The biggest telephone and radio factory in VEF Soviet Union, was founded in 1919 as technical provider for post and telegraph in Riga. From 1937 to 1943 in VEF was manufactured worldwide famous subminiature camera Minox which was conceived in 1922 and invented in 1936 by Walter Zapp.
Since 1991 all buildings (more than 50) has been privatized by different privates and each of them had a different perspectives for the future. Some of buildings has been fully renovated, some partly, but most of them has been emptied up sold and resold or still waiting for big investments in renovation. Some of them has been rented to offices, storage companies, banks, workshops, shops, gyms etc. After almost 20 years of undefinable kind of economy entered in this ex-factory area the surrounding has changes as unattractive for successful business development.
Cheep rents and industrial interiors has attracted to VEF more and more artists since 2001. In 2009 there are more than 20 studios placed in two different ex-manufacture buildings filling up around 1500 m2.
Since 2008 there have been organized several art events by residential artists such as exhibitions, open doors for studios, workshops, happenings, performances and concerts involving more than 100 local and international artists.
In two years organized artistic activities attracted to VEF more than 5000 visitors.
Those activities where possible due to exceptional personal initiative of residential artists Inga Meldere, Eva Vēvere, Anda Lāce, Kaspars Lielgalvis, Ieva Veita, Daiga Krūze, Davis Licitis, Laura Prikule, Nils Vilnis and many others.
Technical support for events was given from State Culture Capital Foundation, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, entrpreneurs Dobze LAB, VEF, StoraEnso, Knauf, gallery 21, gallery Art Space, lighting company GACO, BiroTeh, 3M, Neonita, Deko Parks, Inhouse Media, Poligrafijas Agentura, music clubs Sunny Terrace, Space Garage and Dirty Deal Cafe. Informative support provided weekly newspaper of culture Kulturas Forums and Latvian Radio 3.
