🎤 We invite you to a talk titled “Beyond Boundaries: The Baltic Art Journey” on 26 September 2024, at 17:30, while the Art Centre Zuzeum exhibition halls showcase the first comprehensive, large-scale institutional solo exhibition in the Baltics “UTOPIC CELLS” by internationally renowned artist Donna Huanca, we welcome you to join the conversation “Beyond Boundaries: The Baltic Art Journey”  in the Living Room of the Zuzeum Art Centre.

📅 Thursday, 26 September, 17:30-18:30
🎟️ Free admission with prior registration. Limited seating.
🗣️ The talk will be conducted in English.

The discussion will be moderated by Olga Temnikova (Estonia), founder of Temnikova & Kasela Gallery, and will feature three prominent Baltic artists: Anna Škodenko (Estonia), Andris Eglītis (Latvia), and Gabrielė Adomaitytė (Lithuania).

In 2022, the Zuzeum Art Centre hosted the exhibition “Growing Out? Growing Up? Contemporary Art Collecting in the Baltics”, which highlighted the works of various Baltic artists and explored different aspects of private collecting. Now, two years later, Olga Temnikova returns to Zuzeum for a conversation with three artists whose creative practices are distinct yet share a common thread: all hail from the Baltics and have, at some point, extended their work beyond the region, engaging with the international art scene as students, artists-in-residence, or by working abroad. 

The discussion will explore pressing questions such as: What are the biggest challenges facing artists from smaller nations? How does the cultural and historical context influence their creative practices? Can Baltic artists and cultural institutions collaborate effectively to elevate the region’s presence on the global stage?

Join us as we delve into these topics, listen to each artist’s professional journey, reflect on the current trends in contemporary art, and envision possible future developments.

Participants

Olga Temnikova (b. 1980) is the co-owner of Temnikova & Kasela gallery, a prominent private art gallery in the Baltics. She is a collector and recipient of multiple awards, including the Order of the White Star and the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. Established in 2010 with Indrek Kasela, the gallery represents established and emerging artists from Estonia, Latvia, and Finland, with a focus on contemporary conceptual art that carries a strong social message

For over a decade, Temnikova & Kasela has played a significant role in both regional and international art scenes, presenting exhibitions in Tallinn and participating in major art fairs like Art Basel and Frieze. The gallery works closely with artists featured in prestigious institutions and collections, including MoMA, TATE, and the Centre Pompidou. The gallery actively participates in major international art fairs, including Art Basel, Frieze, and LISTE Art Fair Basel, solidifying its reputation as one of the most influential galleries in the Baltics and Scandinavia.

Anna Škodenko (b. 1986) is a multidisciplinary artist, whose work is characterized by a lyrical and analytical approach to her medium and visual image. The format of the work depends on the conceptual framework, which she creates through textual writing and which is conditioned by a specific place, context and theme. Škodenko prefers to think of the media and materials she is using in her work as collaborators, who have their own voices and desires. This gives her the opportunity to change her methods and “handwriting” with every work she makes.

Škodenko graduated from the painting department at the Estonian Academy of Arts (2009), complementing her studies at Chelsea College of Art in England and later in the Institute of Contemporary Art in Moscow. Škodenko graduated from the master’s program at Glasgow School of Arts (2017). She has been awarded with the Eduard Wiiralt prize (2016) and Köler Prize grand prix (2018). In 2019 Škodenko participated in a residency at WIELS Contemporary Art Center.

Gabrielė Adomaitytė (b. 1994) is a Lithuanian artist currently residing in Brussels and Amsterdam. She earned her BA in painting and sculpture from the Vilnius Academy of the Arts in 2017 and subsequently was an artist-in-residence at De Ateliers in Amsterdam from 2017 to 2019. Her practice explores painterly representation through the lens of digitization and mnemonic devices, developing innovative systems for archiving information.

Her recent exhibitions include Medūza in Vilnius (2023), Gratin and C L E A R I N G in New York (2023), Kunsthalle Kohta in Helsinki (2023), T293 in Rome (2022), Zuzeum in Riga (2021), Annet Gelink Gallery in Amsterdam (2020), De Ateliers in Amsterdam (2019), Vartai Gallery in Vilnius (2019), and the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius (2018).

Adomaitytė’s work has been recognized for its unique exploration of the intersection between traditional painting techniques and digital archiving methods, marking her as a distinctive voice in contemporary art.

Andris Eglītis (b. 1981) lives and works in Riga and the Savvaļa open-air art space. Since 2008, the artist has held more than 20 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 30 important group exhibitions in Latvia, Belgium, Lithuania, USA, India, Germany, and other countries. In 2013, he received the Purvītis Prize for the series Earthworks. In 2015, Eglītis represented Latvia at the 56th Venice Art Biennale (work Armpit, together with Katrīna Neiburga).

Andris Eglītis has designed sets for theater performances and operas as well as made commissioned paintings for the ceiling of the Festival Hall of the Latvian President’s Palace (2020) and the iron curtain of the stage at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet (2023). In 2020, Eglītis and a group of like-minded people founded the outdoor art space Savvaļa in his studio in Drusti municipality, and he is one of its organizers.

*By attending the event, you agree to take and use photos and videos for publicity purposes. You have the right to object to being photographed or filmed or to have your child photographed or filmed by notifying the photographer or videographer during the event.