Dear Shaded Viewers,
In a celebration of sensory experiences and the undulating narrative of creation, the fashion and art duo MAREUNROL’S presents “Fieldwork: Invisible exercises” at Riga Art Space’s Grand Hall. From the outset, let it be known that this isn’t a mere exhibition; it’s an ambitious foray into the realm where fashion intersects with art, creating a dialogue between the two.
Running from November 3rd to December 29th, 2023, this exhibition is set to be the most extensive showcase of the duo’s visual endeavors. But to define their work as merely ‘visual’ would be an understatement. They are, instead, sensory architects who construct experiences that resonate beyond the visual, wielding their artistic concept as a powerful conduit for truth.
The space itself becomes an immersive narrative, punctuated by dissonant sound installations that challenge the visitor’s expectations of harmony among the works. Conceptualized as a journey, the exhibition ushers you through various stages that symbolize MAREUNROL’S visual practice. It’s an environment where nature and urban chaos collide, creating a kinetic landscape with the human element as its sculptural centerpiece.
As visitors traverse this carefully curated space, they are invited to reflect on the essence of creation and its beauty, while also acknowledging the shadow of creative burnout that often accompanies intense artistic pursuit. It’s a visual diary that lays bare the procedural artistry, the ‘invisible exercises’ of the mind and practice.
Curated by Auguste Petre, this exhibition goes beyond a display of finished works. It peels back layers of the creative process of MAREUNROL’S—comprised of Mārīte Mastiņa and Rolands Pēterkops—revealing their ethos of deconstruction and the reimagining of fashion as a narrative medium. Their accolades and participations speak volumes of their boundary-pushing ethos, but what truly resonates is their ability to use fashion as a lens to dissect and understand the vibrations of contemporary life.
Petre herself is no stranger to the interplay of art and social context, bringing a wealth of curatorial expertise and scholarly insight to this exhibition. Her background as an art historian, curator, journalist, and educator imbues the show with an intellectual rigor that complements the duo’s artistic vision.
This exhibition, supported by a coalition of cultural institutions and sponsors, stands as a testament to the dynamic cultural landscape that Riga offers. It is not just an exhibition but a statement—a reflection of the power of contemporary Latvian artistry and a beacon for the creative future.
Introduction
Exercises are a choreography in action.
Movement in a metaphysical space where means of visual expression (dependent on the concept created by the artists) are the most effective instrument for revealing a truth that is able to pierce through stereotypes and superficial, automatically generated ideas. Well then, these exercises are an integral part of the artists daily routine. Wherever the works are directed, they reflect on already existing contexts and the accomplishment of subjective goals. Usually, these exercises are invisible, and sometimes you even have to perform ostentatious theatre for them to be noticed. But essentially, they are instruments that motivate self-prosperity.
Art is a sensory space in which context is created through a continuous search for the beautiful. Turbulence is a condition that is irregular both in time and space. It allows its creator to be a part of the process and take an observational position at the same time. Searching through the unknown, the cyclicality of any action and perception of things is being revealed; as well as the sincere, existent, valuable. Beauty is equal to being aware of the existence of a new path. Move, solve, analyse. Create if you can. Each new process is a result of the experience gained at the previous phase, however, the possibility of repetition is impossible.
The two entrances to the environment created by both artists represent the beginning of a cycle and the acceptance of choices that come with it; nature in contact with the turbulence of the urban environment creates a landscape of moving pictures, in which a person is a sculpturally created work of art. Meditation on creation motivates you to ponder the principles of truth and search for the beautiful, but it can often lead to a creative burnout. It is followed by an uplift, weariness, pursuit of the unknown. The exhibition is a visual diary of everyday work, which, in the most direct way, allows one to become aware of the process that is specific to the creation of art – the invisible exercises of the mind and praxis.
A passage of light leads to the conclusion. Or, is it the beginning of a new cycle?
Movement and further exercising is inevitable.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Kristians Aglonietis, Marta Ansone, Krišs Apšenieks, Rūdolfs Dankfelds, Andris Eglītis, Roberta Fišere, Iveta Gabaliņa, Jette Loona Hermanis, Ināra Innuse, Edžus Konošonoks, Ilze Krieviņa, Artūrs Liepiņš, Māris Ločmelis, Lena Lumelsky, Vija Mastiņa, Aino Mastiņš, Marija Luīze Meļķe, Guntars Poplavskis, Agita Putāne, Andris Putāns, Jēkabs Reinis, Gatis Rozenfelds, Karolīna Rubovska, Reinis Semēvics, SignLibra, Modris Svilāns, Spāre Vītola, RMT team.
