They say the grass is always greener on the other side… but what happens when there is no other side, or when the grass is only greener because it’s artificial? There’s a new generation that is fully aware of the conditions on the other side and they are not deceived by the fairytale that it’s all going to be alright. Generation Z is painfully realistic. Difficult facts, dodged by previous generations, are being confronted, accepted and simply embraced as reality.
Dzelde Mierkalne and her artistic practice are quintessentially Generation Z. She has never avoided difficult questions, choosing instead to confront and embrace them. In the past, her work has explored topics around death and how we, as a society, deal with its inevitability. For “Doom Doom Delight” she goes further. She adds to her artistic language, using it to enquire into an even more fundamental ending: that of the human species. Growing up with a dying planet implies the inescapability of a doomed future and inevitably leads to the quest of finding modes on how to play a game that has been lost. In the shadow of a global pandemic, failed democracies, a new wave of wars, and the progressing climate crisis, promises of a rosy future are being unveiled as empty words marking the path into the inevitable. The world moves fast, faster than ever and with that world at their literal fingertips, Generation Z has begun to draw conclusions about the future of humanity. The resulting faineance derives from an emotional and psychic numbness in face of a never ending streak of bad news. A world of indifference and dissatisfaction calls for thrilling stimuli of relish in order to still enjoy the ride. This fun as salvation approach shouldn’t be misunderstood as merely escapism, pessimism or even cynicism but rather a handling of an endless survival mode. In an imaginary landscape of fake grass, fake marble and fake candles fiction and reality merge into an alienated, parallel world. While in amusement parks as Disneyland bleakness bursts through the cracks of a shiny plastic superficiality, Mierkalne draws a world that doesn’t negate our harsh realities, but instead emphasizes the fragility and transience of life. Through a hyperrealistic language inspired by rituals of death as well as enjoyment the artist depicts the approach of a young generation that understands their own insignificance. Yes, the grass might be greener tomorrow, but even the bright shade of fake grass fades when exposed to sunlight.
Dzelde Mierkalne (1997) is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in printmaking. Last year she was part of the first graduating class of the Masters program POST at the Art Academy of Latvia. She has great reverence for technique and process with which she aims to overthrow technique-related artistic standards to create something new and find its place in today’s context. She likes to play around with the syntheses of drawing and form while reflecting on the existential fears of world destruction, mortality’s salience, and death anxiety through the lens of her generation’s post-irony and humor.
TUR_telpa’s ambition is to complement Riga’s contemporary art scene by working closely with their selected artists to create high quality, curated art exhibitions. Collaborating with the distinctive characteristic of the space – which refers to both the traditional white cube and the building’s industrial past – artists are invited to create new work and encouraged to experiment beyond what might be their conventional practice.
The exhibition runs from 04.04. to 04.05.2024.
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Curator: Edd Schouten
Production: Kristīne Ercika, Andris Freibergs and Viktoria Weber
Light Design and Technical Support: Maksimilians Kotovičs
Graphic design: Andris Kaļiņins
Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Rigas Dome, Angārs, and Rilak Paints
Photography: Kristīne Madjare
