1. 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.

  2. Born 1978 in Riga, Latvia

    Lives and works in Riga

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

     

  6. 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

  7. 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 WaveLatvian 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 BreweryLatvia

    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 BreweryLatvia

    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 4Where 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 artGiedre Bartel GalleryBerlin, 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

     

  8. 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

  9. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Catalogues and Books

    Sproģe, Elīna. Katrīna Neiburga. Riga: Neputns, 2015. 

    Survival Kit 6 : Utopian CityEds. 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 LithuaniaHrsg. 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.

     

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