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Katrīna Neiburga, one of the most outstanding contemporary Latvian artists. She has received many awards, including the prestigious Purvitis Award, and has represented Latvia at the Venice Biennale. Neiburga’s main medium is video, although it can be extended to the moving image in general, because her 2016 film Garages was nominated for the best debut film in the Lielais Kristaps National Film Award in Latvia.Overall, the artist uses the camera as a magnifying glass, expressing a socio-anthropological interest in the everyday, and zooming in on ordinary people leading ordinary lives. By providing a close look at somewhat unnoticed or ignored phenomena, she unearths micro-worlds, and provides visibility to people, objects, settings and stories which would otherwise not be told, because in our stressful world of deadlines and missed opportunities, there is a good chance that we might regard them as too mundane or self-explanatory. (author Laine Kristberga)
For Katrīna Neiburga, art is subordinate to a yearning for emotion, authenticity and the preservation of living memory. It is poetry that operates at the level of perception and feeling: pared to the bone, saturated with truth, searing and beautiful. One of Neiburga’s chief means of expression is her deeply personal iconography, which is evident in her video installations, both in exhibitions and as theatre set designs. She is interested in sociology, investigating preconceptions about the nature of things.
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Born 1978 in Riga, Latvia
Lives and works in Riga
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Education
2001 – 2002 MA in Visual Communication Department, Art Academy of Latvia
2000 – 2001 BA in Visual Communication Department, Art Academy of Latvia
1999 – 2000 Exchange studies in The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden
1996 – 1999 Art Education Department, Art Academy of Latvia
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Solo exhibitions
2021 Biežņa, (with Andris Eglitis), concerthall Latvija, Cēsis
2019 Playground for accepting your mortality, (with Andris Eglitis), Klosterruine, Berlin
2019 Hair, at Contemporary Art Centre Kim?, Riga, Latvia
2017 Long Pickled Cucumbers , (with Andris Eglitis), exhibition in Riga, Latvia
2015 Armpit (with Andris Eglitis), 56th Venice art biennale, Venice, Italia
2012 Press House, Cable Gallery, Helsinki, Finland; Trafo Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2012 The Memory of Things, Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Riga, Latvia
2010 In Reality, Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga, Latvia
2008 Personal Exhibition, Riga Art Space, Riga, Latvia
2005 Solitude, Gallery Le Plateau, Paris, France
2002 The T-shroom (with Pēteris Ķimelis), Malmo, Sweden; Gallery ibid.projects, London, UK
2001 The T-shroom (with Pēteris Ķimelis), Riga, Latvia
2000 Real Face, Gallery Noass, Riga, Latvia
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Awards
2024
Nomination for Reumert Award in category best Special Performance, for installation "S.O.S" , Denmark
Nomination for Grand Music Award with opera “Apzināšanās”, composer Krists Auznieks, Latvia
Nomination for 1 Kg of Culture Prize with opera “Apzināšanās”, Latvia
2023
Price for best permormance for Malleus Malificarum in Latvian Theatre Awards Spēlmaņu Nakts, Latvia
Price for best video artist in Latvian Theatre Awards Spēlmaņu Nakts, Latvia
Nomination for 1 Kg of Culture Prize with performance “Malleus Malificarum”, Latvia
2022
The Grand Music Award for the best performance of the year for opera "Chill" , Latvia
Special jury price for opera "Chill" in Latvian Theatre Awards Spēlmaņu Nakts , Latvia
2014
Nominee for the Best Video Art in Latvian Theatre Awards Spēlmaņu Nakts , Latvia
2013
1 Kg of Culture Prize, for Surprise of the year – opera Dauka at the Latvian National Opera, Latvia
The Grand Music Award for the best performance of the year – Cantando y Amando at the Latvian National Opera, Latvia
2008
Purvītis Prize, Latvia
Nominee for Ars Fennica Prize, Finland
2002
Artists’ Union of Latvia Prize of the Year for the best multimedia project – The 6th Element (with Monika Pormale), Latvia
2001
Artists’ Union of Latvia Prize of the Year for creative novelty in visual arts – project The T-shroom, Latvia
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Film festivals
