It’s the last week to visit Sabīne Vernere’s (Latvia, 1990) latest solo exhibition “Blind Zone (Angles Morts)” at the Gallery of the Artists’ Union of Latvia (11. novembra krastmala 35, Riga, opening hours: daily, 12-6 pm, on view until September 10). In the exhibition, Vernere’s ink paintings are exhibited together with works from the collection of the Artists’ Union of Latvia.
The collection of the Artists’ Union contains countless treasures, dating from the 30-year period between the 1960s and the 1990s. It represents a period in history that has influenced many contemporary artists, albeit has gradually morphed into a blind spot of sorts, unrecognizable to the younger generations. The joint corpus of the collection consists of approximately 20 000 artworks, comprising one of the largest collections of Latvian art from the second half of the 20th century. While during the Soviet era the House of the Artists’ Union in Riga was the heart of the region’s artistic production, today it carries a warm yet complex heritage.
In this exhibition, Vernere reflects on her role in the local artistic ecosystem and its historic emergence. The exhibition presents a deeply personal and intuitive conversation with the collection’s canonized artists. The show has been accompanied by a series of public events, urging people to meet and jointly reflect on the present state and future potential of the local artistic community and the union itself.
Sabīne Vernere (1990) holds a BA and MA in painting from the Art Academy of Latvia, has completed academic training in Zagreb and Antwerp and is currently enrolled in the Professional Doctoral Programme at the Art Academy of Latvia. Vernere has participated in group exhibitions in France, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Estonia, among others. She has been nominated for the Purvītis Prize 2023 for her solo exhibition “O” (Tu Jau Zini Kur, Riga) and is currently on view in the exhibition “Don’t cry!” at the Latvian National Museum of Art.
The creative team of the exhibition: Megija Mīlberga, Henriks Eliass Zēgners, Aleksejs Beļeckis, Romāns Medvedevs, Oto Holgers Ozoliņš.
The exhibition is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation and VV foundation.
Photography: Ansis Starks
