(September 2007)
The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (LCCA) maintains the project space 'Canteen' for promoting modern art by organising a wide variety of events, such as exhibitions, interdisciplinary art projects, seminars, conferences and film screenings. Visitors may want to know that its Latvian name is 'Ēdnīca' and the location is upstairs in the Hull Shop (see map here), where there used to be a real canteen used by shipyard workers. The catering activity has obviously inspired the modernistic logo and name of the new arts centre. The LCCA activists have adapted the premises to the needs of art exhibitions, however some of the authentic interior design has been kept: a patterned wallpaper, lacquered finishing of the walls and wood-covered ceiling.
At the moment, the LCCA is certainly one of the most productive groups resident in Andrejsala, since it has organised sizeable exhibitions of modern art not just at the Canteen but also in the two larger halls of the Hull Shop. Starting from late 2006, the LCCA has brought the following events to the Canteen and to the halls of the Hull Shop's ground floor: the international exhibitions Archaeology of Reality (October 2006) and Urbanologic (June 2007), an international exhibition project Trajectory 4 (April/May 2007), the symposium Everyday Rituals. Gender Role Constructions (September 2006) and a screening of shorts from the Oberhausen festival (December 2006). There is archive information about these as well as other Andrejsala arts and culture events in our Event Overview section.
The Canteen's curators pay special attention to organising solo exhibitions of young Latvian artists, which is a great opportunity to get started and bring one's projects to the attention of the public. Along with every new exhibition, the Canteen publishes an A5-sized brochure, which is individualised according to the respective artist's concept. For example, Encounters by Ieva Jerohina featured her photographic series; Krista Burāne's Tales of Sleeplessness had a brochure with the texts of her fairytales, plus its covers could be detached and sent as postcards; Elīna Ļihačeva and Laila Halilova decided to make their Warm Skin brochure a part of their artwork titled Wall of Fame for Men (it resembled an old school students' peer interview book where personal questions had been answered by the two artists' male friends). The exhibition brochures always include some analytical writing about the artists and their exhibits, which is often the very first professional opinion regarding the young talents' work. When the artists' concepts and the form of their artwork requires, the exhibitions are held in the premises of the Hull Shop.
Solo/duo exhibitions at the Canteen:
Ieva Jerohina, Encounters, photography (30.11.2006. to 02.12.2006.),
Ilva Kļaviņa, Source, a retrospective of paintings (19.12.2006. to 25.01.2007., at the Hull Shop),
Raids Kalniņš, Ill fortune in the Village, paintings and drawings (19.12.2006. to 25.01.2007.),
Krista Burāne, Tales of Sleeplessness, photography plus reciting of fairytales and additional performance of lullabies (21.02.2007. to 25.03.2007.),
Elīna Ļihačeva and Laila Halilova, Warm Skin, photography (12.07.2007. to 12.08.2007.).
Remember to come back to this website's Calendar section or go to the LCCA's at www.lcca.lv, and you will find out more about the future exhibitions at the Canteen as well as learn in greater detail about the centre's projects.
Opening hours of the Canteen:
from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays;
from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Sundays.
About the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art
The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (LCCA) is a non-governmental organisation that serves as a platform for promoting and stimulating the processes of modern art. It happens to be one of the very few bodies in Latvia that are committed to the contemporary genres and to their integration with the international processes by using such working methods as exhibitions, conferences, publishing, etc. Andrejsala and the project space Canteen provide a very fertile ground for the LCCA's activity because the area and the environment is decidedly open, interdisciplinary and rife with creativity and positively informal atmosphere. LCCA's head office is in Alberta Street, where there's also an information centre providing ample information on the main trends and personalities of contemporary art in Latvia as well as the services of a library offering Latvian and foreign press and catalogues of major exhibitions.
Contacts:
Laikmetīgās mākslas centrs
Alberta ielā 13, Rīga
+371 7039282
Līga Lindenbauma
+371 7039286
lindenbauma@gmail.com