2017 Documentary movie "Garages", Nordic Film Days, Lübeck, Germany
2017 Documentary movie "Garages", Crossing Europe IFF, Linz, Austria
2017 Documentary movie "Garages" , BEAST IFF, Porto, Partugal
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Selected Group Exhibitions and Festivals
2024
“In the name of Desire” exhibition in Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga
“We don’t do this. Intimacy, Norms and Fantasies in Baltic Art” exhibition, MO museum, Vilnius
“Down the rabbit hole” exhibition, MO museum, Vilnius
“Dickens street. The Others” performance, director Baņuta Rubess, Melbourn, Austrailia
2023
“Symphony Of Solitude”, performance, Mor collective, Copenhagen
Exhibition “Molding nature”, Fargfabriken, Sweden
E-flux screening, New York
“Apzināšanās”, opera by Krists Auznieks, concerthall “Cēsis”, Latvia
Exhibition “Just don’t cry”, Latvian NAtional art museum
“Malleus Malificarum” performance at Rigas Circus, Latvia
2022
"Chill", an opera, Valmiera Theater festival, idea and artist, Latvija
"Four Angles", quintuple concert by Krists Auznieks, video artist, Latvija
"Bad roads", The New Riga Theater, set design, Latvia“Vārti” music video for band Sigma
“Pleci uz leju, gūžas uz augšu” Ballet movie
“Mājoklis. Komentāri” theater show, director Laura Groza
“To fuck or to die” theater show, director Reinis Boters
“Hesychia” music performance, composer Anna Ķirse, festival “Sansusi”
2021
Metamorphoze 1,2,3,4, video series for cosmetic brand "Madara", Latvija
Opening art space in Riga "Brīvība", Latvija
Prospectif cinéma, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Consolation, “Flying Closer to the Sun”, Cēsis Art Festival Programme, Latvija
Pseudoscientific conference, Group show at the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga, Latvia
"Mobile Museum", "Playground for accepting mortality", Latvija
“Internationale videokunst zur Urbanisierung von Landshaft", Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany
Museum Blood Count, at Paula Stradiņa museum, Rīga
Sekretjiki, at exhibition "Savage", Drusti, Latvija
2020
Festival Survival Kit 11, Riga, Latvia
Exhibition “The Caves&The Garden”, Futura CCA, Prague, Czech Republic
Exhibition “Roots to Routs”, Manifesta 13, Marseille, France
Exhibition “Savage” , Drusti, Latvia
Exhibition “Work to be done” , Cardiff, Great Britain
Happening “Mind Spa” curator and idea author, Rīga, Latvia
2019
Brickbar series, Riga, Latvia
Playground to cope with one’s mortality, curator Solvej Helweg Ovesen ,Berlin
Taking root, curator Jurriaan Benschop, KIT, Kunst im Tunnel,Dusseldorf https://www.kunst-im-tunnel.de/taking-root-194.html
Pickled Long Cucumbers curator Jonatan Habib Engqvist, at Italienska Palatset in Växjö, , Sweden
2018
D'EST Chapter #2 Performing Words, work “Press house”, Dusseldorf
Survival Kit 10, performance “Ragnagmati”, Riga
Video work “Pickled Long Cucumbers”, at Riga Biennale- RIBOCA, Latvia
Installation “Nest” with Andris Eglītis at Riga Biennale- RIBOCA, Latvia
Exhibition “State of Future”, work "A New day’s regimen" exhibition hall Arsenāls, Latvia
Exhibition “There and back again”, "Solitude" , KIASMA, Helsinki
Exhibition “The Haunted House”, "Memory of Things", cultural foundation Jekaterina, Moscow
Music clip “Kūku Marija”, for music band “Sigma”
2017
Music video “Autumnwinter”, Riga Iff festival, Baltic Music video competition, Latvia
Sound we see, movie presented in Riga IFF film festival, Latvia
Top no Top, Latvian National Art museum, Riga, Latvia
Transmediale 2017, Berlin
2016
Will O’The Wisp, Kochi-Muziris Biennale2016, India
Survival Kit 8, Contemporary Art Festival, Latvia
Identity: Behind the Curtain of Uncertainty, Kiev, Ukraine
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, California, USA
2015
Video performance in Insomnia music festival, Tromso, Norway
Survival K(n)it 7, Contemporary Art Festival, Latvia
Self-Portrait, XO Art Gallery, Riga, Latvia
Ornamentalism. Purvitis Prize. Latvian Contemporary Art, Venice Biennale, Italy
The Everyday, Mūkusala Art Salon, Riga, Latvia
Telling Tales, Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2014
Survival Kit 6, Contemporary Art Festival, former Boļševička Textile Factory Riga, Latvia
Telling Tales, Centre PasquArt, Biel, Switzerland; National Gallery of Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
On the Wave. Latvian and Siberian Actual Art, Riga Art Space, Latvia
