La Biennale di Venezia. 54th International Art Exhibition
Venēcijas biennāles 54. Starptautiskajā mākslas izstāde
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Curriculum Vitae
Kristaps Ģelzis was born in 1962 in Riga. He is a graduate of the Department of Graphics of the Latvian Academy of Art (1986). Together with other conceptual art pioneers of his generation he has been actively involved in Latvian contemporary art processes since the mid 1980s. Since 1997 he is Assistant Professor at the Department of Visual Communication and Graphics of the Latvian Academy of Art. He is also a member of the Latvian Union of Artists. The artist has participated in many significant international projects.
K.Ģelzis is the author of the Memorial to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation on the Latvian Riflemen's Square in Riga (implemented together with Ilze Miķelsone and sonologue Voldemārs Johansons).
The idea at the core of Kristaps Ģelzis's artwork is implemented in the most appropriate material – on planes, spatially or plastically, using all of the technology and media available nowadays. He is sensitive to the symbolic elements of local environment, which are then masterfully interpreted in his works, and has the courage to be openly ironic about the current political events.
Field of activity: painting, graphics, video installations, installations, objects, sculpture, drawing, book illustration, stage design, exhibition and advertising design.
Solo exhibitions
2010
"Artificial peace II", Berlin Preview 2010, Tempelhof, Berlin / Germany (drawings, mixed media)
"Artificial peace", Māksla XO Gallery, Riga / Latvia (drawings, objects, mixed media)
2009
"Maybe", Māksla XO Gallery, Riga / Latvia (watercolour paintings on paper)
2008
"Home Video", Gallery Alma, Riga / Latvia (fluorescent paintings, objects)
2007
"Bonaqua", Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (watercolour paintings on paper).
2000
"Time Square", Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (digital prints, video installation)
1997
"Independence Day", Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (objects, installations)
1996
"Virtuale", State Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (objects, installations)
1994
"Slidepaintings und Objekts", Galerie P.U.N.K.T., Hamburg / Germany.
1992
Gallery Kolonna, Riga / Latvia (objects)
Exhibition hall Jāņa sēta, Riga / Latvia (installation "Jāņa sēta")
Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (silkscreen prints)
1991
Gallery Anhava, Helsinki / Finland
1990
Agency Inter-Art, West Berlin / Germany
1987
"Shrine", Exhibition hall Jāņa sēta, Riga / Latvia
Selected group exhibitions, set design
2011
"Purvītis Prize 2011", Exhibition hall "Arsenāls" of the LNMA, Riga / Latvia (works from the exhibition "Maybe", watercolour paintings)
2010
"The 2009-10 Sovereign European Art Prize", Barbican Centre, London / UK ("Jogging with my blue dog", luminiscent painting)
Art Festival Cēsis 2010, exhibition "Take Care", Cesis Old Beer Brewery, Cēsis / Latvia
"Golden Works", Exhibition hall Arsenals of the LNMA / Latvia (digital print "Hundred years")
2009
"Metabolism: contemporary Latvian graphic art", Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (drawing on paper).*
"Drawing", Māksla XO Gallery, Riga / Latvia (drawing on paper).
"Contemporary Icons", Gallery Alma, Riga / Latvia ("Kulik's DNS", object).
"Drawing", International Contemporary Art Fair "Art Vilnius 09", Lithuanian exhibition Centre LITEXPO, Vilnius / Lithuania.
"Home Video", Gallery Alma, Riga / Latvia (fluorescent paintings)*
2008
Art Festival Cesis 2008, "Beauty", Cesis Old Beer Brewery, Cesis / Latvia ("Good night fairytale", fluorescent painting, installation)
"Buket", Exhibition of Latvian Contemporary Art, National Centre for Contemporary Art (ncca.ru), Moscow / Russia ("Holiday balloons", installation)*
"Homo Urbanus – Homo Sapiens? Sculpture and Installations by Artists from Riga. Latvia", Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam / The Netherlands ("Let's keep in touch", sculpture in city space, in cooperation with composer Voldemars Johansons)*
2007
"Mobile Museum", Centre for Contemporary Art Andrejsala, Riga / Latvia (objects)
"Contemporary Art From Latvia", Calmar City Contemporary Art Museum, Calmar / Sweden (watercolour on wall)
2005
"Museum 100", State Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (supersize digital prints "Hundred Years", What's Going On In Latvia?").
