German Minister of State for Culture and the Media views the German art exhibition at ARSENĀLS

On 15 July, German Minister of State for Culture and the Media Prof. Monika Grütters visited the exhibition hall ARSENĀLS and viewed the impressive contemporary art exhibition “Elective Affinities: German Art Since the Late 1960s”. She viewed the exhibition together with the Minister for Culture of the Republic of Latvia Dace Melbārde, Director of Latvian National Museum of Art Māra Lāce, and the curators of the exhibition and the patrons of the exhibition – owners of “Forta Medical”. The previous visit of a German Minister of State for Culture and the Media was made in 2008.

The visit of Prof. Monika Grütters as well as the great interest shown by German art museums, galleries, private collectors and the artists themselves serves as proof that a new chapter of the cultural relations between Latvia and Germany has been started with this project. The exhibition has been highly acclaimed both in Latvia and Germany, which is reported in the media. For example, Deutsche Welle writes that the exhibit serves as a powerful cultural and political message that should be seen as a good gesture of neighbourly relations from the part of Latvia in this time of great geopolitical changes.

The exhibition “Elective Affinities: German Art Since the Late 1960s” has been created with the generous support of businessman Guntis Rāvis and the company “Forta Medical”. The total value of the exhibition works exceeds 100 million EUR and it is the biggest and most impressive German contemporary art exhibition in Latvia to this day. It is comprised of 77 works of 53 authors – paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, video installations and some examples of conceptual art that have been created during the time period from the end of 1960’s till nowadays.

“I’m glad that Ms Monika Grütters found the time to visit this exhibition. It’s yet another proof that its uniqueness has been appreciated in Germany as well. We’re pleased that it has been possible to bring a small part of European art to Latvia and give the chance for the inhabitants of Latvia to experience and feel the European contemporary art spirit it in person and to form new and important cultural and political ties between Latvia and Germany,” “Forta PRO” co-owner Guntis Rāvis remarks.

The contemporary art exhibition “Elective Affinities: German Art Since the Late 1960s” will be open till 21 August at the exhibition hall ARSENĀLS in Riga. The curator of the Mark Gisbourne (United Kingdom) is a world-renowned art critic and international exhibition curator.

Publications and reviews of the exhibition in German media: 

http://www.dw.com/de/deutsche- gegenwartskunst-in-lettland/a-19337638

http://www.focus.de/kultur/kunst/kunst-grosse- ausstellung-deutscher-kunst-in- riga_id_5643450.html

http://www.bild.de/unterhaltung/aktuelles/g rosse-ausstellung-deutscher-kunst-in-riga- 46348668.bild.html

http://mietwohnung.europeonline- magazine.eu/wahlverwandtschaften-grosse- ausstellung-deutscher-kunst-in- riga_462142.html

http://www.art- magazin.de/ausstellungen/riga/15531-evnt- wahlverwandtschaften-deutsche-kunst-seit- den-spaeten-1960er-jahren

http://www.kunstaspekte.de/wahlverwandtschaft en-deutsche-kunst-seit-den-spaten-1960er- jahren-04-2016/

http://talkingaboutart.de/german-art-since- the-late-1960s-exhibition-hall-arsenals-riga/

More information:

Dagnija Dižbite-Svarinska, phone: 29295837, e-mail: [email protected]

25.03.2020

German Minister of State for Culture and the Media views the German art exhibition at ARSENĀLS