Tasting at the Central Market, Riga 2014, European Capital of Culture opening programme Riga, Latvia
2013
Garden Affairs (with Christine Umpfenbach), Theatre Festival Spielart, Munich, Germany
Lost Gardens, open air performance in International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus (video), Riga, Latvia
Alternativa 2013: Till tomorrow!, Gdansk, Poland
2012
Video Art of Latvia. Performance & Movement, Centre L'Arcade, Aix-en-Provence, France
Transformations, Modernist architecture in Eastern Europe, video screenings, Sweden
2011
Staro Riga, festival of light, multimedia project Velocinema, Riga, Latvia
Zero Point, VEF, Riga, Latvia
Gwangju Design Biennale, Global House video screenings, Gwangju, China
White Nights, Riga, Latvia
Survival Kit 3, Contemporary Art Festival, Riga, Latvia
2010
Survival Kit 2, Contemporary Art Festival, Riga, Latvia
The Way, Riga International Airport, Latvia
Laba daba, music and video festival, Latvia
Keine Angst, Tapetenwerk Halle C, Leipzig, Germany
Cēsis Art Festival, Cēsis Brewery, Latvia
Rīga Dimd, Kunsthalle Rostock, Germany
2009
Staro Riga, festival of light, Riga,Latvia
Survival Kit 1, Contemporary Art Festival, Riga, Latvia
Ad Oculos, National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow, Russia
The 2nd Biennial Art Sector, Katowice, Poland
Purvītis Prize, Latvian National Museum of Art, Arsenāls Exhibition Hall, Riga, Latvia
2008
Dans la nuit, des images, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Ars Fennica Award Exhibition, Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland; Kumu Art
Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
Cēsis Art Festival, Cēsis Brewery, Latvia
L’art contemporain en Europe (experience Pommery), Dommaine Pommery, Reims, France
Buket, National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow, Russia
Time Will Show, Museumsberg Flensburg, Germany
The Vernacular Terrain, IDA projects, Songzhuang Art Museum, Beijing China
2007
Illustrations for children’s book Mazgalvīši spēlē mājās by Pauls Bankovskis
Word in Motion, video poetry festival, Latvia
The Vernacular Terrain, IDA projects, The Block, Queensland University of Technology,
Australia
Baltic Contemporary Art, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Sweden
Contemporary Art from Latvia, European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Urbanologic, LCCA project space in Andrejsala, Riga, Latvia
Just what is it that makes today?, Gallery Antje Wachs, Berlin, Germany
2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, special project Katoptron (Direction of the Mirror
Glance), Moscow, Russia
2006
15th Biennale of Sydney: Zones of Contact, Sydney, Cairns Regional Gallery, Australia
Electrofringe 06, festival of digital, electronic, new media and experimental culture,
Newcastle New South Wales, Australia
White Nights, Contemporary art project in five European cities, Madrid, Spain
Femmes a’Europe, L’Ete Culturel 2006, Saint-Tropez, France
Trajectory 4: Where We Work From, Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
Face the unexpected: Media art from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Museum am Ostwall,
Dortmund, Germany
Video Art from the Baltics, Kunstraum Düsseldorf, Germany
Suspense, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece;
Hellenic-American Union, Athens, Greece
EUROPART – Contemporary Art from Europe, public space in Vienna, Austria
2005
Solitude, personal exhibition gallery au Plateau, Paris, France
Illustrations for children’s book Pasakas par bērnu dzīvi, Latvia
Suspense, Apollonia, Strasbourg, France
(un)dressed. Body in the Baltic photo art, Giedre Bartel Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Jukas, Latvian National Museum of Art, Arsenāls Exhibition Hall, Riga, Latvia
Instant Europe, Villa Manin, Passariano, Italy
2004
Sound Forest, the international experimental music festival (with Gonzo and Macrame), Riga, Latvia
Literature karaoke, launching of book Stum Stum by Andra Neiburga (with Gonzo and Macrame), Gallery Noass, Riga, Latvia
Pornography, 49 Aleksandra Čaka Street, Riga, Latvia
Welcome!, Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London, UK
2003
2 Show, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
re:public, International Art and Culture Project in the suburbs of Riga, Latvia
Adaptation, Rotermann Salt Storage, Tallinn, Estonia
Wild Photographers, Communications Centre Sapņu fabrika, Riga, Latvia
