The international open call for the project “ElektrON – The Future of Amber” has concluded, and we are pleased to announce the selected artists who will participate in the project’s activities in 2026 and 2027.
The artistic aim of the project “ElektrON – The Future of Amber” is to rediscover the lesser-known properties of amber—an emblem of identity for Liepāja and the wider “land of (un)rest”—by re-examining assumptions about this fossil resource found along the Baltic Sea coast. Bringing together artists, scientists, and historians from Latvia and abroad in an international contemporary art symposium and exhibition, the project will explore the past and present significance of amber and other fossil resources, as well as their potential for the future.
Five artists have been selected through the international open call, whose creative practices combine perspectives of nature, technology, and science:
- Michael Saup (Germany)
- Mikus Svikulis (Latvia)
- Ieva Viese (Latvia)
- Zane Zelmene (Latvia)
- Aiste Ambrazeviciute (Lithuania)
The selected artists will participate in an international symposium in June 2026 on the Baltic Sea coast—in Liepāja and Pāvilosta—where, together with scientists and historians, they will reflect on the cultural imprints of amber and other fossil resources. In addition, three artists—Ieva Viese, Zane Zelmene, and Mikus Svikulis—will take part in the PAiR residency in Pāvilosta, organized in collaboration with the VV Foundation. Artists will be encouraged to seek innovative and provocative ways of interpreting and using fossil resources in a contemporary context.
The works developed through this process will be presented in the project’s final exhibition at the Liepāja Museum, on view from January 8 to June 27, 2027.
The exhibition will mark the opening of the “Liepāja 2027 – European Capital of Culture” year, offering a contemporary perspective to a wider audience on the significance of amber today and in the future.
