From April 11th to May 11th 2018 at the Latvian Railway History Museum (Uzvaras boulevard 2A) it was possible to view the solo exhibition “The Gap” by Laris Strunke, a painter of Latvian origin.
Painter Laris Strunke: “I was in Iceland and missed the bus. I had a few hours to spare so I climbed up a mountain where I discovered a gorge which split the scenery, plunging into the depths. A narrowness, where something is hiding. It’s one adventure when a space is open, and another when you can see little. The narrower the opening, the greater the interest in that which is hiding there. Do the two sides of this gorge want to meet or split apart? The concept of a gorge is very multifaceted.”
Laris Strunke’s 2018 exhibition was held at the Latvian Railway History Museum in Riga where the main exhibit hall windows will open towards the spiritual Latvian symbol – the Palace of Light, the Latvian National Library. The architecture and structure of the space is a very critical part of Laris Strunke’s paintings, which is why the 19th century locomotive repair shops, having preserved their authentic aura, created a unified totality and sense of spaciousness, which is an extremely important component of Laris Strunke’s art. The exhibition showed 26 of Laris Strunke’s newest paintings, which were unified by the shared content and artistic motif exploration – the gorge.
The exhibit was supplemented by a multiform educational programme, which allowed visitors to gain a deeper and more creative look into Laris Strunke’s personality and creative works. The exhibit will include practical workshops for artist, lectures, discussions with exhibition creators, and each family will have access to specially prepared worksheets as well.
Laris Strunke’s last solo exhibition was in 2002 at the Arsenāls exhibition hall. Available for viewing were 13 large format paintings, which were created from 1995 to 2002. 16 years have passed since this solo exhibition, therefore the story of Laris Strunke’s paintings must continue. Laris Strunke is one of the few artists born in Latvia who have also gained international recognition, therefore in the context of the Latvian centenary, the very everlasting and demonstrative path of his work is on display to anyone who is interested.
About the Artist:
Laris Strunke is a painter of Latvian origitn, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, a Fourth Class Officer of the Order of the Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia, and one of the most significant Swedish artists. Since 1959 the artist has organised solo exhibitions in various Swedish cities, as well as participated in group exhibitions in Sweden, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Denmark, Hungary, China, Finland, Canada, Latvia, Iceland, Germany, Australia, and Brazil.
Laris Strunke’s works can be found in several private and public art collections in Sweden – the Stockholm Modern Art Museum, the National Art Museum in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Malmo Art Museum, the Skissernas Museum in Lund, the Vasteras Art Museum, the Linkoping Art Museum, the Eskilstuna Museum of Art, the Museum of Drawings in Laholm, as well as the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest, the Latvian National Art Museum and Swedbank Modern Art Collection in Riga.
Exhibition admission fee:
Adults 3,5€
Students & seniors 2€
Children FREE
