Kim? Center for Contemporary Art open art “Black Market” / Article / LSM.lv

Center for Contemporary Art “Kim?” until 31 January 2021, the exhibition “Black Market” or “Black Market” will be on view. Until December 5, it will also serve as a stand at the online international art fair “NADA Miami 2020”.

The exhibition, which is also the stand of the International Art Fair from December 1 to 5, features works by Indriķis Ģelzis, Kaspars Groševs, Inga Meldere, Darya Melnikova, Elza Sīle, Viktors Timofejevs, Amanda Ziemele, Ieva Kraule-Kūnas and Elīna Vītola. the curator is Zane Onckule.

The name of the exhibition is borrowed from the post-Soviet reality of the 1990s with secret markets throughout the Baltics.

This impromptu stand at an art fair / fair also draws attention to the contemporary art center “Kim?” lomu. The website of the center explains that it accepts the status of the “stepfather” of the Riga art market scene, trying to overcome its curse that it has never been truly legal or financially viable.

To further promote “Kim?” perennial artists, the Contemporary Art Center, merging with Gallery 427 and Gallery Low, participates in the contemporary art market NADA Miami 2020. NADA, the New Art Dealers Alliance, is a non-profit organization that aims to promote and stimulate new visions in contemporary art.

“Kim?” represented artist Indrikis Gelzis told the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras Rondo” that getting into this kind of international art market is a difficult task:

“I will say, from my experience, it is definitely not easy. All due respect to “Kim?” That they have succeeded. In 2018, I was present in this market in New York.

It’s a very new, energetic art market that reflects today’s art trends. ”

NADA Miami is the organisation’s annual flagship art fair, which will take place for the eighteenth time from December 1 to 5, this time in a new format. A total of 96 galleries from 44 cities will take part in this fair, with exhibitions both in person in the gallery premises and online. Thanks to the collaboration between “Kim?” and galleries “Low” and “427” Riga is also represented in this year’s market for the first time. “Kim?” “NADA Miami 2020” will present the works of Indriķis Ģelzis and Elzas Sīle, which can be seen in the exhibition “Black Market”, from December 1 to 5.

The artist pointed out that such an event has two sides. Firstly, it is an opportunity for artists to view and learn about what is happening in the world of contemporary art today, and secondly, it is an opportunity for art galleries and collectors to meet new artists and works of art. The works of art of Indriķis Ģelzis and Elza Sīle can be viewed and purchased online on the website of the art market.

The artist also expressed satisfaction that the name of Riga appears more and more often in the world of contemporary art.

“It simply came to our notice then. This is another case when Riga is highlighted and marked as an art location. This has been happening more and more in recent years and I am very happy about it, ”noted Indriķis Ģelzis.

The artist, whose works are on display in the exhibition and, along with Elza Sīle’s performance, is represented at an international fair, noted that freedom of interpretation is important in the work on display at the Black Market exhibition.

“My interest is that the work should be freely interpretable in terms of artistic media, so that it can refer to a drawing, a painting on the wall, a graphic or a sculpture, so that it is a little lost in these techniques and asks questions. I leave room for discussion, ”said the artist.

The artist also noted that this time of crisis has been abundant and beneficial for his creative activity.

“It simply came to our notice then. I opened an exhibition in London on 17 September, followed by an exhibition in Ghent, which was quite large. It was one of the biggest exhibitions I have had. It opened on October 17 and is still open until January 17. Then I am gradually preparing for the next exhibition, which will open in March next year in Bucharest, Romania. I am somewhat lucky that my plans have not been canceled, the galleries are stubborn enough to continue the program, ”said Indriķis Ģelzis.

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