2004
"Den Haag Sculptur 2004. Giants", city space, The Hague / The Netherlands (sculpture "Red Apes")*
"Faster Than History", Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, Helsinki / Finland (video installation "Nothing Personal", digital prints on canvas – from the cycle "Masks")*
2003
The 7th International Contemporary Art Exhibition "Art Moscow", Central House of Artists, Moscow / Russia ("Masks")*
"Lux Eropae 2002", city space, Copenhagen / Denmark (light installation "Somebody's Starway Home")*
"Fruits of the Earth, Fruits of Heaven", The New Stage at the Latvian National Opera, Riga / Latvia (set design and video "Presents")
2002
"Nothing Personal", Bremen City Gallery, Bremen / Germany (large-scale digital prints)*
"Tras vizit", Masnedofort Exhibition Centre, Vordingborg / Denmark ("Three Heads")
2001
"Metropolis. Riga", Riga Stock Exchange building, Riga / Latvia (audio and video installation "Fireworks of The Millennium in Dome Square")*
"Identity", Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (digital print "Scully")*
"New Reality. Identification", within the framework of the 5th International Art Exhibition "Art Moscow", Central House of Artists, Moscow / Russia (installation "Personal Cube")*
"Contemporary Utopia", Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum, Riga / Latvia (video installation "Nothing Personal (Lights of the Big City)")*
"Mask", Gallery Bastejs, Riga / Latvia (collage "Happy Mask")
2000
"Baltic Security!", Arlanda Airport, Stockholm / Sweden (digital prints "Mulder" and "Scully"", object "Personality")**
"Distance", Hansabank Exhibition Hall, Tallinn / Estonia (digital prints, video)*
1999
"Days of Art '99", Berga bazārs, Riga / Latvia (art action "In a Creative Condition Again")
1998
"Konstnärer från Riga. Artists from Riga", Södertälje Konsthall, Södertälje / Sweden (objects)*
The 2nd Worldwide Latvian Contemporary Art Exhibition, Art Museum Arsenāls, Riga / Latvia (installation "Ņam Jums Paika")
"The World of Ballet", Jūrmala Culture Centre, Jūrmala / Latvia
1997
"Art of Simple Things", Gallery Bastejs, Riga / Latvia
"Invasion" – The 2nd International Saaremaa Biennial, Kuresaare Castle, Saaremaa / Estonia (objects)*
"Ballet", Grand Hall of the Riga Stock Exchange, Riga / Latvia
Set design for the staging of Gundega Repše's story "Stigma", Latvian Artistic Theatre, Riga / Latvia
Set design for the staging of Gundega Repše's story "Stigma", Dailes Theatre, Riga / Latvia
1996
"The Other Picture", Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia
"Personal Time. Art of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 1945–1996", Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw / Poland; Central Exhibition Hall Manezh, St. Petersburg / Russia*
"Compi Box", Gallery Anhava, Helsinki / Finland.
