Contemporary Art Gallery
in cultural centre M/Darbnīca
A. Briāna iela 9, Rīga, Latvia
Wed - Sat 18:00 - 22:00
Māra Ulme and Kristians Rozītis
Watching trees grow
17 - 19 November 2022
M/Gallery invites to an exhibition and a book presentation, “watching trees grow.” The opening and presentation of the book will take place on November 17 at 18:00. Pop-up exhibition at M/Gallery November 17-19.
Watching Trees Grow is a collaborative work by two young artists, Māra Ulme and Kristians Rozītis, who through images and text invite spectators to remember themselves as a part of the undulating, ever-changing nature that exists horizontally - equally and without hurry.
It takes decades to observe the growth process of trees - their growth rate is strongly influenced by growing conditions and the state of the ecosystem, as well as the influence of trees surrounding them. It's the same with people. It is impossible to observe changes in oneself on a daily basis - everyday life is turbulent and impatient, a pendulum swinging from one activity to the next, one task to the other. How to stop this oscillation? Where to stop? What to think? What to observe?
Longings, desires, and expectations are stirring inside every spectator. Every spectator has felt impatience, tension, and sadness. Must everything happen right away? How to find a little silence within ourselves and return to our natural relationship with the world, whose interpretation is always in our hands?
Inspired by the ideas of philosopher Jacques Rancière, this collaborative work considers the multifaceted nature of observing and thinking. We are all independent-minded spectators who perceive our surroundings, people, and ourselves. How to observe without rushing, how to perceive oneself truthfully and without bias?
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Māra Ulme is a poet of the younger generation. Since 2018, she has been regularly published in various magazines, including Punctum, Domuzīme, Konteksts etc. Graduate of the Literary Academy and the School of Art Criticism of LCCA. Currently she is also one of the editors of the new, avant-garde newspaper "Avīzes Nosaukums". She has participated in the series "Unusual Literature" organised by Kaņepes Culture Centre, the multimedia exhibition "Exodus" at Tallinas Kvartāls, organised events in collaboration with the LNMM, DOM, Poetry Days as well as other events related to poetry and art.
Kristians Rozītis is a multimedia artist with a formal education in photography design, where he has not only excelled in his professional education, but has also contributed and developed his artistic approach in various projects and performances: in the 5th season of the KKC series Unusual Literature, he demonstrated his originality by creating music and visual settings for the performance "THE VOID. Artificial Nostalgia". He has also proven himself as a stage designer, where he fulfilled the vision of the progressive project "The Pavement in My Shoes" of the Theatre Studio "Stairs", etc.