As part of the Kuldiga art festival “Cooldiga Art Fest”, eight new augmented reality art objects were created and can be seen using the mobile app ART+ (https://artplus.app).
ART+ users in Kuldiga can see the unique sight of fish jumping in Venta, a scene that is usually only visible for a few weeks a year, but in augmented reality it is now available at any moment.
A full-size model of the historical plane KOD-1, or “Ventas eagle”, created based on historical images, is now also available.
The work “Line” by Krista Dinter and Jekaterina Jevdokimova captures the arrival of electricity and radio in Kuldiga in 1934.
Inga Slangena’s work “Friends for Life” celebrates the relationship between humans and pets.
“Frames” by Anija Aizkalne were inspired by the works of Indrikis Zeberins. The artist created original illustrations depicting scenes from the everyday life of young people today.
Damians Cirulis in the work “Juping Fish” has stopped the moment of the fish jumping and water splashing, so that the viewer can explore the movement and the flow of water.
“Through Time” by Madara Kronberga is dedicated to the growth experienced during the era of Duke Jacob in the 16th century.
“A Time-Traveler’s Lens” by Kristena Sokolovska offers scenes of different eras as “photos taken by a time traveler”.
To use ART+, you will need to go to the app store and download (or update) the application (Google Play or Apple Store). Links are available on the website: https://artplus.app. To view the artwork, you will need a phone or a tablet with internet and GPS. ART+ will work on iPhones newer than the 6S; and Android devices with ARCore. ART+ will unfortunately not work on devices that do not have Google Services.
If you do not have a suitable device or it is impossible to go to the locations of the artworks, ART+ works are available in a web browser and can be viewed from anywhere, on any device with internet. You can go to the ART+ website and click on “Go to Map” (https://artplus.app/map/).
ART+ is created by media artists association ASTE (https://aste.gallery). All ASTE works in 2023 is supported by Liepaja municipality support for non-governmental organizations and the support of VKKF for professional non-governmental cultural organizations. ART+ works are created with the support of Liepaja City Municipality, Liepaja City Municipality institution “Culture Department”, Kurzeme Planning Region.
PAPER TREES is an augmented reality artwork created at the intersection of two artists’ fields of research – Maija Demitere studies “slow” media art and how to make our daily life sustainable, Eva-Maria Lopez is interested in biodiversity and the impact of climate change and human economy on plants. The 1st iteration of PAPER TREES was opened in 2021 and was visualizing office paper used by Liepaja University in one year. The artwork, placed in front of the University, showed 56 digital trees used-up by the employees of Liepaja University and piles of paper next to them.
The new PAPER TREES visualize the 55 kg of paper and respectively the trees used on average by one person in Germany.
PAPER TREES are a part of the City of Karlsruhe’s “Media Art is Here” festival, and can be viewed until September 17, 2023, on the market square in Karlsruhe.
The work is a result of collaboration between Maija Demitere and Eva-Maria Lopez, 3D artist Liga Velina and the ART+ team. PAPER TREES can be seen in the market square in Karsruhe (DE). To view the work using augmented reality, download the PAPER TREES app on your mobile phone or tablet.
PAPER TREES is funded by UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe 2022.
On Thursday, July 13 and on Sunday, July 16 visitors are invited to take part in workshops, meet the exhibition artists, and see audiovisual performances. The program is part of the exhibition RETROSPECTROPIA will take place in the Liepaja Museum. Activities will be free of charge.
The exhibition features 15 new media artworks created by recognized artists, graduates of the study program “New Media Art” of Liepaja University. In the creative workshops, visitors will be able to try out the diverse practices and approaches of media artists, learn how to sculp 3D objects using virtual reality (VR) tools, participants will be invited to a deep listening and sound recording masterclass, as well as how to obtain environmentally friendly dyes from edible materials.
The exhibition RETROSPECTROPIA can be viewed until July 30. Info on planning your visit is available on the museum’s website: https://www.liepajasmuzejs.lv/en.
