“Beyond the Bent Twig”
Reflections on Identity and Belonging in Contemporary Latvia
“Beyond the Bent Twig” is more than an exhibition — it’s a vibrant, multi-sensory gathering of Latvian contemporary artists whose works open new ways of thinking about identity, resilience, and what it means to belong today. Curated by Evelina and Veronika Gorbačova — sisters and part of a new generation of cultural voices — the show draws inspiration from Riga-born philosopher Isaiah Berlin and his metaphor of the “bent twig”: a symbol of both defiance and strength, of pressure and growth.
Here, the twig is not just bent — it is branching into unexpected directions.
Across a diverse range of mediums — from painting and sculpture to scent, sound, and immersive experience — the exhibition invites viewers into layered, deeply personal explorations of Latvian society. These are not singular statements but interwoven stories: textured, reflective, and sometimes contradictory.
Set within a space devoted to Pacific and Oceanic cultures, the exhibition looks outward as much as inward — a reminder that identity is never fixed, but shaped by encounter, exchange, and shared imagining. Here, art becomes a meeting place — a living ecosystem of perspectives, rooted in specificity yet reaching beyond borders.
“Beyond the Bent Twig” offers a moment to pause and ask where we are, how we got here, and where we might go next. Perhaps, quietly and without notice, the twig has already begun to bloom.
Featuring works by:
Santa Kristiāna Krūze
Dāvis Vaivads
Polina Smirnova
Sandris Mūriņš
Konstantīns Belihs
Keita Melle
Ēvalds Lazarevičs
Exhibition Dates: May 29 – July 4, 2025
Museum of Pacific and Oceanic Arts, Vīlandes iela 16, Riga
