On Saturday, August 24, a unique digital art exhibition will open at the Adatu Fabrika (Kuldiga, Kalpaka Street 4). As part of “COOLDIGA ART FEST”, visitors will be able to experience 4 virtual reality artworks created by Latvian artists and a virtual reality game dedicated to the city of Kuldīga. During the festival, 8 new augmented reality artworks will be launched, and will be available to users through the ART+ mobile app (www.artplus.app).
During the opening on August 24, visitors will have a chance to see and experience virtual reality games and artworks created this year, meet the artists and take part in a workshop where everyone will have the opportunity to learn how to create 3D objects using VR tools. Workshop will be open to anyone, even those with no prior experience.
Workshop “3D Making in VR”
On August 24, from 12:00 – 16:00, a workshop will be open to everyone, regardless of their digital skills or previous experience, to learn how to create 3D objects using simple, intuitive, even playful tools. Participants will use VR glasses and controllers to create 3D objects through body movements, offering a more intuitive and accessible approach to 3D modeling compared to traditional, screen-based methods.
The workshop is free of charge and no prior reservation is required. Interested participants can join the workshop at any time. Although there is no age limit for the workshop, children under 10 may find the VR tools too large to use comfortably.
Virtual reality works in the exhibition
Jekaterina Jevdokimova’s “I (Don’t) Remember” is a story about her childhood experiences in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The artist’s interpretations of her memories show the changes that came with computers becoming a part of everyday life, as well as the visually fantastic impression left by growing up in a mass housing block.
Elina Dreimane’s ” Square of Strength” explores Latvian places of power described in folklore, stories and traditional lore. In her work, the artist has digitalized several such places and brought them together in one magical landscape. The work evokes reflections on whether digital experiences and digital tourism might be able to replace the experiences of human beings, whether virtual reality tools can transmit the ancestral wisdom and the power that nature gives us?
Kaspars Lēvalds’ work “The Mist” is based on the Latvian freedom struggle in Liepaja in 1919 after the World War I. Combining game and educational elements, this experience allows us to immerse ourselves in certain scenes of history and explores whether VR can evoke feelings of empathy, patriotism or deepen interest in learning about the history of a nation.
Olga Barbina’s “Pneuma” uses a unique, artist-designed VR experience interface. The work uses sensory data about the user’s bodily processes – breathing and muscle movement – to navigate throughout the work.
A group of artists, Jekaterina Jevdokimova, Kaspars Levalds and Mihails Pavlovecs, have developed a unique VR game dedicated to Kuldiga, interesting for visitors and residents alike. The VR game ” The Treasures of Kuldiga” will allow visitors to explore different places in the city and to see them in a new light.
Augmented reality works in ART+
As part of the festival, 8 new artworks will be launched in Kuldiga. The works will be available for viewing in the augmented reality mobile app gallery ART+. 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).
“Erosion” by the Dutch artist group ROTOR reflects on human nature and the impact of the environment on it – how we are affected by our environment and the culture we live in, just like the water waves and currents affect the shore and the seemingly unchanging rocks.
Latvian 3D artists Gustavs Lociks and Olga Barbina have created a giant plastic island floating above people’s heads in the Kuldiga watchtower, offering a futuristic scene in which new life forms emerge from man-made rubbish.
Latvian artist Kristena Sokolovska and Canadian sound artist Shawn Pinchbeck’s ” The Echo of Fear” is an interactive audiovisual work – the work will transform depending on how far the user is from the tree in the artwork.
ART+ artists at “COOLDIGA ART FEST”: Alex Sirous (UA), Anna Priedola (LV), Elīna Dreimane, Inga Šlangena, Kristena Sokolovska, Madara Kronberga, Maija Demitere, ROTOR (NL), Shawn Pinchbeck (CA).
Opening of the art festival “COOLDIGA ART FEST” will take place on August 24 at the Adatu Fabrika (Kuldiga, Kalpaka street 4) from 12:00 – 16:00.
The “COOLDIGA ART FEST” VR art exhibition will be open on weekdays by appointment from August 24 to September 13. The augmented reality artworks are available to ART+ users at any time.
“COOLDIGA ART FEST” is organised by Kuldīga Digital Innovation Centre and ART+. The festival is supported by Kuldīga Municipality, State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), RTU Liepaja Academy, RTU LA Art Research Laboratory (MPLab, mplab.lv) and ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education (aste.gallery).
Contact details:
Visiting the exhibition at the Adatu Fabrika is by appointment only, so please contact us to arrange a time. This can be done by calling or writing to +371 22352248 (Toms Girvaitis) or by e-mail: toms.girvaitis@kuldiga.lv.
More information about ART+: Maija Demitere (+371 29948430).