Program:
Thu, July 13 17:00 – 18:00
PERFORMANCE: AV RYTHMS BY PAULA VĪTOLA
In the performance AV RYTHMS by Paula Vitola visitors will be able to observe exciting demonstrations of the principle of photoacoustics and will learn more about this long-forgotten technology.
Participants have to apply by emailing the curator, please include the desired time in the email. Email to: anna.priedola@liepu.lv. Limited number of participants.
WORKSHOP: 3D SCULPTING IN VR (starting times: 12:00; 12:30; 13:00; 13:30; 14:00; 14:30)
Participants have to apply by emailing the curator, please include the desired time in the email. Email to: anna.priedola@liepu.lv. Limited number of participants.
WORKSHOP: ECO PAINTING (participants can join at any time, no need to apply) (from 12:00 until 15:00)
TOUR OF THE EXHIBITION RETROSPECTROPIA WITH THE CURATOR (starting times: 12:00, 13:00, 14:00)
3D sculpting in VR
More about workshops and artists:
AV RHYTHMS by Paula Vitola
Visitors will have the opportunity to get to know the artist’s research in the world of light and sound, learn the principles of the instrument’s operation and try it, as well as learn from a new point of view how our senses work and how sound, light and other signals are related to each other.
Since 2015, Paula Vitola has been researching a unique phenomenon – the photoacoustic effect and its artistic potential – in her creative work. The photoacoustic effect is a process by which light is converted into a sound signal. On July 13 the artist will give an audiovisual performance and involve visitors in a sensory and technological experiment using a unique instrument – a photoacoustic synthesizer prototype.
The instrument uses flashing lights and kinetic objects, combining photoacoustic and stroboscopic effects. The strobe light, by rapidly changing its state from on to off, creates the illusion of a continuously on light. This illusion divides our perception into “frames”, visually slowing down the movement. Audible sounds will indicate that the light is not switched on continuously – the light is converted into sound with the help of solar cells, and its flashing frequency corresponds to the audible frequency. In this way, it is possible to obtain an infinite number of tones, rhythms and their combinations.
Paula Vītola is an artist and lecturer at Liepaja University, mainly working in the field of art as research, media archeology and sound art. The artist experiments with various technologies, natural and physical phenomena. In her most recent work, the artist focused on the method of photoacoustics – transferring light to sound – in order to study invisible energy and the materiality of signals. relationships as well as our perceptions. The artist experiments and develops prototypes, performances and other artistic experiences that help to understand these signals and allow them to be experienced with the senses.
3D SCULPTING IN VR by Rogier Jupijn and Agnese Damberga
In the creative workshop, one will have the opportunity to try the simplest form of 3D modeling – 3D sculpting – getting an insight into the construction work of virtual reality and feeling what it would be like to paint in a three-dimensional world. The workshop will last 25 minutes, 5 people will be able to work at the same time, therefore prior registration is required by writing to anna.priedola@liepu.lv.
The creative workshop will be led by the developers of the augmented reality (AR) app ART+. More information about the app and how to download it for free on the website https://artplus.app/.
AUGMENTED LISTENING by Krista Dintere
When living in a noisy urban environment, the human brain adapts and learns ways how to ignore what is happening around us – traffic sounds, road works, various devices running in the background. In ancient cultures, sound was often associated with wonder, because its source was not always visible and understandable. As a physical phenomenon, sound has a profound effect on the human body and consciousness, and can also be used in meditation.
Sound artist Krista Dintere will invite workshop participants to open their consciousness to hearing and enjoying the sounds of the surrounding environment both directly with your senses, learning deep listening techniques, and amplifying the weaker sound sources, such as the flapping of insect wings, with the help of recording technology, creating fun, shared sound etudes as a result of the workshop.
The number of workshop participants is limited, so we invite you to apply for one of the three times, by writing to the curator anna.priedola@liepu.lv. The workshop will take place in the garden of the museum.
