Art Museum Arsenāls (Riga
/ Latvia)
metre of conceptual art confirms his reputation brightly.
At solo project in Vienna will be demonstrated selected works
from Leonards Laganovskis series
Vodka, Lecterns, Fashion and 90ies series Food.
Works in selected collections: Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia
Collection of The Contemporary Art
Museum of Latvia, Riga / Latvia
Neue Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin / Germany Kupferstich Kabinett, Berlin / Germany Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New
York / USA Estonia Art Museum, Tallinn / Estonia Eestipank, Tallinn / Estonia
Private collections
in Latvia,
Europe, Russia etc.
RIGA GALLERY participates in the prestigious International Art Fair ART MOSCOW for the ninth time.
Art works are selected by an international and prominent jury. Among visitors of this exhibition are directors of art museums, art curators, art critics, collectors and representative of the international press.
At this Year exhibition will be open at the same time as The 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art which is the most important visual art exhibition in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Press-conference - Wednesday 23rd September 2.00 p.m.
Opening - Wednesday 23rd September 4.00 - 9.00 p.m.
Riga Gallery exposition is supported by:
European Regional Development Fund
/ European Union (Nr.L-ĀTA-09-0013)
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Moscow
More about events: www.art-moscow.ru www.3rd.moscowbiennale.ru www.riga-gallery.com
For the first time Latvian contemporary artists Līga Purmale’s and Ritums Ivanovs’ works will be offered at the international auction house Sotheby’sexhibition-sale in London, 9 June.
The unprecedented idea to show a representative collection of Latvian art to an international audience occurred to Joanna Vickery, Head of Eastern European and Russian Art Department. A year and a half ago, she was surprised by our artists’ excellent achievements at the International Art Fair Art Moscow, and anticipated that this idea might be realised. She commissioned Dr. Alla Rosenfeld, a noted expert of Russian and Baltic non-conformist and conceptual art, Vice President Senior Specialist in Russian Paintings at Sotheby’s New York Department, curator at Norton and Nancy Dodge collection (permanent exposition at Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Jersey / USA), author of catalogues and books as well as specialist in Latvian art, to visit Riga Gallery last December. She also agreed that Latvian artists’ works deserve the highest valuation.
Taking part in Sotheby’s is a serious indication of Latvian art market’s international development. As is well known, Sotheby’s is the main player at the world art market and such celebrated artists as Damien Hirst, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko etc. have earned their world fame as a result of these auctions.
Sotheby’s auctions are in the focus of attention of world art collectors, businessmen and researchers. This event is extensively reported in mass media all over the world, and prices set at these sales by professionals and accepted by collectors are equivalent to artistic quality.
Sotheby’s auction catalogues are received by international art collectors and researchers.
Līga Purmale’s and Ritums Ivanovs’ works from the Riga Gallery collection will be included in the June edition of Sotheby’s London catalogue. On-line catalogue from 11 May at www.sothebys.com – contemporary Russian on-line catalogue.
Financial crisis forced to change the Sotheby’s plans, and two works will be offered instead of a separate section of Latvian art:
Līga Purmale “Saturday Night Movie” (2005 – 2009, 120x160 cm, canvas/oil)
Ritums Ivanovs “Frame 05” (2002, 150x185 cm, canvas/oil)
Reserve prices of these works are 8000 – 12000 GBP.
Exhibition on view from 5 to 9 June, 2009. Sale – 9 June, 2009, 11:00 Sotheby’s London 34-35 New Bond Street, London W1A 2AA, UK
Riga Gallery project supported by:
European Regional Development Fund
/ European Union (Nr. L-ĀTA-09-0013)
