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‘’The Black Hole’’ project is calling for artists of any speciality to participate in a 3-week residency in Riga, Latvia. The aim of residency is to foster creative freedom, explore local context and encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary experiments between participants.
The chosen building for this residency was constructed in 1974, originally as the Central Committee’s headquarters of Communist Party of Soviet Latvia, later becoming a World Trade Centre. In the upcoming months it will come to life for a social experiment gathering bright minds in a celebration festival for ‘’Rīgas Laiks’’ – a magazine for free thinkers and intellectuals. There will be exhibitions, discussions, concerts, raves and other events.
In 3 weeks, we’ll have 6 artists getting to know each other and familiarising themselves with the environment and happenings around them. There will be workshops with experienced professionals from various fields (see below) offering participants methods and inspiration on how to approach their work and explore beyond the usual. Once a week there will be a presentation within a small group of people on what the artists have come up with so far and in conclusion of the residency – a bigger opening event to showcase the finished works to public. The process of residency will be moderated by the "Black Hole" founders – the head of the Totaldobže Art Centre Kaspars Lielgalvis and artist Laura Prikule.
Time period of this residency is from October 23rd until November 12th 2023.
The participation fee is 150 EUR (if accommodation is not needed).
For participants, who need accommodation participation fee is 400 EUR. Artists are responsible for their travel and food expenses. There will be a dedicated workspace and a common kitchen for family-style cooking of meals. It is a tradition in Black Hole residencies to share each culture through food and to get to know each other as a person. Participants will also have a free pass to other events in the house.
To apply for this residency or clear up any questions, please contact info@blackholes.lv
Applications must include CV and portfolio along with a short description of why you would like to participate.
Application deadline: October 1st
Selected participants:
Aina Bikše, Niks Edušs, Sabīne Silarāja, Patrīcija Vilsone, Lidija Zaneripa.
Experts, who are giving input through talks and workshops:
Philosophers Arnis Rītups, Uldis Tīrons, antropologist Dace Dzenovska, theatre director Olga Meļņikova, architect Andis Sīlis, creator of Latvian state brand Jānis Nīgals, creativity expert Jonathan Howard.
The residency will take place in the very center of Riga in the architectural heritage of soviet architecture.
Its a place with regular public events.
The building for three months is occupied by very different artists, musicians, philosophers, scientists etc.
It has a space for events with 500 seats.
Artist Kaspars Lielgalvis has been the main initiator and the head of the Totaldobže Art Centre since it's birth – in 2010. The Black Hole events would not happen if not his enthusiasm and passion about interdiscipinary collaboration, new art forms and connection between contemporary art and the local context. Kaspars has managed 95% of all Black Hole activities and has been moderating four residencies.
Artist Laura Prikule is based in Riga and has been one the concept co-creators of the Totaldobže Art Centre and co-manager of several it's activities whith focus on the meaning and perception of an art. Laura will share different games of art creation in collaboration.
Dace Dzenovska is a social anthropologist researching reconfigurations of space and power in Latvia and Eastern Europe.
Dace Dzenovska is currently working on emptiness as a novel spatial coordinate in the global landscape of power and as a condition when places lose their constitutive elements. She sais: "Emptiness for me is neither loss, nor opportunity, but a historical condition, a pause between the old order and the new."
Architects and urbanists Signe Pērkone and Ramon Cordova. Currently Ramon is a thesis tutor at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the RISEBA University of Applied Sciences in Riga.
Signe and Ramon have made a research about the neighbourhood development potential around the cultural hub Viskaļi. The research started 1,5 years ago, as part of the Urban Institute Riga city development research activities.
Arnis Rītups holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from KULeuven (Belgium), he specializes in Aristotle and his Greek commentators. He is one of journalists of the magazin Rigas Laiks
The monthly Rigas Laiks has been published in Latvian since 1993, and as a quarterly Russian-language edition since 2012. It is a “serious” general interest magazine that publishes articles on culture, politics, philosophy, history, and everyday life. The magazine is famous for its hard-hitting, in-depth interviews with well-known politicians, writers, musicians, actors, and other local and foreign personalities.
Architect Andis Sīlis, founder and co-owner of the SZK group of architects, founder and board member of the Foundation for the Promotion of Architecture. 30 years of architectural practice with more than 50 realized projects.
A new type of built dynamic structure with constantly changing functions and volumes. Construction as an experimental structure with the opportunity to test new engineering technologies, new transformable architectural typologies for working together, living, relaxing, entertaining, etc. Interdisciplinary, international, inclusive idea and solution generation and implementation project. Innovative data collection, test of cooperation models of different institutions, funders and interest groups.
