Echo Gone Wrong Photo reportage from MABOCA festival 2025 at various locations around the city of Madona, Latvia

The 4th Madona Art Biennale offered an eclectic and multidimensional program of contemporary art and music, combining exhibitions, performances, concerts, and special events in unexpected urban locations.

More than 20 artists and musicians from Latvia and abroad participated in the festival, creating original works specifically designed for the event and the unique locations where they were displayed.

Visitors had the chance to experience performative and visual artworks in locations such as the Madona bus park, the Wonder Train on the Rīga–Madona route, the MABOCA gallery Visuma Centrs 2, the Madona bus station, the Madona railway station, the second-hand clothing store “dgs,” and various other public spaces around Madona.

The adventure kicked off on the platform of Rīga Railway Station, where the Wonder Train was welcomed with surprises prepared by Dainis Rudens and Andris Eglītis.

Dainis Rudens created graffiti on the festival train “Miracle Train,” where later the painter Andris Eglītis created an exhibition of the same name through plein air painting. The paintings documented passengers traveling to the art festival. The total time spent creating the oil paintings was 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The paintings can be viewed at the Madona railway station.

Reinis Hofmanis created a series of photographs titled “Room No. 13” for the festival, documenting and aestheticizing pipes and cables in Latvia’s most important cultural institutions. The artist is fascinated by the idea of the power position of pipes and cables in relation to people, as well as their mystery, considering the fact that they are most often invisible in the spaces. The exhibition is on view at the MABOCA gallery Visuma Centrs 2.

Anna Egle created a delicate, almost sacred sculpture titled “Leaf Rays” for the festival, which tells a story of friendship and eternal love. The sculpture can be viewed near the Madona station.

In the group exhibition “dgs dream 2” at the second-hand store dgs, several notable Latvian artists came together. The main goal of the exhibition was to enhance the shopping experience with the enjoyment of art. Visitors could encounter artworks anywhere, even in the fitting rooms. Kristiana Marija Sproģe created the graphic design of the space, and Anna Ceipe decorated the fitting room mirrors with metal clouds. Kaspars Groševs expressed his affection for animals in his paintings, while Jānis Dzirnieks created his lamps as a collaboration with his dog. Maija Kurševa found inspiration in word repetition in her work, and Uģis Albiņš and Elza Lapiņa continued experimenting with 3D and plaster materials.

The Shady Ladies exhibition, “Picnic at the End of the Road,” at the Madona bus station is created as an adventure story that allows bus passengers to linger and enjoy their time while waiting. At the center of the story are three dogs who plan to survive and thrive in the age of overproduction.

The festival exhibitions were created with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, Erica Synths, AS Pasažieru vilciens, and Latvijas Dzelzceļš.

https://maboca.lv/en/ ^[1]

Exhibitions are on view until July 15

Photography: Līga Spunde

Andris Eglītis “The Miracle Train” at Madona train station. The artworks are untitled. All pieces are painted in oil on canvas during the “Miracle Train” journey to the MABOCA festival, traveling from Riga to Madona. 2025

Anna Egle “Leaf Rays”. 2025

Dainis Rudens “The Miracle Train”. Graffiti on the train, where Andris Eglītis is creating the “Miracle Train” exhibition. 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artworks by: Anna Ceipe “Clouds like patches” 2025. Jānis Dzirnieks and Enzors “Eyes of Light and a Heart Aflame” 2025. Jānis Dzirnieks and Enzors “Little rosy-cheeked one” 2025. Kaspars Groševs “Hedgie and Doggie” 2025. Kristiāna Marija Sproģe “Fitting Room” 2025. Maija Kurševa “OII Korrect” 2025. Ugis Albiņš and Elza Lapiņa “Let’s tighten our belts” 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artworks by: Anna Ceipe “Clouds like patches” 2025.

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artwork by: Jānis Dzirnieks and Enzors “Eyes of Light and a Heart Aflame” 2025.

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artwork by Jānis Dzirnieks and Enzors “Little rosy-cheeked one” 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artworks by Kaspars Groševs “Hedgie and Doggie” 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artwork by 2025 Kristiāna Marija Sproģe “Fitting Room” 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artwork by Maija Kurševa “OII Korrect” 2025

Group show “dgs dream 2” at second hand shop “dgs” Artwork by Ugis Albiņš and Elza Lapiņa “Let’s tighten our belts” 2025

Reinis Hofmanis “Room Nr. 13” at MABOCA gallery Visuma Centrs 2. All photographs are untitled. The exhibition should be viewed as a unified series. 2025

Shady Ladies “Picnic at The End of The Road” at Madona bus station The entire work is a single unified installation. 2025