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            Soil is one of the most important Latvian symbols. It helps us by giving fertility, blessing and preservation of memories. Travelling far away, important talisman for Latvians is handful of soil from the homeland. What is the sound of Latvian soil in Alūksne? This year it was studied by a society “Siguldas Mākslu serpentīns” (Serpentine of Arts of Sigulda) and the New Mediums artist Zanda Puče, implementing project “Latvijas zemes skaņas. Alūksne” (The sounds of Latvian soil. Alūksne).

Zanda Puče:

      „Alūksne is important for me because my great-great-grandfather Juhans Jurss (1874(6-?)-1957, in Tomska) was a craftsman, a boat-maker. A house built by him in Alsviķi district was called “Atmiņas” (Memories). During project implementing process I found out that his craftsman's skills he has transferred to many persons in Alūksne.
Society doesn't live with experience from just one time period — it collects and acquires older legacy. I strived to get closer to the past using different ways so I can better understand what it is. To see all the road I probably need distance and higher thinking, because I have a feeling I missed something – in so short time it was hard to obtain it — I have a feeling that it is somewhere deeper. Sometimes it seemed that past is separated from us, but I think there were moments when I succesfully experienced it. Together with people from the Alūksne region I tried to revive things that I own – my family stories, their memories which than became part of my memory, filling in “white spaces”. It would be boring if memories reflected life as a mirror. They do it with selection and maybe in this way they are getting closer to art not history. In my story about Alūksne there are no events, I try to tell it with sounds, smells and light touches. It has everything I thought important – recordings of the sounds from soil, tales of the locals, photographs and documents, fragments of newspapers, things that have been touched by people close to me.
In exhibition are used several information channels – photo, video, audio and graphics. With self made unique, but simple technology we recorded soil sounds in energetic places suggested by the inhabitants of Alūksne and the images of their spectrum create series of graphical photogramms that are supplemented by photographs produced by Armands Andže using technique which was used in the days of Mārtiņš Buclers – large format bellows camera.
The places in Alūksne region where we recorded the soil sounds are special, thus you can visit them too using map where I marked them!”
We thank to Ojārs Vēliņš, Andris Alviķis, Armands Andže, Jānis Ciglis, Daiga Jursa, Ojārs Jursa, the family of Kaulakans, the family of Korps, Jānis Līcis, Jānis Polis, Daina Saveļjeva, Vitautas Hanzenas and Kaspars Tobis!

About the artist:

           Zanda Puče on 2016 absolved the master studies graphics section in the Art Academy of Latvia; on 2015 – ISSP Photografy school; on 2014 – bachelor's programme New mediums art in Liepāja University. This year with co-financing from Sigulda region municipality and support from the society “Siguldas Mākslu serpentīns” (Serpentine of Arts of Sigulda) was implemented project “Sveicieni no Siguldas” (Greetings from Sigulda), on 2016 – project “MEDĪBAS” (HUNTING) and “EX-libri Art Voyage”, on 2015 – project “Mūsu mājas stāsti” (Stories of our house) and on 2014 – project “Pārceltuve” (Ferry crossing). More information: zandapuce.lv

          Project is supported by: Vidzeme planning region, Latvia's Culture Capital fund, Alūksne Art School. Project was implemented with co-financing from “Vidzeme culture programme 2017 supported by Latvian State Forests”.

Exhibition is open until February 2, 2018 on business days at 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Entrance fee – for adults 1.00 EUR, for students and seniors 0.50 EUR.

         It will be available for viewing in exhibition hall of Alūksne Art School on business days from September 29 to December 7 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

      The opening of exhibition and meeting with teachers and students from Professional education competence centre „Riga School of Design and Art” will take place at 4.15 pm on September 29, 2017.

PIKC RIGA SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND ART
STUDENTS' ABSTRACT PAINTING COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
PARADĪZES DĀRZS (PARADISE GARDEN)

Abstract painting competition “Paradīzes dārzs” (Paradise Garden) by students of Professional education competence centre “Riga School of Design and Art” took place on March 18, 2017 in the School and were participated by 289 students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4 of PIKC RDMV. Each participant freely chose development of their composition using still life; and they painted one abstract art work — from the still life creating compositions with fields of different colours and tones.

        Beginning of the new school year takes place on September 1st 1:30pm. We will meet in the Hall of Alūksne Art School, Ojāra Vācieša Street 2, Alūksne taking with us colourful dreams, optimism and joyful smiles.

We wish you succesful new school year!

       From August 4 to September 15 of this year on business days from 10am-5pm in the exposition hall of Alūksne Art School is opened exposition of paintings “KLUSĀ DABA” (STILL LIFE) from the Museum of Association of Latvian Artists. During Alūksne Town Festivity on Saturday, August 5 the exhibition is going to be opened at 10:00-17:00 and on Sunday, August 6 at 10:00-14:00. Entrance fee for adults EUR 1.00, for students and seniors EUR 0.50.
     For the exposition of the Museum of the Association of Latvian Artists (LMS Museum) was chosen one genre – still life revealing development of artistic means from the end of 1950-ties to the end of 1980-ties. In the exhibition you can see still life works of great masters: Imants Vecozols, Jūlijs Viļumainis, Indulis Zariņš, Biruta Baumane etc., also important authors describing the scene of age: Vilis Dvielis, Mihails Korņeckis, Aija Zariņa, Nikolajs Breikšs etc., and works of authors rarely seen in exhibitions: Ingrīda Kalna, Marina Ainbindere etc.
     We can find beginnings of still life painting in the 17th century in Holland when new demands and new art expression appeared – paintings where their authors were trying to achieve the most characteristic image of very diverse items: splendid bunches of flowers, glass and silver vessels, hangings with a plate with bilberry cake or ham on them and almost mandatory there was a lemon. The development of the genre can also be seen in vanits where worldliness of worldly things were expressed by different symbols: skulls, sand clocks and candles reminding us of “Memento mori!”.
       In the Latvian art the genre of still life has appeared quite lately – during 20ties of the 20th century when picturing of objects was based on realistic understanding of the life, studying paintings of old masters as well as in stylization typical to the modern age.
In the paintings of this exposition coming from the collection of LMS Museum was accented active wish of artists to express themselves in still life genre from 1960ties to the end of 1980ties when had broad collection of LMS was established.
       After the World War 2 when in our art were actualized socialism workers, their heroic past and their bright future, the still life genre got “softened”. “Simple” items picturing was too small for soviet ideology to show importance of new life and artists got reproaches for their formalisms. During that period the meaning of formalism was conclusion that the most important thing in their works was form, but their content was diminished. Therefore these works were rarely exposed in the exhibitions. New period in the genre of still life emerged in 1970ties when professional interests of artists, their artistic searches and their success in composition, composed colours and character of dashes, especially of course in painting were revealed through such portrayal of objects.
        Content of the exhibition emphasized that still life of Latvian pictorial art is more self expression through expression typical to its age. During creation of still life any artist is alone, his thoughts are mostly wandering towards his expression of his artistic capabilities and exactly in this genre artists have expressed themselves most willingly, most often and most creative.
Text: art scientist Baiba Guste
Author of the exhibition idea: sculptor Igors Dobičins, president of society “Latvijas Mākslinieku savienība” (Association of Latvian artists).

           In Alūksne Art School on May 29-31 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Open Door Days event is organised. During the event on May 30 and 31 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm educational erudition game “Saliec gleznas!” (Compose Paintings!) is organised. Surprise prizes will be awarded to the most successful participants!