Anna Aizsilniece. Mugwort's Turn
Anna Aizsilniece. Mugwort's Turn
Paintings of fermented mugworts’ extract on wood fiber boards and a large installation with mugworts constitute the new work in the solo exhibition by Anna Aizsilniece “Mugwort's Turn". Symbolic images can be seen in the paintings, and the world in the installation. "Me - a mugwort. I paint myself. I paint with myself", says Anna Aizsilniece. Curator of the exhibition - Inga Šteimane.
In “Mugwort's Turn" artist Anna Aizsilniece talks about concepts of freedom and order, and how people strive to seek, create and understand them. At the same time, Anna Aizsilniece develops contemporary eco-conceptualism, which highlights overlooked resources and their use. Art production and its ecosystemic criteria have been the focus of Anna Aizsilniece's attention since 2009, when she created the first clothing collection in the Recycled.lv project.
This time the mugwort - a plant in Latvian meadows - is placed in the center of the exhibition with its plastic, ecological and biological pigment resource. Equally important in the exhibition is the cultural and historical heritage of the mugwort in folk songs and traditional housekeeping. The exhibition offers an opportunity to meet Anna Aizsilniece's unique syncretism, which combines traditional myth and knowledge, conceptual ecology, handicrafts and pop art charm. The exhibition will feature twelve paintings created by the artist in her original technique - with extract of fermented mugworts and admixture of acrylic pigment on wood fiber boards. Instead of brushes - brooms made out of mugworts. On the first floor of the Art Station Dubulti spectator will be able to stand among the mugworts and spin with the sun.
The story of Aizsilniece's work is identity - individual and broader (woman, region, person). The artist looks at "known", "finished" and "applied" things as a formable substance and finds the "unlocked side" in it to create a new form and content. This approach resonates with the widespread flow to use so-called anonymous materials instead of traditional media in art, which can be both socially charged readymades (consumer items) and non-traditional raw materials. The use of mugworts combines both social (ecological) and visionaristic approach to the material. "Why are we doing investments to import things and care for them, if there is already, for example, a mugwort that feels great here," asks the artist.
In the title of the exhibition, the word "turn" corresponds to the meaning of both sequence and status. It is time for the mugworts.
Art conceptions of Aizsilniece are based on her own life settings - for the fourth year she lives in a country house near Aiviekste river (200 km from Riga). She uses the nature around and everyday work as a creative "workshop". Anna Aizsilniece was born in 1966 in Riga (until 2014 her name was Ingrīda Zābere). She graduated the Department of Decorators of Riga Art and Design Secondary School (1981–1985), and the Graphic Design Department of Art Academy of Latvia (1985–1991), and got her MA degree in fashion design at the International Institute of Design in Naples (Istituto Superiore di Design) in Italy (2010). As a creative director, she managed her own design and printing company "Dizaina serviss SCSH" (1994-1997); created designs for popular magazines - "Una”, “Cosmopolitan” (in Latvia), “Dizaina Studija”, “Ir Nauda”, “Kapitāls” and art catalogues; author of many book designs for publishing houses “Neputns”, “Aminori”, “Dienas Grāmata”, “Latvijas Mediji”, “Zvaigzne ABC”, “Latvijas Vēstnesis” and the publications of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga Motor Museum. Since 2009, she has been creating unique clothing collections from recycled ready-made clothes under the brand Recycled.lv, which were presented at the solo exhibition "Recycled.lv. Conceptual gowns" in the Riga Art Space (2011), on view at the Baltic Fashion Catwalk in Berlin (2013), in the performance "Ethnography" at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga (2014). The artist is a member of the contemporary art group "LN Women's League Project" (since 1997).
Art station Dubulti is the only professional exhibition hall in Europe located in a functioning railway station. The project implements the overlapping functionality of the public space. Art station Dubulti organizes personal exhibitions of the best Latvian artists and international projects. The program was implemented with the support of the Jurmala City Council. Art critic and curator Inga Šteimane is the creator and manager of the Art station Dubulti.
Anna Aizsilnieces "Mugworts Turn" is on view at the Art Station Dubulti until January 31st, 2023. The exhibition is supported by Jurmala City Council and the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia. Working hours of Art Station Dubulti: every day from 9.00 till 17.30, also on weekends and public holidays. Entrance is free of charge.
Public programme:
9.11. at 5 p.m. - opening of the exhibition;
12.11. from 2 p.m. till 3 p.m. - a tour with the artist and curator;
18.11. from 2 p.m. till 3 p.m. - a tour with the artist and curator;
10.12. from 2 p.m. till 3 p.m. - a tour with the artist and curator;
21.01. from 2 p.m. till 3 p.m. - a tour with the artist and curator.
Text by Inga Šteimane