la riga, Fabbrica del Vapore, C/O Careof & VIAFARINI, Milano, Italy
2002
Nothing Personal, Bremen City Gallery, Bremen, Germany
The 6th Element, International Women Art Exhibition, Hotel Nams 99, Riga, Latvia
Festival East Impact, St Petersburg, Russia
2001
Metropolis. Riga, Riga Stock Exchange Building, Riga, Latvia
Poetic Video Festival, Riga, Latvia
The 12th Tallinn Print Triennial, Rotermann Salt Storage, Tallinn, Estonia
Down the tunnelzz, Liepāja, Latvia
Party Animals – Animal Farm, Riga, Latvia
Activities with the creative association SOYA
Curriculum Vitae, The Artists’ House, Klaipeda, Lithuania
2000
net.congestion, International Transmitting Media Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Letters to Riga, Gallery of the Blackheads’ House, Riga, Latvia
things, Gallery Noass, Riga, Latvia
Art Communication 4, International New Media Festival, Gallery Noass, Riga, Latvia
IOB – Images of Borders, Swedish Pavilion at the EXPO 2000, Hannover, Germany
Polar Circuit, International Media Workshop, Rovaniemi, Finland
ArtGenda 2000, Young Artists Biennial, Helsinki, Finland
Ljudgarden, Gallery Mejan, Stockholm, Sweden
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Video and set designs in theatre and opera
2022
"Chill", an opera, Valmiera Theater festival, idea and artist, Latvija
"Four Angles", quintuple concert by Krists Auznieks, video artist, Latvija
"Bad roads", The New Riga Theater, set design, Latvia
2021
Bee Matter, multimedia performance, Kanutti guidi saal, Tallin
Don Giovanni, at Theatre Vanemuine, Tartu
2017
Multimedia performance “Remember”, theatre Grob, Denmark
The good person of Szechwan, Riga Russian Theatre, Riga, Latvia
Salome, video artist, Mariinsky Theatre, St.Petersburg
2016
Koku opera (Tree Opera), festival Sansusī, Latvia
Pilna Māras istabiņa, The New Riga Theater, Latvia
2015
La Damnation de Faust (video), opera Bastille, Paris, France
Ciemiņi (video), Latvian National Theatre, Latvia
Maija un Paija (video), Valmiera Drama Theatre, Latvia
Manon Lescaut (video), Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
2014
Rīga Dimd, concert, Riga 2014 European Capital of Culture opening programme (video artist), Riga, Latvia
Stum, Stum (video and set design), The New Riga Theatre, Latvia
2013
150th Anniversary Concert of the LNO House (set and video designer),
Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
The Duenna (set design), The Perm Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, Perm, Russia
2012
Cantando y Amando (video artist), Latvian National Opera, Riga
The Secrets of Kabbalah (videodesigner), The New Riga Theatre, Latvia
Dauka (visual artist), Latvian National Opera, Riga
Lucia di Lammermoor (video artist), Latvian National Opera, Riga
2011
Instrumenti, concert (video set design; in collaboration with Māris Legzdiņš and
Ksenja Zaķe), Arena Riga, Latvia
Strāvoklis, concert (set designer), Esplanāde, Riga, Latvia
Press House, music video by Gas of Latvia (video)
2010
Eugene Onegin (set designer), Latvian National Opera, Latvia
Deli Dance (artist), The New Riga Theater, Latvia
2009
Playing the Victim (set and costume designer), The New Riga Theater, Latvia
Lucia di Lammermoor (video artist), Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre, Moscow, Russia
2008
Red Light Winter (set and costume designer), The New Riga Theatre, Riga, Latvia
The Puppet's Opera (set designer), Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
Gala concert of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival (video set designer) Riga, Latvia
2006
Night Tariff, (set and costume designer), The New Riga Theater, Latvia
2005
Living Water, (video, set and costume designer), Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
2004
Tosca, (video artist), Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
2003
Der Fliegende Holländer, (video artist) Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
2002
Gala concert of the International Baltic Ballet Festival, (video artist), Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
Der Fliegende Holländer, (video artist) Dalhalla, Rättvik, Sweden
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalogues and Books
Sproģe, Elīna. Katrīna Neiburga. Riga: Neputns, 2015.
Survival Kit 6 : Utopian City. Eds. Valts Miķelsons, Santa Mičule. Riga: LCCA, 2014.
Alternativa 2013 Guidebook. Till tomorrow! Ideologies of city planning and the tactics of dwelling. Gdańsk: Wyspa Progress Foundation, Wyspa Institute of Art, 2013.
