Cēsu Mākslas Festivāls Opens 20th Edition With Visual Arts Program

The 20th Cēsu Mākslas festivāls, set to begin this weekend, features a layered visual arts program emphasizing art’s role in navigating modern turbulence. The festival’s opening highlights three distinct exhibitions: Amanda Ziemele’s “Otrajā stāvā” at Cēsu Jaunā pils, the 2004 installation Laiks rādīs/Time Will Show by the group Famous Five, and the international project paceļam karogus/raising flags in Pils laukumā. These works, described by curator Daiga Rudzāte as “pulsējoša un enerģētiska būtne, kas atvērta dialogam,” aim to bridge art and public space through “ironiski” perspectives and pēdējo sānu engagement.

Amanda Ziemele’s “Otrajā stāvā”: A Dialogue with Architecture

Ziemele’s exhibition, staged in the historic Cēsu Jaunās pils, features large-scale paintings designed to interact with the building’s “mainīgajai gaismai” and “interjera detaļām.” Rudzāte emphasized that the works “klejo telpā un dzīvo savu dzīvi gleznām it kā neraksturīgā veidā,” with figures that “kāpelēt pa kāpnēm, līst pa grīdu, valšķīgi atspiesties pret kolonnu.” The exhibition, part of the festival’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, marks Ziemele’s second major presentation in Cēsis, following her 2024 Venice Biennale pavilion.

Famous Five’s Laiks rādīs: A Timeless Reflection on Beauty

The 2004 installation Laiks rādīs/Time Will Show, reactivated for the festival, explores skaistuma ilūzijas un tā zūdošajai dabai. Created by Līga Marcinkeviča, Ieva Rubeze, and Mārtiņš Ratniks, the piece was initially showcased at the 2007 Cēsu Mākslas festivāls and later acquired by the Latvian National Museum of Art. Ziemellatvija quotes the artists’ 2007 statement: Mūžīgi skaistais nemitīgi atmirdz pasaulē… Kopš seniem laikiem cilvēki mēģina notvert šo īpašo skaistumu, bet galu galā ir sanākušas tikai skaistuma imitācijas. The work’s reemergence underscores its status as a “laikmetīgās mākslas hrestomātija,” according to the festival’s program notes.

paceļam karogus: A Global Collaboration in Public Space

The international project paceļam karogus/raising flags, curated by Aloiss Hermans and Kaspars Mīlemans Hartls of Vienna’s museum in progress, transforms Pils laukumā into a “vides objekts” blending local and global narratives. The project, described as a starptautisku vides objektu ciklu, aligns with the festival’s focus on mākslas komunicēt ar auditoriju arī pilsētvidē, according to Ziemellatvija.

A Legacy of Innovation and Community Engagement

The festival’s emphasis on “jaunradi” and “lielformāta projektu realizāciju” reflects its role as a catalyst for Latvian art. Ziemele, who studied at the Latvian Academy of Arts and Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, has previously showcased work at the Venice Biennale.

As the festival unfolds, its blend of historical continuity and contemporary experimentation positions Cēsis as a hub for visual arts. With works spanning from 2004 to 2024, the program invites audiences to “saskatīt” the “otro elpu” in a world “trauksmes pārsātinātajā pasaulē,” as Rudzāte described. The event runs through the weekend, with all three exhibitions open to the public.

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