© Splendid Palace
Throughout history, Latvian artists have cultivated a distinct aesthetic vision that draws inspiration from the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of the region. Their impact on the global art scene is evident in their representation at prestigious events like the La Biennale di Venezia, where they have left a lasting impression on audiences through their national pavilion exhibitions.
Latvia has a vibrant and thriving art scene that caters to all tastes and preferences. Visitors will find a rich selection of museums, galleries, and festivals to enjoy in Latvia.
The Latvian National Museum of Art boasts the most extensive collection of art in Latvia, with over 52,000 works.
The Art Museum Riga Bourse is home to the largest foreign art collection in the Baltic States.
kim? Contemporary Art Centre was established in 2009 and is named after the Latvian abbreviation of the question “What is art?” (kas ir māksla?).
The Museum of Decorative and Design Art, housed in the historic St. George’s Church, boasts seven collections of decorative and design art pieces.
The Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre is a multi-functional center for contemporary art, culture, and education.
The annual international contemporary art festival Survival Kit in Riga is one of the most significant contemporary art events in the Baltics. Each year, the festival is dedicated to a different social theme. Utilizing abandoned Riga buildings as venues for the festival, it aims to draw attention to their potential for future development.
Established in 2016, The Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art draws on the rich history of Riga and the Baltic states. The biennial highlights the artistic landscape of the wider region and provides opportunities for artists to engage with the cultural, historical, and socio-political context of the city and its surroundings.
The history of cinema in Latvia dates back to its inception. On May 28, 1896, just months after the first public screening of films by the Lumière brothers, the first “Moving Picture Show” was held in the Solomonsky Circus in Riga. Latvia’s national cinema marked its 100th anniversary in 2020, and Riga International Film festival is among one of the best-known and celebrated events in the cinematic industry today.
The unique natural and urban landscapes of Latvia, combined with the efficiency of the local film industry, have also made the country increasingly attractive to foreign filmmakers.
Shooting a film in Latvia offers numerous advantages:
Latvia has become a favored filming location for renowned contemporary directors. For instance, the Latvian-Hungarian co-production film Natural Light, which was shot in Latvia and directed by Dénes Nagy, won the Best Director Crystal Bear award at the Berlinale 2021. The famous Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa filmed “A Gentle Creature” (2017) and “In the Fog” (2012) in eastern Latvia.
Baroque and Rococo architecture and stunning grounds. Rundāle Palace has been featured in:
A compact city with a wealth of architectural styles that have evolved over multiple eras. Featured in:
A film studio which provides a variety of street settings from different centuries, pavilions, a train platform, a river, and other film sets. Featured in:
A quaint, well-preserved medieval town and a favourite of period-piece directors. Home to the 3rd-longest brick bridge in Europe. Featured in:
The Splendid Palace Cinema, located at 61 Elizabetes Street in Riga, offers film lovers a unique and memorable movie-going experience. The building, an architectural gem in itself with its awe-inspiring neo-baroque facade, features stunning wall and ceiling paintings, and sculptures.
The film program at Splendid Palace is diverse and dynamic, featuring a mix of popular and art-house films from around the world, along with retrospectives of notable film classics, regular film club screenings, and live broadcasts of concerts, opera, and ballet performances.
Cinephiles will greatly appreciate the Riga International Film Festival, held in the heart of the city every fall. Since its founding in 2014, Riga IFF has become a premier cultural event in Latvia, introducing local audiences to the latest developments in world cinema.
The contemporary art scene in Latvia is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is considered conventional and exploring new avenues of creative expression.
With a thriving community of artists unafraid to challenge the status quo, the art scene is a dynamic and evolving landscape. Whether it be through bold and innovative exhibitions, installations, or thought-provoking performance art, Latvian artists are making their mark on the global art world.
Krišs Salmanis
The artist was selected to showcase his talent at the 55th Venice Biennale along with Kaspars Podnieks. Their Venice Biennale project, “North by Northwest,” featured a full-grown tree hanging from the gallery ceiling on a pendulum. Salmanis experiments with a wide range of media, including animation and installations, and his works are known for their complexity in both execution and concept.
Ilmārs Blumbergs
Blumbergs had a career spanning four decades and diverse background, encompassing stage design, film production, painting, and sculpture. Blumbergs continuously experimented with new materials, as seen in his 2010 exhibition “The Glass Pearl Games“, where paintings and sculptures were displayed as complementary structures. At the 49th Venice Biennale, his multi-media exhibition set a new benchmark for Latvia’s participation.
Katrīna Neiburga
Neiburga has also represented Latvia at the Venice Biennale. Her primary medium is video. Her deeply personal iconography is evident in her video installations and theatre set designs. Through her work, she examines preconceived notions about the nature of everyday things and investigates the socio-anthropological aspects of modern life.
Under the direction of internationally acclaimed director Alvis Hermanis, the theatre has a reputation for participating in prestigious festivals worldwide, such as Festival d’Avignon, The Edinburgh International Festival, Wiener Festwochen, and Salzburger Festspiele. The theater continues to offer innovative performances that appeal to the modern and discerning audience, both in terms of content and form.
The theatre offers a diverse repertory for all audiences. Recognized as one of the leading repertory theatres in Latvia, the Latvian National Theatre is proud of its traditions and rich 100-year history, as well as its significance as an architectural and artistic monument of national importance. Despite being performed in Latvian, the historic building alone is worth a visit, as it was where the state of Latvia was proclaimed on November 18, 1918.
The theater showcases works by renowned playwrights and contemporary writers, as well as musical performances. As the largest professional repertory theater in Latvia, it features three stages. Recently, the renowned American actor John Malkovich starred in the play In the Solitude of Cotton Fields by Bernard-Marie Koltès, directed by Timofey Kulabin, making Dailes Theater one of the most popular theaters in town.
