ASTE

Category: project

  • Open call for artists to participate in the festival “Atmospheric Waves” dedicated to wind, climate and listening culture as part of “Liepaja – European Capital of Culture 2027”.

    Open call for artists to participate in the festival “Atmospheric Waves” dedicated to wind, climate and listening culture as part of “Liepaja – European Capital of Culture 2027”.

    As part of “Liepaja – European Capital of Culture 2027”, an open call has been announced for public artworks and artistic interventions that through public engagement and listening, would respond to and reflect on wind, climate and environmental fluctuations. The project “Atmospheric Waves” is looking for original concepts and ideas for sound artworks that would respond to wind and climate conditions in Liepaja, on the West Coast of Latvia. The competition is open for applications until September 4, 2026.

    Photo by: John Grzinich, title: Wind harp installation “Powerless Flight”

    The project “Atmospheric Waves” is dedicated to exploring the diverse aspects of wind, using sound art in its most diverse manifestations, public engagement and listening culture. Liepaja with its distinct seaside climate will be an ideal place for a dialogue between art, science and society. The “Atmospheric Waves” festival will take place from May 12 – 16, 2027 and the program of the festival includes the opening of an international exhibition and presentations of artworks, workshops, sound walks, as well as an international symposium on wind, waves and the Anthropocene, organized by CENSE (Central European Sound Ecology Network).

    Through the international open call for the “Atmospheric Waves” festival five artists will be selected, whose creative practice involves sound art, natural data representation, and environmental object creation, and who are ready to participate in the international symposium, exhibition, and residency – in Liepaja and Laidi – in April and May 2027 .

    An exhibition of works selected in the competition and developed within the project will be on display at the project’s final exhibition in the urban environment of Liepaja from May 15 to November 30, 2027.

    We invite sound artists, sculptors, architects, designers, visual and media artists, as well as others whose work encompasses the fields of art, science, climate and environmental research, activism and public awareness and their intersections. Applications are open to artists from all over the world, but artists are responsible for their own visas and other necessary travel documents. Submitted projects must clearly reflect the main themes of the “Atmospheric Waves” project. Whether this is done through aeolian effects or sonification of Liepaja’s wind and climate conditions, we want to promote listening as a way to learn and explore the local climate.

    “Atmospheric Waves” aims to encompass the diversity of artistic approaches that have influenced the broad concept of “sound art” in recent decades. This includes common interfaces with the fields of new media art, sound research, new music, sculpture, architecture and design. Technological developments, such as low-power computing, remote sensing and data monitoring, have also expanded the potential connections between artistic practices and climate and natural sciences. In addition, the fields of “sensory studies” are expanding in the humanities and social sciences, which continue to ask important questions about how we interact with the environment around us.

    The application is open to ideas and collaborations with art projects from a wide range of fields that express the main themes of the exhibition “Atmospheric Waves” through creative and artistic means of expression. It is desirable that the artwork application includes one of the following elements: aeolian sculpture, environmentally responsive installation, sound sculpture, guided sound walk, listening score, data sonification, remote sensing, wind energy, social intervention and/or architectural intervention.

    The selected artists will receive a fee of EUR 1,500, while the development budget allocated for one artwork is EUR 3,500. In addition, accommodation is paid for during the artists’ residency at the Laidi Manor Residence, which is located approximately 70 km from Liepaja.

    The artworks will be placed on the territory of the former fishing collective farm “Kursa”, including the territory surrounding the recently opened club. https://maps.app.goo.gl/wWFoFLww9LH7hvKf7

    Application form and detailed information about applying: https://forms.gle/mkMd3MpiaV54a27E6

    For questions about various opportunities for developing work and working on-site during the residency, as well as other conditions and additional information, please write to krista@aste.gallery

    The festival “Atmospheric Waves” is organized by the association “ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education” in collaboration with artist and curator Džonas Grziničs . It has been developed in partnership with “MoKS” and with the financial support of the “Nobidinājums Liepaja 2027” foundation . The project is implemented within the framework of the “Liepaja 2027” program, using the funding allocated by the Ministry of Culture, Liepaja City, Dienvidkurzeme and Kuldīga regions, and the State Cultural Capital Fund. The “Liepaja 2027” program is supported by the main partner in the field of environmental education and sustainability AS “CleanR Grupa”, the main partner in the field of mobility and international communication AS “airBaltic Corporation”, the partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, the land mobility partner SIA “Lux Express Latvia”. Informative – VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, AS “KURZEMES RADIO”.

