A new city-wide art festival is set to launch in Latvia‘s capital Riga this May.
Riga Art Week (RAW) will run between 26 May and 1 June, with the first half of the week dedicated to art and culture professionals, with panel discussions and networking events, and the second half focusing on the public programme.
On Thursday 29 May, more than 20 galleries and art spaces will remain open until late, with special events such as curator-led tours and meetings with artists in the evenings. Meatrack, an installation from curator James Taylor-Foster in collaboration with the architecture studio ĒTER, will open at Zunda Towers, the second tallest building in Latvia after St. Peter’s Church. Consisting of a single loop of denim, the artwork has 12 bays which swing interdependently, meant to render the visitor a piece of meat on the rack.
Then, on Friday 30 May, RAW will officially open with an event featuring artist and filmmaker Emīlija Škarnulīte from Lithuania, Latvian duo Domenique Dumont, and musician Kitty Florentine from Estonia.
RAW’s main events will take place across Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June, with pop-up events, exhibitions, workshops and lectures across the city. These will be concentrated in the capital’s established and emerging creative neighbourhoods including Grizindarzs, Veldze, New Hanza and Agenskalns.
The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art’s 25th anniversary programme, TIME, DAWN OR A PASSING TRAIN, will also launch over the weekend, with a 25-hour celebration.
Aimed at creatives of all abilities and ages, the final day of RAW will feature a special programme for families with children and young people at the Latvian National Museum of Art to coincide with International Children’s Rights Protection Day.
Elīna Drāke, Executive Director at RAW and Chairwoman of the Galleries Association of Latvia, said, “Riga Art Week aims not only to strengthen Riga’s image as an important cultural centre but also to promote a more ambitious and confident art environment in Latvia. Only if we value and boast our own creative community will we become interesting and relevant internationally.
“Another important aspect is cooperation – as a small nation we have to learn to support and build each other up. Only by working together can we reach new heights. This year’s programme will highlight Riga’s creative potential, in particular, expanding the city’s cultural map with new areas – the emerging Creative Quarters.”
More information: rigaartweek.com.
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