Krista Dintere is an artist from Liepaja who works in the fields of sound art, experimental composition, media art and creative research. In her works, she strives to realize the limits of the physicality of sound, and also focuses on the psychoacoustic aspects of sound perception and communication. The artist often works with recorded sounds, which are used both in creating site-specific installations and experimental compositions, revealing the complex relationship between the factuality of the field recording and fictitious sound worlds created by artistically interpreting the actual. Since 2012, she has participated with her works in media art and sound art exhibitions, light festivals and other projects in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Italy and Poland, including the RIXC gallery, the “Staro Rīga” light festival, the “Sound Days” festival, Liepaja University MPLab, “Art Laboratory Berlin”.
ECO PAINTING by Maija Demitere
In her research Maija Demitere is working on developing sustainable practices and technologies to reduce the impact created by various daily activities.
During the ECO PAINTING workshop participants will learn how to create dyes at home, and will have a chance to discover their creativity by painting on canvas and creating flags to celebrate the diversity of nature. All materials will be provided free of charge and participants can join at any time, and stay as long as they want.
Maija Demitere is an artist and researcher focusing on “slow” media art and “deep” sustainability. In her artistic practice and research, she tries to describe the role of nature / the natural in the “normal” everyday life of a any person.
Workshop ECO Painting
About the exhibition RETROSPECTROPIA
15 years have passed since 2007, when the New Media Art studio in Liepaja started its 1st year, and the community of new media artists has grown quite large, and their range of technical specialization and thematic interests is just as wide – from video to sound art and for experiments in augmented and virtual reality, challenging both the audience’s perception mechanism and the technology’s performance.
Artists in the exhibition have developed their creative activity in various European and Latvian cities, while still keeping an active bond with Liepaja. Works in the exhibition look back at the records of the past, capture and reveal to the viewer the myths and captivating phantasmagoric images created in them, drawing attention to the fact that and how these existing records – especially due to the peculiarities of machine learning that are relevant today – shape our future, both locally, both on a global, individual and community scale.
Exhibitions, performances and creative workshops are organized by the association ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education, Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory and Liepaja Museum. Supported by the State Cultural Capital Fund.
The exhibition “RETROSPECTROPIA” will be displayed at the Liepaja Museum (Kurmajas pr. 16/18, Liepaja) until 30 July 2023 every day from 9 AM until 6 PM.
Curator: Anna Priedola. Artists in the exhibition: – 8 (Andris Vētra), Andrejs Poikāns, Diana Lelis, Gustavs Lociks, Kaspars Jaudzems, Krista Dintere, Līga Vēliņa, Maija Demitere, Paula Vītola, Rihards Vītols, Santa France.
The exhibition “RETROSPECTROPIA” will be displayed at the Liepāja Museum (Kurmajas pr. 16/18, Liepaja) from June 9 until 30 July 2023. Opening: June 8 at 5 PM.
The exhibition “RETROSPECTROPIA” gives an insight into ghosts, myths, assumptions, and surprising turns of human imagination and emotions created by new communicative spaces created by various technologies, gathering works of 15 artists coming from the New Media community created by the Art Research Lab (MPLab).
A strong, sustained interest in media art in the Baltic context is a unique feature of Latvian art. 15 years have passed since 2007, when the 1st year students started their studies in New Media Art in Liepaja University. The range of research subjects of New Media Art students ranges from video, photo and sound art to experiments in augmented and virtual reality, challenging both the audiences and technologies.
Curator: Anna Priedola.
Artists in the exhibition: – 8 (Andris Vētra), Andrejs Poikāns, Diana Lelis, Gustavs Lociks, Kaspars Jaudzems, Krista Dintere, Līga Vēliņa, Maija Demitere, Paula Vītola, Rihards Vītols, Santa France
The annual international festival “Sound Days” opened on 27 and 28 May with an exhibition and open workshops. The festival took place from 27 May to 4 June in Liepāja, 20 Kuršu Street, Liepāja University and in the cultural space “Pegasus Courtyard”.
The 2023 festival is dedicated to the search for an in-between space in visual arts, audio culture and literature. “Sound Days is a meeting and collaboration platform for young artists, musicians, students, professionals and others interested in sound, art, music, language and technology.
On Saturday, 27 May at 19.00, the festival exhibition dedicated to the study of the interaction between sound and text opens.