    Information about the project is available on the website: https://www.atmosphericwaves.lv/

    Information prepared by: Krista Dintere on August 4, 2026. If necessary, contact: krista@aste.gallery or tel. +37125997662

  • Open Call: International Symposium and Exhibition “ElektrON – The Future of Amber”

    Open Call: International Symposium and Exhibition “ElektrON – The Future of Amber”

    The artistic objective of the project “ElektrON – the Future of Amber” is to rediscover the lesser-known properties of amber—the symbolic identity marker of Liepāja and the entire “land of (un)rest”—by re-evaluating assumptions regarding this fossil resource found along the Baltic Sea coast. Through an international contemporary art residency, symposium, and exhibition, we will bring together artists and researchers from Latvia and abroad to reflect on its past and present significance, as well as its future potential, within a symbiosis of art and science.

    Amber—much like other fossil resources—holds deep significance not only in Latvian culture but also in the cultures of many other nations: it is intertwined with various myths, beliefs, social structures, and international trade routes. It has inspired both artists and scientists alike; in fact, the phenomenon of electricity derives its name from the Ancient Greek word elektron, meaning “amber,” as the Greeks observed amber’s electrostatic properties—or “action at a distance”—as early as the end of the 7th century BCE. However, as these and other fossil resources are gradually depleted by human economic activity, we must redefine their significance and seek ways to minimize our interference and the restructuring of the Earth’s geological formations.

    Through the international open call for the “ElektrON – Amber’s Future” project, five artists will be selected who integrate technology and scientific insights into their creative practice. In collaboration with researchers and historians at an international symposium in June 2026 on the shores of the Baltic Sea—in Liepāja and Pāvilosta—they will deliberate on the cultural footprint of amber and other fossil resources.

    During creative residencies organized in cooperation with the “VV Foundation,” artists are invited to seek innovative and provocative ways to utilize and represent fossil resources today. Their insights will be integrated into artworks to be featured in the project’s final exhibition at the Liepāja Museum from January 8 to June 27, 2027. This exhibition will showcase “Liepāja 2027—the European Capital of Culture”—as a crossroads for the interaction between nature and technology.

    Curator: Anna Priedola

    Project Manager: Sabīne Jermaloviča

    Visual Identity: Andrejs Poikāns

    Here is the English translation of the eligibility and conditions sections for the open call.

    ELIGIBILITY: WHO CAN APPLY?

    • Artists exploring technology and/or science in their creative practice
    • Artists residing in Latvia or Europe.
    • Artists with at least 3 years of professional experience, as reflected in the portfolio attached to the application.
    • Availability to participate in the symposium during the period of June 12–14 in Pāvilosta (Latvia)

    TERMS AND SELECTION

    The symposium and exhibition organizers, the association “ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education,” will provide:

    • Accommodation and living costs during the symposium (June 12–14) in Pāvilosta and Liepāja (Latvia).
    • Travel expenses to Liepāja/Pāvilosta and back to the country of residence (up to 400 EUR).
    • 1–3 week stay in Liepaja/Pāvilosta during Summer 2026 in accordance to the aggreement between artist and organiser
    • Artist Fee: 1,500 EUR (gross) (1,000 EUR for the residency and symposium / 500 EUR for the exhibition).
    • Production Costs: Coverage for the creation of a new artwork up to 1,000 EUR.
    • Travel and accommodation for the exhibition opening event on January 8, 2027.

