MUSE (Working Title)
Muses in mythology are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths. This project invites a diverse group of Latvian artists to search for their muse in New York.
New York is a city people from all over the world go to in order to seek out inspiration. But what does it mean to look for someone who is the source of knowledge toward ones own life? What personal (psychological) and social effects does such a search have? How many people does one have to meet until there is one that is truly an inspiration to ones own being and wanting, a true muse, if you will? Is there a method that can be applied to something so intimate and existential, as well as public and political? Last but not least: Does the idea of a muse differ among cultures?
Latvians are said to live along the line of confrontation between East and West, occupying a space diffuse in the political, demographic and philosophical sense; a space where the assessment and evaluation of its nation by the participants tends to be diplomatically evasive. Locked in between Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus, post-communist since 1991 and part of the EU since 2004, what does it mean for Latvians to look for their muse elsewhere, in the US, and in New York precisely? Who lures the eye, what is absurd or even obscene, more specifically, how do they read the city, reject and penetrate it while probing something, someone all creation is in need of?
Vito Acconci and Sophie Calle, among other artists, both followed a stranger in the public space, someone whom they found attractive or made them curious. This project goes one step further. The artists invited are meant to not only fantasize and stalk but also search and meet their muse. To wander the streets of New York, to take risks and decrease distance at their own speed.
Latvians are said to live along the line of confrontation between East and West, occupying a space diffuse in the political, demographic and philosophical sense; a space where the assessment and evaluation of its nation by the participants tends to be diplomatically evasive. Locked in between Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus, post-communist since 1991 and part of the EU since 2004, what does it mean for Latvians to look for their muse elsewhere, in the US, and in New York precisely? Who lures the eye, what is absurd or even obscene, more specifically, how do they read the city, reject and penetrate it while probing something, someone all creation is in need of?
Vito Acconci and Sophie Calle, among other artists, both followed a stranger in the public space, someone whom they found attractive or made them curious. This project goes one step further. The artists invited are meant to not only fantasize and stalk but also search and meet their muse. To wander the streets of New York, to take risks and decrease distance at their own speed.
The Apex Art gallery space will be used as a studio (to dwell on methods, gather collected findings, and to track ones one meandering), a meeting place for artists and (potential) muses, and for public reports on the ongoing query. Every artist will finalize his/her search with one (or more) public talk, which can include all the people that were important for the search, or the muse/s only. If no muse can be found, then the method and ways of looking for it will be presented to a public and visualized in the space. Weekly updates among the participants will be held at the gallery space, they will be open for the public. The artists work with different media, and will introduce their approach to the task at the opening night.
The selected artists will be living in New York homes for the duration of their engagement. These places mark the points of departure for the individual queries. It is quite likely that the artists will have to move several times; this New York reality has to play into their experience of the place, and the idea of finding a muse in this city. They will start off living with a person of their choice, someone they know, or someone whom they feel could be helpful for their task, or even a person they consider a muse already. The curatorial team will organize these (free) accommodations for them.
Interested artists are Dmitrijs Lavrentjevs (born 1970), painter, Edmunds Lūcis (born 1959), multi-meadia, Uģis Prauliņš (born 1957), composer, audio producer, sound engineer, Rūta Mežavilka (born 1971), poet, writer, journalist, Edgars Mucenieks (born 1965), performance, installation.
The project is organized by Evelina Vanaga, curator, Luzern/Riga, and Lillian Fellmann, curator, journalist, Luzern/Amsterdam.
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