Preface

Due to the physical distance from the capital of Latvia, Riga, and lack of cultural journalists (also – lack of interest from the existing journalists and critics), Liepaja media art activities are little analyzed in the context of art science and history. The documentation in the media is rather modest, mostly as press releases, online sites and galleries of few interested parties, such as Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory and Electronic Art and Media Center E-LAB, and recently ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education.

Information on the various art events is available, but there is a lack of reviews and analysis of specific works of art and directions. Liepaja media artists focus on researching various specific topics in art, such as sustainability and eco-art (Maija Demitere, Rihards Vītols, Anna Priedola), media archeology (Paula Vītola, Pēters Riekstiņš), sound art (Krista Dintere, Artis Kuprišs), art in virtual and expanded (Ieva Vīksne, Līga Vēliņa), art generated by artificial intelligence (Kristaps Biters, Andrejs Poikāns), which are very relevant not only in Latvia but also in the international context, but there is little talk about these examples in the art media and research and Liepaja new media art in general.

Aim: compiling, categorizing, analyzing and publishing archive materials of local and international media art events in Liepāja in the articles of media art researchers, making information available on the history of new media art in Liepāja for research and education purposes, and promoting public understanding of specific media art events.

Tasks:

  1. Develop a system for collecting and storing information about past and current media artworks.
  2. Analyze, describe and categorize new media artworks and events created in Liepaja.
  3. To compile materials about the history of Liepaja new media art – documentation of events and works, descriptions, digital copies of works, interviews with artists and curators.
  4. Translate basic information about Liepaja new media artworks into English.

Creating an overview of new media art developments in Liepaja from 2000 to 2010 has been a very challenging task, as a ten- to twenty-year period in digital art means the evolution of several generations of technology, and as data carriers have disappeared, there is no first decade of the 21st century. there is little visual evidence of media artwork. Almost no one used analog cameras anymore, but the resolution of digital images at that time is now staggeringly low. Social networks have also disintegrated or transformed, and it is not possible to identify authorship and attribution in event photo documentations in private archives today. But the materials the cultural center K@2, we could even call it the cradle of new media art, were stolen, when the K@2 building in Karosta was robed on multiple occasions. This archive now is generating new stories of media art histories and descriptions of events, using visual materials obtained by searching and analyzing sources, information is available in the mass media and using interviews of participants of past events, members of the community and witnesses.

This digital new media art archive is created by the Liepaja media artists association ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education, with the collaboration of researchers and lecturers from the Liepaja University Art Research Laboratory and the study program “New Media Art”. Diana Lelis, Paula Vītola, Maija Demitere, Kaspars Jaudzems, Jekaterina Jevdokimova, Elza Zīverte, Elizabete Punka, Kristīne Petrovska, Wiljams Jefferson Brics, Kate Karīna Cebre and Anžela Timofejeva have participated in its creation so far.

We would like to thank Kristīne Briede, Andrew Paterson, Andris Vētra, Anna Trapenciere, Rasa Šmite, etc. for sharing their time, impressions and materials, special thank you to the art researcher Santa Vaļivahina.

The archive will be updated by adding new information, writing about the period up to 2010, and developing a new section with profiles of the most active new media artists who worked in the period from 2010 to 2020 and an overview of their most important works.

Edited by Anna Priedola

December 22, 2020 in Liepaja

For future communication: info@mplab.lv