    Artist Selection:

    The association ASTE will select 5 artists through this international open call. The jury—composed of representatives from ASTE, the “VV Foundation,” and the “Foundation 2027”—will choose the most conceptually relevant and technically/thematically innovative proposals for artworks and research, also taking into account the artists’ previous creative portfolios. Results will be announced via email by 30.04.2026

    APPLICATION FORM

    Apply till Apri 19 23:59l. Link: https://ej.uz/elektron

    CONTACTS

    Email for inquiries: elektron@aste.lv or sabiine.j@gmail.com

    Website: https://aste.gallery/

    The project “ElektrON – the Future of Amber” is being implemented within the framework of the program “Liepāja 2027”, using the funding allocated by the Ministry of Culture, Liepāja City, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga regions. The “Liepāja 2027” program is supported by the main partner in the field of environmental education and sustainability AS “CleanR Grupa”, the main partner in the field of mobility and international communication AS “airBaltic Corporation”, the mobility partner – transport carrier SIA “Lux Express Latvia”. The activities of the association “ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education” are supported by the State Culture Capital Fund.

  • The Opening of Margrieta Griestiņa’s Exhibition “Veikals SPAZ”

    The Opening of Margrieta Griestiņa’s Exhibition “Veikals SPAZ”

    On April 4, the solo exhibition “Veikals SPAZ” by artist Margrieta Griestiņa was opened at the Gallery of the Centre for Humanities and Arts at RTU Liepāja Academy (Kūrmājas prospekts 13, 2nd floor). This exhibition marks the beginning of the contemporary art exhibition series “Image Flow”.

    At the centre of the exhibition is a fictional fashion and household goods brand – the GolfClayderman store “SPAZ,” where a cyber fox and a bohemian bear run the operations. In this ironic narrative, the store’s previous location in Madona is referenced, while the new chapter begins in Liepāja – the “temple of education in the city of wind.” Griestiņa’s artistic language merges childhood memories, pop culture, and video game aesthetics into a distinct and playful visual experience.

    Anna Priedola, the exhibition’s curator, emphasizes the lack of contemporary art presence in Liepāja, highlighting that “Veikals SPAZ” offers an excellent opportunity for art students and the public to engage with current tendencies in contemporary art.

    The exhibition is open to visitors until April 25, 2025, on weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00 and Saturdays from 8:00 to 16:00, and is available free of charge.

    The “Image Flow” exhibition series is organized by the media art association ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education in collaboration with the Art Research Lab (MPLab) at RTU Liepāja Academy.

    The project is supported by the City of Liepāja and the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia.

  • Open Call for Baltic Live Coders

    Open Call for Baltic Live Coders

    The annual festival Sound Days in Liepāja (Latvia) is calling out to all Baltic live coders, and anyone who is interested in this topic of creating music and art with code, to join us in the first Baltic Live Coders Meetup (BLCM) on April 25, 2025.

    The BLCM aims to bring together live coders from the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – to foster exchange, get to know each other and to create opportunities for further cooperation. It is embedded within the festival Sound Days, that takes place in Liepāja from April 22 – 26, 2025. On Friday, April 25 during the BLCM there will be an opportunity for live coders to present their work and to exchange ideas, culminating with an Algorave with international and local artists in the evening and night. If you cannot make it to Liepaja on that day, you can also participate in the event remotely.

    To better plan this event we kindly ask for everyone interested in attending to fill out this form until February 16, 2025. Later applications to attend the Baltic Live Coders Meetup will still be considered, but having a good overview of attendance early on is vital for our plannings. Application form: 

    https://forms.gle/F5p6rg7caumwnzKT9 

    Attendance is free of charge. Unfortunately, at this time, accommodation and travel expenses cannot be covered. If you want to attend, but are not sure if you can make it, please anyways fill out this form and leave a note about it at the end. We can provide a formal letter of invitation in order to apply for funding individually.

    The festival is organised by ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education and RTU Liepāja Academy Art Research Lab (MPLab). Sound Days is a satellite event of the International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC). Sound Days are made possible by the support of Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, “RTU Liepaja Academy”.

