Kim? Art Center Exhibition dedicated to the archive of photographer Zenta Dzividzinska / Article

July 14 at the Contemporary Art Center “Kim?” will open the exhibition “I do not remember anything: entering the ZDZ evasive archive”. It features archive materials and photographs by photographer Zenta Dzividzinska (1944–2011). The exhibition also includes photographs by Austrian artist Sofija Tuna and creative dialogue with the Dzividzinska archive.

The idea of ​​the exhibition “I don’t remember anything: entering the ZDZ evasive archive” was cherished in several years of conversations between curator Zani Onculis and Dzividzinska’s daughter – art historian Alice Tīfentāls. In turn, the involvement of the artist Sofia Tuna could be described as more accidental – Onckule only found out about her last year during the pandemic. “It seemed to be a very, very interesting coincidence – the two authors share a fairly similar way in which they have acted in completely different times – in Zenta’s sixties and Sofia today,” explains Onckule in the Latvian Radio program Kultūras rondo.

Asked to describe Dzividzinska’s works, the curator says:

“The greatest predominance is experimental research, including very sensitive works. In the sixties, she practiced such things as protoselfies, which are very interesting framing.

At the heart of her work was definitely the presentation of a woman’s body in different ways – where a woman is not fetishized. ”

Sofia Tuna has been very intrigued by the opportunity to study the archives of our photographer. It turns out that no photos have been copied. Tuna has also offered to take on the role of Dzividzinska’s technician / laboratory assistant.

One of the “Kim?” The premises are equipped as a functioning black and white laboratory, where at certain times Sofia will copy and create photos from the negatives, ”adds Onckule.

Photocopies made within two months will be placed on already prepared aluminum plates.

Along with the Austrian artist, archivist Līga Goldberga will work on the study of the heritage left by Zenta Dzividzinska. At present, it is known that the archive contains several photo series, which capture, for example, the activities of “Riga Pantomime”, pig funerals and everyday life in the photographer’s parents’ home. At the same time, there are reasonable hopes to find something unprecedented.