Starting from the summer of 2019 VV Foundation announces collaboration with Latvian artist Toms Harjo. Toms Harjo (born in 1996, Riga) is a photographer from Vecmilgravis, with deep ties with this part of Riga. In 2017, Toms Harjo graduated from ISSP two-year programme in contemporary photography where he took classes from the best Latvian contemporary photographers – Iveta Vaivode, Reinis Hofmanis, Andrejs Grants, Arnis Balčus un Ieva Epnere. The artist took part in several group exhibitions in Latvia and abroad. He organized many personal exhibitions out of which the most important was held at Kim? Contemporary Art Center in 2018, Riga. Starting with autumn 2018, the artist studies acting in the course given by director Alvis Hermanis.
From now on VV Foundation is providing financial support to Toms Harjo’s creative activities and represent the artist’s legal rights. The first collaboration project between Foundation and the artist was opened on July 27 in the public space of Pāvilosta. It is based on Toms Harjo photo series ‘’In the Truth’’. Ever since his birth, Toms has been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. An analysis of this system of belief along with a great deal of self-analysis shapes the core of Toms Harjo’s long-term photo project “Truth”. The series of photos is a reflection of human desire to belong, attitude towards belief and religion. These are attempts to live in harmony with the Bible in a world that is mostly secular. Desire for spiritual and moral purity in a dialogue with emotional distance from the majority of humanity who are not in the “truth”. These are attempts to find some balance between doubts and pathetic confidence, yourself and others, loneliness and affiliation.
Related events:
July 26, 6 pm, concert hall ‘’Great Amber’’, Liepāja – opening of the exhibition ‘’What Even’’. The exhibition is a parade of works by quite different authors, at the same time trying to find a common similarities in the handwriting of these artists. The exhibition “What Even” is looking at the direction that has emerged in recent years amongst the interests of young Latvian artists – the romanticizing of the surrounding banalities and everyday phenomena. Participants: Elza Sīle, Vika Eksta, GolfClayderman (Margrieta Griestiņa and Aksels Bruks), Subspatial.xyz (Aleksandrs Breže un Armands Freibergs), Katrīna Čemme. Curator: Tomass Pārups. Exhibition is supported by “VV Foundation”. More information here:
July 27, 3 pm, Pāvilosta – Artist talk. Toms Harjo conversation with art historian Līna Birzaka- Priekule.