    The image shows four individuals collaborating on a live coding performance. They are seated at a table, each focused on their laptops. Behind them, a large screen displays multiple layers of digital interfaces, including coding elements, audio tracks, and text chat. This backdrop suggests a highly interactive and technically complex environment. The participants appear deeply engaged, working together to manipulate sound and visuals in real-time, creating a dynamic fusion of technology and artistic expression.
    Benoît and the Mandelbrots at live.code.festival 2013. Photo: Daniel Bollinger
    This image shows two individuals engaging in a live coding performance. They are standing in a dark room, each using a laptop on a table. Behind them, a large screen displays a vibrant, abstract visual projection featuring what appears to be distorted images of fish and water in vivid blues, greens, and other colors. The audience, visible as silhouettes, is seated in front of the performers, watching the digital artwork unfold. The scene captures a dynamic blend of technology and art in a live performance setting.
    Florencia Alonso (Flor de Fuego) & Lina Bautista (linalab). Photo: Henry van Well
  • 13 New ART+ Works in Liepaja

    13 New ART+ Works in Liepaja

    New ART+ artworks are now availabale Jurmalas Park, on the beach, Karosta, Fortification battery No. 3, and in the city centre (on the bridge and near the theater). Several of the new works are interactive – it is recommended to walk around Roberto Becerra Bravo and Kristīne Martinova’s “Proverbial” to experience the changing sound composition, and Kristena Sokolovska and Shawn Pinchbeck’s “Echo of Fear” will react to the viewer’s distance from the tree featured in the work.

    To view the artworks users will need a phone or tablet with internet connection and GPS. ART+ will work on iPhones newer than 6S; and Android devices with ARCore. Unfortunately, ART+ will not work on devices that do not have access to Google Services.

    If a suitable device is not available or it is not possible to travel to the locations of the artworks, ART+ works are also available in a web browser and can be viewed from anywhere, on any device with an internet connection. To view ART+ works in a web browser, visit the ART+ website (https://artplus.app).

    Artists: Anna Priedola, Elina Dreimane, Gustavs Lociks, Inga Slangena, Jekaterina Jevdokimova, Kristena Sokolovska, Kristine Martinova, Madara Kronberga, Maija Demitere, Oleksandr Sirous (UA), Olga Barbina, Patrick Borgeat (DE), Roberto Becerra Bravo (MX), Rogier Jupijn (NL), ROTOR (NL), Shawn Pinchbeck (CA).

    ART+ is supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), Liepaja City Municipality Institution “Culture Department”, Kuldīga District Municipality, association ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education, and RTU Liepāja Academy’s Art Research Laboratory (MPLab).

  • Exhibition “Sensory Imagination” in Liepaja

    Exhibition “Sensory Imagination” in Liepaja

    On Friday, November 22, at 16:00, the exhibition “Sensory Imagination” will open at the Liepāja Music, Art, and Design High School Gallery (Alejas street 18). The exhibition will showcase virtual and augmented reality artworks, art installations, and results from workshops conducted during the media art and technology festival UPDATE. The exhibition will be open from November 25 to December 6 on weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00.

    The exhibition will feature four virtual reality works:

    1. Jekaterina Jevdokimova’s “I (Don’t) Remember” – an interpretation of the artist’s childhood memories from the late 90s and early 2000s.
    2. Kaspars Lēvalds’ “Mist” – based on the 1919 Latvian War of Independence in Liepāja after World War I.
    3. Elīna Dreimane’s “Lost in the Mist” – exploring Latvian power sites described in traditions, folklore, and stories.
    4. Olga Barbina’s “Pneuma” – experimenting with human breath as a means of navigation in a virtual reality environment.

    As part of the exhibition, ten new augmented reality works will be launched on the mobile application ART+ (https://artplus.app). The augmented reality artworks will be viewable in various locations in the city of Liepāja. The works reflect on cultural heritage, contemporary world issues, the climate crisis, and pollution, experimenting with technologies, as well as expressing personal experiences and reflections on mental health through art. The works will be visible on Liepāja’s beach, Seaside Park, Karosta, and other city locations. To view the works, a smartphone or tablet with GPS and internet connection is required, the ART+ application must be downloaded or updated, and visitors need to go to the designated location of the artwork. Currently, 50 augmented reality artworks are already on display in Liepāja.

