Toms Harjo, “In Truth”, 2017
kim? Contemporary art centre would like to proudly announce the second Open kim? Call 2018 winner: Toms Harjo.
Following the examination of applications, Open kim? Call 2018 jury selected Toms Harjo as the call winner for his proposed installation “In Truth” (Patiesībā), based on photos that hold a successful balance between portraiture, fashion and architecture,they are accurate in their compositional solutions and are well resolved in their mix of colour and style. The artist also breaks classic themes and form combinations, as the series is based on the artist’s 20 years of experience as a Jehovah’s Witness, which in turn provides an opportunity to talk about the margins of art and our tolerance towards the other, not formally, but in essence.
The artist, on the exhibition’s intention: “The “locative noun “in truth” among Jehovah’s Witnesses colloquially represents an intangible space, owning members of the faith. For example, the question “does he live in truth” means – “is he a Jehovah’s Witness?”” With a photo installation in the kim? space, a narrative is tackled about how much we are willing to give in order to approach, to look over or to adapt to the boundaries that we ourselves have placed. The exhibition will be a self-reflection of a witness, one who has constantly been followed by the fear of alienation, which results in doubt and the pathetic belief in the search of equilibrium”.
Toms Harjo (1996) is a photographer and video artist. While studying in secondary school, inspired by contemporary photographs, based on his own-initiative over the course of a year he developed the content, design and layout of the graduation yearbook. After graduating he began studies at the ISSP School’s 2 year programme for contemporary photography. He is currently a video artist and the Editor’s Assistant for the magazine “Foto Kvartāls”. The upcoming exhibition at kim? in February 2018 will be the artist’s first solo-exhibition in Riga.
Open kim? Callwas initiated in 2016, when, as a result of the first open call, Jānis Dzirnieks had his first solo exhibition, which provided the emerging artist with a wide range of local and international viewers and has offered a meaningful creative experience. Open kim? Call promotes an early discovery of promising artists and/or curators from Latvia, ensuring the best possible conditions and a framework for their creative ideas to be successfully implemented.
OPEN kim? CALL 2018 applications were inspected by a jury: Ēriks Apaļais (artist), Egija Inzule (curator), Maija Kurševa (artist, LMA Docent and Head of Gallery LOW), Zane Onckule (kim? Programme Director) and Vilnis Vējš (art critic).