1995
"Farm", Rainis Museum of Literature and Art, Riga / Latvia*
"Art Hotel", Lydmar Hotel, Stockholm / Sweden*
"Monument" – The 3rd Annual SCCA–Riga Exhibition, Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga / Latvia
Opening of the permanent Latvian Contemporary Art Exhibition, Stockholm School of Economics, Riga / Latvia
Gallery Anhava, Helsinki / Finland
"Kalāčojums", Eduards Veidenbaums Memorial Museum Kalāči, Liepa Parish, Latvia (installation "Eco Yard")*
"Prospects", Var Gard Center NACKA, Saltsjöbaden, Stockholm / Sweden (outdoor object "Swedish Table")
"Port of Art", city space of Kotka / Finland (installation "Crazy Dauka")*
"Private / Public", ARS '95, city space of Helsinki / Finland ("Eco Yard 2000")
1994
"State" – The 2nd Annual SCCA–Riga exhibition, Riga / Latvia (installation "For Fatherland and Freedom"); Rundāle Palace, Rundāle / Latvia (audio installation and "Sign" by Timmijs Snips); Eduards Veidenbaums Memorial Museum Kalāči, Liepa Parish / Latvia (outdoor installation "Eco Yard")*
"Wegkreuzung – Künstler aus Riga", NDR Studio, Hamburg / Germany*
"Firkspedvāle Conversations '94", Pedvāle Art Park, Pedvāle / Latvia (installation "Twin Elements")*
"Island Project" – International Multimedia Workshop, city space of Gdansk / Poland (installation "Red Tennis")
"Zoom Factor" – The 1st Annual SCCA–Riga exhibition, Exhibition Hall Latvija, Riga / Latvia (installation "Dream Journey")*
1993
"Sensation No.30", Art Museum Arsenāls, Riga / Latvia ("Their Yard" by Timmijs Snips)
Exhibition of video installations as part of the 2nd French–Baltic Video Art Festival, Art Museum Arsenāls, Riga / Latvia (video installation "Winner of the Uninterrupted Space")*
"Bastearium" ("Carnival"), Gallery Bastejs, Riga / Latvia
"Aujourd'hui les Baltes" – Contemporary Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Art, Paris / France*
National Art Action "ep!" – graphics exhibitions in 33 towns*
1992
"Paaudze. Generation. Sukupolvi", Museum of Contemporary Art, Pori / Finland (installation "Borg Gard")*
"Mare Balticum", Nordic Art Center, Helsinki / Finland (installation "Language Lesson")*
1991
"Fiatal Müveszek Rigaból", Mücsarnok Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest / Hungary*
1990
Rauma Biennale Balticum, Rauma Museum of Art, Rauma / Finland*
"Railway Point", Gallery Jāņa sēta, Riga / Latvia (installation "Reserved in Europe")
"Latvia – The 20th Century Somersault. 1940–1990", Exhibition Hall Latvija (installation "Laundry Day")*
1989
"Riga – Lettische Avantgarde", City Art Gallery Im Sophienhof, Kiel / Germany; Exhibition Hall Weserburg, Bremen / Germany (video installation "Dismantling of the Wall")*
1988
"Riga – Lettische Avantgarde", Staatliche Kunsthalle, West Berlin / Germany (video installation "Dismantling of the Wall")*
"Days of Art '88", Riga / Latvia (gallery at the pedestrian tunnel of the Riga Railway Terminal)
Group Exhibition (together with Oļegs Tillbergs, Ojārs Pētersons, Andris Breže and Juris Putrāms), Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum, Riga / Latvia (installation "Burtnieki Castle")
1987
All Union Young Artists' Exhibition, Moscow / Russia
The 18th Exhibition of Young Artists' Works, Exhibition Hall Latvija, Riga / Latvia
"Days of Art '87", city space of Riga / Latvia (installation "Sprouts", square on the corner of Muitas and Citadeles Streets)
1986
"Days of Film '86", St. Peter's Church, Riga / Latvia (video action "Wall")
The 5th Exhibition of Miniature Graphics, Exhibition Hall Latvija, Riga / Latvia
The 12th Graphic Art Exhibition, Exhibition Hall Latvija, Riga / Latvia.
The 7th Tallinn Print Triennial, Tallinn / Estonia*
"Days of Art '86", city space of Riga / Latvia (graffiti action at the pedestrian tunnel of the Riga Railway Terminal)
1985
The 12th World Youth and Student Festival Exhibition, Latvian Culture Centre, Moscow / Russia (site-specific art work "Dedication to the Poetry of Leons Paegle", together with Indulis Gailāns)
Exhibition of the USSR Academy of Art, Moscow / Russia
"Theatre Theme in Graphic Art", Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum, Riga / Latvia
* Catalogue
** Booklet
Works in selected public collections
Latvian Contemporary Art Museum / Collection, Riga / Latvia
Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, Helsinki / Finland
Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick / New Jersey / USA
Museum of the Artists' Union of Latvia, Riga / Latvia
Tukums Art Museum, Tukums / Latvia
Awards
2011
Winner of The Purvītis Prize 2011
2007
"Diena Annual Culture Award 2007"
1994
International Jury Award for the installation at the 1st Annual SCCA–Riga "Zoom Factor" exhibition.
1987
Latvian Ministry of Culture Award at the 18th Exhibition of Young Artists.
1986
Diploma of the Latvian Artists' Union for the work at the 5th Exhibition of Miniature Graphics.