    The exhibition will also feature two international artists who participated in artist residencies organized by the foundation “Foundation Liepāja 2027” from September to October this year. Spanish artist Carlos Munnoz will present his social platform experiment and installation “Deficiencies of Utopia”, while Ukrainian artist Iryna Loskot will showcase a series of works titled “Invitations” that explore the self-destructive and self-renewing nature of our planet.

    The exhibition will display the results of the annual media art and technology festival UPDATE workshops – an interactive sound installation created during the workshop “Become an Antenna” led by Tata Frenkel, a guide on how to be an artist in a world without digital technologies, developed during the workshop “OFFLINE/OFF-GRID” led by Vytautas Michelkevičius, and an interactive work combining motion capture suits and photogrammetry, created during the workshop “Experimental Motion Capture” led by Oleksandr Sirous.

    Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 22, at 16:00.
    Exhibition Open: November 25 to December 6, weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00.
    Exhibition Website:www.updatefestival.lv
    Contact: Maija Demitere (maija.demitere@gmail.com, +371 29948430).

    The exhibition “Sensory Imagination” is part of the UPDATE festival, organized by the Liepāja-based media artist association ASTE (https://aste.gallery), RTU Liepāja Academy’s Art Research Laboratory (MPLab, https://mplab.lv), and the association ART+ (https://artplus.app). ASTE’s activities in 2024 are supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF) for professional non-governmental cultural organizations. UPDATE is realized with the support of Liepāja City Culture Department, VKKF, and RTU Liepāja Academy. The event is implemented with the co-funding of the foundation “Foundation Liepāja 2027” and the European Union’s “Creative Europe” program project “CreArt 3.0 #STRINGING_TOGETHER.”

  • Media Art and Technology Festival UPDATE in Liepaja

    Media Art and Technology Festival UPDATE in Liepaja

    The annual UPDATE festival combines technology and innovation with art and creativity. The festival program includes workshops for registered participants and public events for everyone – masterclasses, a Family Day with workshops for families and children, a science symposium, an exhibition, and performances by various sound artists and musicians.

    Part of the festival program is for registered participants, while another part is open to the public. Registration is required to join the workshops, but other festival activities are available without pre-registration. Since the festival is organized in cooperation with international partners, some parts of the program will be in English. All festival activities are free of charge.

    As part of the festival, the “Liepāja 2027 Foundation” (“Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027”) organizes an artist residency. This September, two artists will arrive in Liepāja—Carlos Munnoz from Spain and Iryna Loskot from Ukraine. During the residency, the two artists will collaborate with Liepāja-based artists to create and exhibit new artworks as part of the UPDATE festival exhibition in November. Carlos Munnoz will share his experience of working with artificial intelligence during the festival’s workshops, while Iryna Loskot will present a performance exploring the sense of belonging and ecology in the The Printing House Creative Quarter on September 28, during the Afternoon for Art and Science

    Festival Program

    Afternoon for Art and Sciences in The Printing House Creative Quarter on September 28

    The afternoon at the The Printing House Creative Quarter (Andreja Pumpura iela 10, Liepaja) will start with presentations of researchers working in interdisciplinary fields, combining work methods from different scientific fields, and creating hybrid and brand new, innovative approaches to discover new knowledge. Presentation will take place from 13:00 to 15:00.

    The program will continue with a performance by Iryna Loskot, where visitors are invited to actively participate. During the performance, participants will reflect on contemporary crises and discuss care for each other and for the planet we all share. 

    The day will end with a concert featuring various artists. A detailed programme and further descriptions are available on the festival website.

    Masterclasses (Online) 

    Sound Art. Tuesday, 1 October, from 18:00 to 20:00

    Germany-based media artist and musician Heinrich Lenz will present his philosophical and technical approach to a unique sound art composition technique that uses self-similarity – a property where parts of an object’s structure resemble the whole object at different scales. Examples from nature include the shape of a cauliflower, where each small part resembles the entire cauliflower, or the veins of a tree leaf, which resemble the tree’s structure. 