Artists Artūrs Punte and Jēkabs Voļatovskis, exploring the intonations and rhythms of the poem, have created an electromagnetic acoustic string instrument that reveals the musical impulse of the poem. The media artist Diana Lelis has recorded her stream of consciousness in time and space, taking the form of text and sound. Emerging artists Mikus Svikulis and Raivo Mihailovs, students of New Media Art at the Liepaja University, also participate in the exhibition with sound art installations. Mikus Svikulis has created an interactive photoacoustic installation, while Raivo Mihailovs gave a performance at the opening and invited everyone to answer the question – “who will win now?”.
In Diana Lelis’ workshop “If every single / Chain ant / Had a name”, participants unleashed their imaginations by working in collage – using texts, images and shapes to create poems, stories, characters and other imaginative scenes.
Paula Vītola and Krista Dintere created the workshop “Senses – Sounds” within the framework of the project “Skolas soma”. It was open to a wider audience on the day of the festival’s open workshops. The artists introduced visitors to the fascinating world of sounds, demonstrating wind harps and learning different listening methods. There was also the opportunity to learn about and try out the audio-visual synthesiser, which creates sounds with stroboscopic light and rotating discs using a photoacoustic effect.
The interplay between sound and text will also be discovered and explored in other festival activities taking place throughout the week: workshops, audiovisual performance evenings, an exhibition, readings of poetry and other creative texts, artist presentations, demonstrations, etc.
The workshop leaders are various artists from Latvia and abroad working in and between the fields of sound, visual and various other arts: Olivia Jack (US/DE), programmer and developer of the live visualisation tool Hydra; Antye Greie-Ripatti (AGF) (DE/FI), sound sculptor and inclusive feminist activist; Friedemann Dupelius (DE), experimental musician, DJ and text artist; Tobias Hartmann (DE), researcher and digital sound artist; Reinis Semēvics, acoustic artist and one of the creators of the Internet radio platform “Tīrkultūra / Unexpected Sources Audio Gallery Radio”; Platonas Buravickis, electroacoustic music composer, pianist and improviser; Maxime Shenteliev, sound artist, researcher and architect; Artūrs Punte, poet and artist, member of the Orbīta collective.
On 30 May, a performance by Juan Duarte Regino (MX/FI) and Anton Filatov (DE) will also take place at 9 Market Street, where you can experience a deep listening improvisation that uses drone sounds and textures to reflect the changing seasons and soundscapes of the weather. Duarte is a Mexican artist based in Finland who creates artworks with environmental sounds, exploring ways of perceiving nature and technology. Until 30 June, Duarte is an artist in the Baltic-Nordic Art, Science and Techno-ecology Residency Programme organised by the new media culture centre RIXC. Anton Filatov is a Berlin-based artist from Karelia who works in the interspace between digital, physical and spoken media and creates audiovisual experiments in close connection with physical space.
On 2 June, there will also be activities dedicated to literature and experiments – readings by Elina Bakule-Weir and Ivars Šteinbergs and short-form workshops, in which the authors will give insights into their research and present different methods of creating sound poems. The evening will also include readings by young writers from the University of Liepaja and multimedia performances.
On Saturday, 3 June, we invite you to the closing event of Sound Days, which will take place on three stages throughout the festival area, both in the Pegasus Courtyard and in the Liepaja University building.
The evening will start at 17.00 with presentations and performances of the results of the festival workshops.
From 19.00 onwards, a diverse and experimental programme of audiovisual performances will follow, with the participation of workshop leaders Friedeman Dupelius, Platonas Buravickis, Reinis Semēvics, Artūrs Punte and Maksims Šenteļevs. Rabenau and Mellamellene with aural music, text and media artist Diana Lelis in synergy with electronic music artist Mahi F. Bukimi, media artist Paula Vītola, audio-visual organism Trihars and others.
“Sound Days” is organised by ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education and Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory (MPLab), in collaboration with the Liepaja University Writing Studies Programme and the cultural space Pegasus Courtyard.
Supported by the Liepaja Municipality Culture Board, the State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF) and Liepaja University.
