From February 3, 2023, in the Intro hall of the exhibition hall "Riga Art Space", the personal exhibition of the artist Oto Holgers Ozoliņš “Risinājums neesošai problēmai”, during which the artist will break down the boundaries between the workshop and the exhibition space by building a boat on the spot. The exhibition will be open to visitors until March 19.
In his latest exhibition, artist Oto Holgers Ozoliņš invites viewers to think about the relationship between daily duties and artistic expression. Both fishing and hanging out clothes can be a form of daily meditation in which the mind becomes effortlessly quiet and peaceful. Using seemingly insignificant objects such as clothes pegs and wooden planks of a boat, Otto explores the potential for artistic creativity in more mundane activities.
The exhibition, which blurs the line between workshop and exhibition space, asks questions about the moment when an object becomes a work of art. Does it become art when it is placed on the platform under the glass dome, or already when the first sketch is attached to the wall. In addition, during the exhibition, the artist will be on site every day, building a boat, thus further emphasizing the theme of turning everyday objects into works of art.
It is through delving into himself that the artist is the initiator of new ideas. They ideas are neither completely clear nor infallible, but they offer new ways of thinking about the world. Through constant experimentation, a new form is obtained. A wooden peg from an everyday object has become a challenge. As opposed to endless refinement, the peg is stripped of its function, turning it into a sculpture until it shines on a pedestal. Meanwhile, the boards lying in the workshop floor have taken a new shape and were marked in the technical drawing. At the beginning of the last century a similar boat was built at the seaside already, but now it is being replaced and has a completely different function. Only in this way something different from the existing is formed and becomes a new reality.
Oto Holgers Ozoliņš (1997) graduated from the Riga Design and Art High School, in 2022 he received a bachelor's degree in humanities from the Latvian Academy of Arts, of the department of visual plastic arts and sculpture. Since 2018, has participated in group exhibitions and in 2022 held a personal exhibition "400 RĪTI" in the "Smilga" gallery. In his artwork, the young artist speaks ironically about current topics in society, using sculptural methods.
Curator: Roberta Atraste
The exhibition is organized by the exhibition hall of the Association of Culture Institutions of Riga Municipality "Rīgas art room", supported by Riga City Council and Kokmuiža.