    AI and Animation. Wednesday, 2 October, from 18:00 to 20:00

    French artist and researcher Stéphanie Cadoret will present the results of her research and observations on the use of artificial intelligence tools in 3D and 2D animation.

    Exhibition and Family Day on Saturday, 5 October, from 12:00 to 16:00

    At the Art Research Laboratory (MPLab, Liepāja, Kūrmājas prospekts 13, basement – entrance from the rear), activities for children and young people will be available during Family Day. The exhibition will showcase artworks and projects created during the festival.

    Workshops

    The festival offers an educational program for registered participants – week-long workshops where everyone can learn a technological tool or software, participate in conceptual arts practice-led research, or explore different aspects of art and technology. Workshops are free of charge. Some workshops require prior experience with digital technologies, but most are accessible to people with no previous knowledge. Spaces are limited, and participants are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

    Registered workshop participants will learn motion capture (MOCAP) technologies, create interactive and spatial audiovisual installations and performances, experiment with artificial intelligence systems, and explore new cinematographic techniques using laser scanning. In two conceptual workshops, participants will discover how people, accustomed to being constantly connected to mobile devices, can gain new inspiration by spending time outdoors and off-grid. They will also explore the philosophical potential of the “blue humanities” – the relationship between humans and the sea.

    Workshops will take place from September 30 to October 4, every day from 11:00 to 15:00. Workshops are led by international and local artists and researchers, including Zil Lilas (DE/LT), Vytautas Michelkevicius (LT), Tata Frenkel (LT), pETER Purg (SI), Oleksandr Sirous (UA), Heinrich Lenz (DE), Gustavs Lociks (LV), Carlos Munnoz (ES), Anis Haron (MY).

    For more information and to apply for workshops, please visit the festival website.

    Contacts:

    Festival website: www.updatefestival.lv  

    Maija Demitere (maija.demitere@gmail.com, +371 29948430)

    UPDATE is organised by the association of Liepaja media artists ASTE (https://aste.gallery) and RTU Liepaja Academy Art Research Laboratory (MPLab, https://mplab.lv). The activities of the association ASTE in 2024 are supported by the VKKF for professional non-governmental cultural organisations. UPDATE is supported by the Liepaja Municipality institution “Culture Department”, the VKKF, RTU Liepaja Academy and RIXC, a network for art, science, culture and innovation. The event is co-organised by the foundation “Liepāja 2027 Foundation” and the European Union Creative Europe Programme project “CreArt 3.0 #STRINGING_TOGETHER”. The workshop “Soundscapes” is realised in the framework of the Artillery 35 project “Soundfields”, supported by Nordplus Horizontal.

  • UPDATE report

    UPDATE report

    At the end of November, the new media art festival UPDATE took place in Liepāja. It included nine workshops, three masterclasses, discussions and presentations, bringing together around 150 young artists, students, designers and IT enthusiasts. The main theme of the festival was automation processes in art, their opportunities and challenges. The festival was followed by two exhibitions, the first dedicated to the new works of art developed during the workshops and the second, “Update. Automated Creativity”, featured works by Latvian and foreign artists, including several of the UPDATE workshop leaders.

    Workshop participants worked intensively with the workshop leaders over several days to learn new creative technologies, create prototypes, individual and collective artworks, and explore the festival theme from different angles.

    In the “Image as Adventure” workshop with Taavi Suisalu (EE), participants worked creatively with artificial intelligence image generation tools to document a non-existent exhibition.

    John Grzinich’s (US/EE) “Audio Swarming: exploring cognitive and performative dynamics through sound” used everyday objects and available technologies to create a collective “audio swarm”.

    Under the guidance of Sol Sarratea (AR/DE), participants created various audiovisual, generative and interactive systems, working with the languages of mathematics, coding and art.

    Together with Fricis Kalvelis at the Liepaja Science and Education Innovation Centre FabLab, participants used 3D printers as drawing tools.

    Artist Sabrina Durling-Jones (US), in her workshop, taught how to create AI visualisations from a self-selected dataset, for example – of their own work.