Performances and exhibition. Friday, March 31 at MPLab
Performance and exhibition was the final event of the festival. The unique audio-visual performance “Random Encounter” was created just for this event. The “Random Encounter” is a new collaboration between the experimental music group “Nejausi” (Roberts Dinters, Valdis Skarevics) and the French performance group “Live Animated Orchestra” (Marie-Anne Bacquet, Stephanie Cadoret). During the Friday evening, visitors were also welcomed to see artworks created during the week of workshops and masterclasses.
Film screening and performative lecture. Monday, March 27 at Culture House Wiktorija
The film screening program included a performative lecture by the Dutch artist Dani Ploeger and the showing of his short film “The Cults”. Other films and animations in the program: documentaries and short films by Liepaja University students, animations by students of the Cologne Media Arts Academy and a screening of the results of the international student cooperation project “You+Me”.
Masterclass “3D sculpting in VR”. Tuesday, March 28
The participants of the master class learned how to create 3D models, objects and characters using virtual reality (VR) tools. This technique is intuitive, even playful, and did not require participants to haveany specific computer skills or previous knowledge in 3D. The masterclass was hosted by Rogier Jupijn and Agnese Damberga.
Workshops and Masterclasses
UPDATE festival consisted of 5 workshops and masterclasses. Workshops participants learned story writing and techniques for creating drama and tension, they discovered the video as medium to reflect on the era, the different approaches to green screen and special effects in film and live stream, and laserscanning. Another workshop focused on soundtracks and sound recording techniques for film and animation. Workshops were hosted by: Zilvinas Lilas (DE/LT), Shawn Pinchbeck (CA/EE), Dani Ploeger (NL), Raimondas Paškevičius (LT), and Nidas Kaniušas (LT).
During the week, there were 2 masterclasses available for the public: AI for Creatives by Laura Wagner (DE) and Creativity Through Spontaneity, Improvisation, And Play by Tobin Asher (US).
Illustrations in the gallery were created during the “AI for Creatives” masterclass.
From March 27 to 31, the UPDATE festival dedicated to moving images will take place in Liepaja and online. The festival program is intended for artists as well as anyone interested in art and technologies, film and animation techniques, as well as those who just want to try something new. All festival activities are free and in English.
UPDATE festival consists of workshops, master classes, film screenings and performance. Workshops participants will learn how to write a script and techniques for creating drama and tension, they will discover the role of video in activism, the use of AI in animation, the different approaches to green screen and special effects in film and live stream. Another workshop will focus on soundtracks and sound recording techniques for a film and animation. During the week, there will also be an extensive public evening program, with film screenings, master classes and performances.
Monday, March 27 from 17:00 at the Culture House Wiktorija (Graudu street 36/38, Liepaja).
The film screening will start with a performative lecture by the Dutch artist Dani Ploeger, whose practice in recent years has been focusing on crisis-areas and the showing of his short film “The Cults”. Other films and animations in the program consist of documentaries and short films by Liepaja University students, animations by students of the Cologne Media Arts Academy and a screening of the results of the international student cooperation project “You+Me”.
Master class “3D Sculpting in VR”
Tuesday, March 28 from 17:00 to 19:00 at the Art Research Laboratory, MPLab (in the basement of Kurmajas pr. 13, Liepaja)
The participants of the master class will learn how to create 3D models, objects and characters using virtual reality (VR) tools. This technique is intuitive, even playful, participants do not need specific computer skills or previous knowledge in 3D or any other modelling.
The masterclass will start with a 30-minute introductory lecture and training on how to use VR tools and controllers. After that, the participants, with the guidance of the master class hosts, will use VR glasses and controllers to create object in a virtual space. The master class will be hosted by Rogier Jupijn and Agnese Damberga.
Master class “Basics Of AI For Creatives”
Wednesday, March 29 from 17:00 to 19:00 online (register on the website to receive the ZOOM link)
The master class will provide an insight into artificial intelligence (AI) tools and techniques in “simple and easy” language. The target audience of this master class is everyone who is interested in AI, especially young artists, and art students. The master class will be hosted by Martins Dabolins.
