Valentinas Klimašauskas. Photo: Jan Kampshoff
kim? Contemporary Art Centre is pleased to introduce its new Programme Director, Valentinas Klimašauskas, who will begin his new role at kim? in August. Just as before, the Program Director will be responsible for developing and managing the organization’s exhibitions and accompanying programs in Latvia and abroad.
Valentinas Klimašauskas is an experienced curator and writer who has been part of the Vilnius Contemporary Art Center (CAC) curatorial team for ten years, from 2003 to 2013, he has implemented a number of major independent projects – curated group and solo exhibitions internationally, as well as written reviews and articles for international art publications such as Cura, Dot Dot Dot, Mousse and, Spike Art Quarterly. Valentinas’ book “B, an Exhibition Guide In Search of Its Exhibition” (Torpedo Press, Oslo) was published in 2014.
The selection of a new program director relates to kim?’s strategic goals for the coming years – to prioritize international competitiveness. This objective shall be achieved by focusing on two directions – promoting the recognition of Latvian contemporary art and kim? as an institution internationally, this includes a continuation of Latvian art exhibitions abroad, organizing the kim? Residency Award and cooperating with internationally renowned curators and art professionals as well as implementing a program of exhibitions and events with the participation of internationally recognized Latvian artists. Also Klimašauskas post in the kim? team coincides with preparations for the large-scale exhibition projects for the “Latvia 100” program, which includes the Baltic Triennial XIII, and other projects.
Commenting on his new position Valentinas Klimašauskas says: “I am extremely happy to join the team at kim? Contemporary Art Centre. Thinking about curating like a process dedicated to the constant redistribution of various futures and pasts, I’d like to share with the public a curatorial model based on the concept of global asynchronicity as a juxtaposition of diverse, sometimes even mismatched, discourses and narratives. Do you remember a number of clocks showing different time in a hotel lobby – they still refer to the same global time, don’t they? I’d be honoured to spend the diverseness of time with audiences in Riga and/or worldwide.”
kim? Contemporary Art Centre, founded in 2009, is a locally and internationally recognized art institution. Its Program Director Zane Onckule, from 2010 to August this year, will move to the USA this autumn to pursue studies at the Centre for curatorial Studies (CCS), Bard College. As Program Director, Zane established the current structure of exhibitions and public programs for kim? as an organization, launched international projects including the kim? Residency Award, as well as launched a series of publications.