    Oleksandr Sirous (UA/FR) showed how to create interactive environments using game engines.

    In the workshop “Eternal beginning” with Krista Dzudzilo, participants thought about the moment when a simple object becomes a work of art. At the end of the workshop, new conceptual works were exhibited.

    The workshop by Imants Žodžíks explored analogue photography. It looked at the whole process – from choosing the camera and lenses to developing and making copies.

    Artist and film-maker Pete Gomez (UK) has developed a methodology for working collectively on a film, where the participants form an ensemble and all work on both sides of the camera, as well as sound processing and editing. The group worked in this way to create an experimental short film.

    On 25th of November, an exhibition of the works created during the festival was opened, followed by an experimental performance programme “uDISCO” in the evening.

    On 15 February, the exhibition “Automatic Creativity”  was opened. It explores the possibilities opened up by contemporary technologies such as artificial intelligence to automate the processes of human life and creative work, as well as the practices of repetition already present in them, and thus how experiences in this new era allow us to look differently at the nature of creativity. The concept of the exhibition was conceived by Anna Priedola. Artists Krista Dzudzilo, Pete Gomez, Sabrina Durling-Jones, Gustavs Lociks, Taavi Suisalu, Oleksandr Sirous reflected on these themes in their exhibition works. Alongside works by world-renowned artists and workshop leaders, collaborative works by festival participants are also on display.

    The festival is organised by ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education and the Art Research Laboratory of the University of Liepaja.Supported by the Liepaja Culture Board, Kurzeme Planning Region and Latvian Historical Lands, Liepaja Music, Art and Design Secondary School, the cultural centre “Kursas putni”, the new media culture centre RIXC and the State Culture Capital Foundation.

  • New ART+ artworks in Liepaja

    New ART+ artworks in Liepaja

    At the end of the year, on 30 December, 8 new artworks in Liepaja are being published on the ART+ platform – in Karosta, Jurmala Park and the Liepaja city centre. The new ART+ works are 3D visualisations of historic records, data, and research, as well as artists’ reflections on the current times and events. ART+ is a mobile app and a website that displays works in augmented reality. The digital works are placed in specific locations, to view the work, the user must download the ART+ app and go to the location of the artwork. Augmented reality allows artists to create surreal scenes, interactive works, exhibit sound art and large-scale sculptures that would otherwise be impossible to create and experience.

    Artworks on view in Karosta include a 3D model of the KOD-1 aircraft, whose production was associated with the Liepaja Kara osta workshop from 1936 to 1938. Next to the Liepaja fortress battery No 3 is a cannon that was used at the end of the 19th century. Sound artist Krista Dintere has created a tribute to Liepāja’s old tram cars; the piece can be listened to near the tram placed at the North Pier. The Crooked Pine of the Karosta has also been revived in ART+. Next to the Karosta Bridge, a 3D model of the bridge is depicted as a keychain, prompting reflections on tourism, Liepaja’s recognisable symbols, their meaning and history.

    An interactive work by Kaspars Levalds, a model of the industrial robot UNIMATE, is on display in Jurmala Park in Liepaja, reflecting on the changes in creative industries and our everyday lives brought about by the use of artificial intelligence.

    A visualisation of Anna Priedola’s research created by 3D artist Santa France is displayed in the square near Kurzeme. The work shows recipes for “mental well-being” collected by Priedola, which she gathered from visitors’ stories at the exhibition and in the workshop series “Milk Diaries. Dementia in statistics and stories”.

    In the newly built promenade in Karlis Zale Square, a colourful rain of confetti warns of the spreading of microplastics. Artist Maija Demitere is an ecological researcher, looking for ways in which art can contribute to changes in people’s everyday habits.

    To use ART+ and view the works, you will need to go to the mobile app store and download (or update) the app (Google Play or Apple Store). Links to the app stores are available at: https://artplus.app. You will need a phone or a tablet with an internet connection and GPS to view the artworks. ART+ will work on iPhones newer than 6S; and Android devices with ARCore. Unfortunately, ART+ will not work on devices that do not support Google Services.