Master class “Creativity Through Spontaneity, Improvisation, and Play”
Thursday, March 30 from 17:00 to 19:00 online (register on the website to receive the ZOOM link)
The participants of the master class will go on a journey of self-discovery, trying to discover how to overcome the boundaries that we have created for ourselves. Participants will explore tools and techniques for stepping out of linear thought and make space for novel experiences to take form. The master class will be hosted by: Tobin Asher.
Exhibition of audio-visual performances and workshop results
Friday, March 31 at the Art Research Laboratory, MPLab (in the basement of Kurmajas pr. 13, Liepaja). Doors open at 19:00
At the end of the UPDATE festival, everyone is invited to see the exhibition of the results of the workshops that took place during the week in a pop-up exhibition.
As the final event of the festival, we offered a unique audio-visual performance “Random Encounters” that has been created just for this event. The “Random Encounters” is a new collaboration between the experimental music group “Nejausi” (Roberts Dinters, Valdis Skarevics) and the French performance group “Live Animated Orchestra” (Marie-Anne Bacquet, Stephanie Cadoret). The performance will start around 20: 00.
UPDATE is organized by ASTE, a collective of media artists based in Liepaja and Liepaja University Art Research Lab (MPLab, https://mplab.lv). UPDATE is created with the support of State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF).
The focus of the UPDATE festival is the moving image – film and animation. During the festival, anyone interested can attend workshops and masterclasses, as well as take part in film screening, performances, and networking events. All festival events are free of charge for everyone. The festival will be held from the 27th to the 31st of March in Liepaja and online. Program, workshop, and masterclass descriptions can be found at https://update.mplab.lv/. All events during the festival will be in English.
The festival title – UPDATE – is inviting everyone to upgrade, to modernize, to improve their skill set, to expand their opportunities, and expand their professional network, as well as add new entries to their CV’s and portfolios. The UPDATE festival is organized to give participants the opportunity to learn new, specific skills and technologies. Workshops take place from Monday to Thursday, from 11 AM to 3 PM. Masterclasses take place from Tuesday to Thursday from 5 PM to 7 PM. Masterclasses will be available for online participants. Since all workshops are related to the acquisition of specific equipment, participation in the workshops is possible only in-person.
UPDATE is organized by ASTE, a collective of media artists based in Liepaja and Liepaja University Art Research Lab (MPLab, https://mplab.lv). UPDATE is created with the support of State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF).
To celebrate the end of this year, ASTE, a Liepaja based collective of artists, and the creators of ART+ are offering three special augmented reality objects now available using ART+ app. The new objects are located next to the “Great Amber” concert hall, on the Vecā ostmala promenade and next to the Liepāja Latvian Society House.
AR app ART+ was created in Liepāja in 2021, and currently offers 30 artworks in different places around Liepaja. ART+ collection contains works on a wide variety of topics – conceptual, research-based works, sound artworks, data visualizations, as well as the artist’s self-expressions and reflections on world events. ART+ artworks are created for audiences of all ages, including children.
To use ART+, you will need to go to the app store and download (or update) the application (Google Play or Apple Store). Links are available on the website: https://artplus.app. To view the artwork, you will need a phone or a tablet with internet and GPS. ART+ will work on iPhones newer than the 6S; and Android devices with ARCore. ART+ will unfortunately not work on devices that do not have Google Services.
If you do not have a suitable device or it is impossible to go to the locations of the artworks, ART+ works are available in a web browser and can be viewed from anywhere, on any device with internet. You can go to the ART+ website and click on “Go to Map” (https://artplus.app/map/).
The ART+ curator will be happy to accompany groups on tours of ART+ works and talk more about the technical and artistic process of creating the app and artworks. For communication: Maija Demitere (maija.demitere@gmail.com, +371 29948430).
ART+ is created by ASTE, a Liepaja based collective of artists. All ASTE activities in 2022 are supported by Liepaja Municipality support for NGO’s and State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF) support for NGO’s. ART+ artworks are created with the support of Liepaja Municipality, Liepaja City Municipality institution “Culture Department”, Kurzeme Planning Region, State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF). ART+ objects are created as part of the EIT Community New European Bauhaus project “Growing Food In Liepaja” and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
