«Against the Tragic Wall» – an exhibition made by Artūrs Virtmanis and Daniela Vētra / Article / LSM.lv

A limited number of people could watch the performance of both artists in person, therefore the event was also available live on the Facebook page of the Riga Art Space, where it has been watched by more than 1,700 spectators so far.

During the performance, the artist Artūrs Virtmanis created the inscription “I have a dream”, while Daniela Vētra sent 150 spears in his direction. Taking into account the possible risks, a medical team was assigned at the door of the exhibition hall, but their help was not necessary.

In the created exhibition “Against the Tragic Wall” you will be able to see both the spear wall installation and several video materials from the performance itself and its preparation process.

The performance “Against the Tragic Wall” heralded seemingly opposite impulses that form cycles of creation and destruction both on the deeply personal, existential level of the individual and in external interactions with society as a whole. Inspired by Martin Luther King’s legendary speech on the centenary of the abolition of slavery in 1963, the central motif of this performance and exhibition is its quote “I have a dream”, which evolved from a visually impressive, dynamic performance process into a graphic, entropy installation.

The performance was created by installation artist Artūrs Virtmanis, Daniela Vētra, musician Linards Kalniņš, as well as DJ Monsta and Olivers Veldre, a student of the Riga Dome Choir School.

About artists

Daniela Vētra is an artist who specializes in performance art, live art, installation art, and is a contemporary circus performer and actress. Currently lives and works in Riga, Latvia.

Artūrs Virtmanis is an installation artist who, after studying in the Sculpture sub-branch of the Latvian Academy of Arts, has moved to New York, working in the fields of visual art, scenography and design. He has authored and co-authored exhibitions, Broadway musicals, European operas and theaters, as well as several important projects, such as the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, the MTV Award in New York, the Cirque de Solei in Dubai and elsewhere. In his work, he often focuses on the multi-layered representation of the time dimension, developing it into a three-dimensional monochrome installation.

Performance and exhibition curator: Luīze Lismane. Organized by the exhibition hall of the Association of Cultural Institutions of Riga Municipality “Riga Art Space”, the implementation of the project is supported by the Riga City Council.

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