    If you do not have a compatible device or are unable to travel to the locations, ART+ works are also available in a web browser and can be viewed from anywhere, on any device with an internet connection. To view ART+ works in a web browser, visit the ART+ website (https://artplus.app/). The works displayed in the browser are also created to allow ART+ viewers to plan their art viewing route and to select the works that interest them.

    ART+ platform is created in Liepaja, managed by Liepaja media artists and ASTE (https://aste.gallery). ART+ works have been created with the support of Liepaja Municipality, Liepaja City Municipality Institution “Culture Department”, Kurzeme Planning Region and VKKF. KOD-1 model was created with the support of Kuldiga Digital Innovation Centre. The cannon model was made with the support of the Karosta Rescue Society.

  • UPDATE 2023: Automated Creativity

    UPDATE 2023: Automated Creativity

    From 21 to 25 November, the international New Media Art Festival “UPDATE 2023: AUTOMATED CREATIVITY” will take place in Liepāja, bringing together more than 100 new media artists, art students, designers and new technology experts from the USA, Germany, Estonia, Ukraine, Latvia, etc. In the creative workshops at Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory (MPLab) and online masterclasses, they will explore automation processes in art, design and creative practice – artificial intelligence tools and conceptual methods for creating innovative, multimedia artworks. The artworks and prototypes created at the end of the festival will be presented to the general public in an exhibition at the Gallery of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Liepaja, where they will be on display until 22 December. The exhibition will open on 25 November at 15.00. All festival events are free of charge.

    The festival’s workshop leaders (artists and designers Krista Dzudzilo, Reinis Kalvelis, Imants Žodžiks, Sol Sarratea, Peter Gomes, Oleksandr Sirous, Sabrina Durling-Jones, Taavi Suisalu, and John Grzinich) work with a wide variety of media in their creative practice, including photography, 3D printing, video and sound recordings, computer-generated images, artificial intelligence tools, game engines, and also everyday objects and their symbolic meanings, and they will train workshop participants to use these artistic tools, while considering conceptual and practical questions related to the automation of creativity and work in the creative industries: can routine enter into creative work? To what extent does technology increase the capacity and quality of creative work? What is the creative potential of artificial intelligence and does it create competition for artists and designers?

    Masterclasses and discussions on the evenings of the festival week will be easily accessible online. Mexican audio engineer Juan Hernandez Chico has contributed to the soundtracks of several industry-acclaimed films such as The Candidate (Netflix, 2019), Radical (Sundance Film Festival 2023, Festival Favorite Award) and will present a masterclass on sound layering as an important element of sound design. Researcher and artist Jānis Garančs will present the most current platforms for creating immersive and interactive 3D and virtual reality environments, giving a brief insight into their use. German-based Iranian artist Rosbeh Asmani will demonstrate how intangible heritage can be preserved through 3D scanning and modeling using Blender. At the end of the week, festival guests, artists and researchers from the Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory will discuss the role of automation in achieving creative results, including the impact of artificial intelligence tools on the creative sphere – art, design, creative industries.

    On 25 November at 15.00 in the building of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Liepaja, Kūrmājas pr.13, the exhibition of the results of the festival “UPDATE 2023: AUTOMATISED CREATIVITY” will be opened, where everyone will be able to see the photo, video, interactive and virtual artworks, as well as meet the artists and authors of the art pieces and design prototypes. The exhibition will be open to the public every working day during the university’s opening hours until 22 December.

    On the evening of 25 November, at the end of UPDATE 2023, audiovisual performances will take place in the cultural space “Kursas putni”, Kuģinieku iela 5, Liepāja. Sound artist John Grzinich (Estonia), Paula Vītola with her performance “AV Ritmi”, Deelis, Kartoteka and other artists will perform.

    For more information about the festival, its programme and to visit the online events, visit https://update.mplab.lv/.

    The festival is organised by Liepaja University Art Research Lab (MPLab) and ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education. Supported by the cultural center “Kursas putni”, Liepaja City Municipality institution “Culture Department”, State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), Kurzeme Planning Region and Latvian Historical Lands.