4/09/2010
BALTĀ NAKTS
During the contemporary art forum White Night there were more than thousand visitors in Art Center. This was the largest amount of visitors in former factory VEF since Art Center started to functioning.
There were 3 notable events organized by artists from Art Center:
opening of an exhibition “I am dying (I am alive)”
audio and visual art project “Audial Park” (organized together with company “Pareizā Ķīmija”)
and concert of legendary latvian alternative rock band Hospitāļu Iela in decorations by artists from Art Center.
events was supported by
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7-8/06/2010
Opening of Experimental phase of an Art Center in former factory VEF
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15/04/2010
Presentation of an old and new spaces for upcoming Art Center in the same industrial territory
pictures from the presentation:
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3-5/02/2010
Kaspars Lielgalvis visited there Leipzig International Art Program where he was kindly informed how this residency works
Art center Spinnerei, located in Leipzig, previously cotton factory was a very inspiring example, how ex-industrial area could be used as an Art center
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31/01/2010
Pro helvetia has chosen swiss artist Muriel Baumgarten for supporting to go to residency in Art Center in VEF and latvian artist Māris Grosbahs to go to one of residencies in Switzerland
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29/01-2/02/2010
In Budapest Kaspars Lielgalvis made an agreement about artists exchange between Riga and Budapest with Borbala Szalai, representative from Hungarian Young Artists Association for a time period of 2 month during 2011.
Hungarian Young Artists Association already have got support from States foundation to cover costs of living costs for latvian artist.
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21-28/01/2010 After Switzerland artists Kaspars Lielgalvis and Katrīna Sauškina visited some Art places in Vienna and thanks to Hans Knoll (Knoll gallerie) met Zimmer Karin (deputy of Visual Arts, Architecture, Design, Fashion, Photography and Media Art departmanet) and Olga Okunev responsible for Artists residencies both from Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture and discussed about a possibility to support Austrian artists stay up to 3 month long in residency in Art Center Totaldobze during time period of 2011-2012. Details are still in progress
In Vienna there was also a meeting with representative from annual Art festival Soho in Ottakring in Vienna
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11-16/01/2010
Artists Kaspars Lielgalvis and Katrīna Sauškina joined international curators group (from Poland, Hungaria, Czech republic, India, Mozambique and South Africa) for Studio visit in Switzerland organized by Pro helvetia. During 4 days there were meetings with representatives from Pro helvetia in Zurich, art centers Rote fabrik in Zurich, Progr in Bern, Forde in Geneva and 23 artists in their studios in Zurich, Bern, Basel and Geneva.
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04/01/2010
Art Center Totaldobze is included in residency list offered to Swiss artists by Pro helvetia for period 2011. Residency is available for the period of time up to 3 month.
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21/12/2009
600 planners for 2010 printed and distributed through several shops in Riga to collect money for upcoming Art Center. For more details click here.
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16-18/11/2009
Artist Kaspars Lielgalvis participates in Eastern Europe Res Artis Meeting and International Conference on Artistic Residencies RETOOLING RESIDENCIES
organizers: ResArtis Center of Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland.
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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.