Latvian Contemporary Art, 2007–2012: The Purvītis Award. Eds. Mairita Brice, Una Meistare, Daiga Rudzāte. Riga: Artterritory.com, 2013.
Without Walls: ABLV Bank collection for the Contemporary Art Museum. 2005–2013. Comp. Laima Slava. Riga: ABVL Bank, Neputns, 2013.
Survival Kit 3. Riga: LCCA, 2011.
Katrīna Neiburga. In Reality: Work. Family. Love. God. Children and musical performances. Names have been changed but it is all for real. [Text by Agnese Krivade]. Riga: Kultūras projektu aģentūra Indie, 2010.
Demakova, Helēna. They wouldn't notice. Latvian Contemporary Art and the International Context: Collection of Writings, 2002–2010. Riga: 1/4 Satori, 2010.
Nineties: Contemporary Art in Latvia. Comp. Ieva Astahovska. Riga: LCCA, 2010.
Riga dröhnt = Riga rings out. Kunsthalle Rostock. [Text by Helēna Demakova]. Riga: Biennāle 2005: VKN, 2010.
Survival Kit 2. Riga: LCCA, 2010.
We are on the net. net.art.lv : Latvian net.art exhibition : works from RIXC.LV server archive. Eds. Raitis Šmits, Rasa Šmite. RIXC; Liepājas Universitātes Mākslas pētījumu laboratorija, 2010.
Survival Kit 1. Eds. Ieva Astahovska, Solvita Krese. Riga: LCCA, 2009.
Katrīna Neiburga. Personal Exhibition. [Texts by Solvita Krese, Katrīna Neiburga]. Ed. by Inta Rozenvalde. Riga: Rīgas Kultūras aģentūra; LCCA, 2008.
Contemporary Art from Latvia: Spotlight. The Collection of the Latvian Contemporary art Museum. Frankfurt am Main: European Central Bank, 2007.
Ars Fennica 2008. Ed. by Kirsti Karvonen. Tallin: Kumu Kunstimuuseum, 2008.
Time will show. Museumsberg Flensburg. Bootshaus am Südstrand: NEMO-Kunst in Nordeuropa, 2008.
Urbanologic. [Text by Solvita Krese]. Riga: LCCA, 2007.
Katrīna Neiburga. The Surprising Latvian = L'étonnante lettonne. Eds. Pauls Bankovskis, Tims Ohsers, Iveta Dundure. Riga: B.i., 2006.
Biennale of Sydney. Zones of Contact. Ed. by Charles Merewether. Sydney: Biennale of Sydney, 2006.
Mit allem rechnen = Face the Unexpected: Medienkunst aus Estland, Lettland und Litauen = Media Art from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Hrsg. Inke Arns, Kurt Wettengl. Dortmund/Frankfurt am Main: Museum am Ostwall, Revolver, 2006.
Where We Work From: artistic event series Trajectories. [Texts by Stella Rollig, Edgars Brālītis, Uldis Tīrons]. Riga: LCCA 2006.
Videoart from the Baltic Scene : Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. [Text by Solvita Krese]. Düsseldorf: Kunstraum Düsseldorf, 2006.
2 SHOW: Young Art from Latvia and Lithuania. Ed. by Helēna Demakova. Riga: Kultūras pilotprojekti, 2003.
Nichts Persönliches. Rigaer Kunst in Bremen. Städtische Galerie Bremen. [Texts by Hanss-Joahims Manske, Jānis Borgs, Inese Riņķe]. Comp. I. Riņķe. Riga: Rīgas Galerija, 2002.
Selected Articles and Reviews
Katrīna Neiburga in conversation with Armands Zelčs. Searching for Truth in Truth // Studija, April/May, 2010, pp. 24–29.
Jerohomovičs, Jegors. Katrīna Neiburga. Solitude and Topology No.29 // Studija, Febr./March, 2009, pp. 40–41.
Katrīna Neiburga in conversation with Inese Zandere. The Lonelines in Girls' Handbags // Baltic Outlook, June/July, 2006, pp. 54–59.
Brinkmanis, Andris. Instant Europe. Exhibition of Photography and Video from the New Europe at the Villa Manin Centre for Contemporary Art // Studija, Febr./March, 2005, pp. 35–37.
Vējš, Vilnis. Katrīna Neiburga. Sieviešu lietas [On Women] // Studija, June/July, 2004.
Auziņa, Ieva. Tējas sēne – tā ir īsta manta! [The –T-shroom- It’s the Real Thing] // Studija, Febr./March, 2001.