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Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

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ancient sign –ancient rigaIf we imitate the environment in whichour ancestors once lived, can we imaginetheir understanding <strong>of</strong> the world,their way <strong>of</strong> thinking and feeling?Just as in childhood, by putting on aknight’s mask, we can practically feelthe horse’s back. By learning longforgottenskills and roaming along theancient settlement paths with the experience<strong>of</strong> today, we tie the past andthe present into a knot.On the site <strong>of</strong> ancient settlements on theEsplanade or the green territory <strong>of</strong> Zaķusala(Hare Island), an ancient settlement is beingexplanatory dictionary<strong>of</strong> the sciences andesoteric sciencesBoth the material and the esotericworld with their laws are an invincibleforce that man tries to exploreand reveal. Attempts to understandthe world’s conformity to natural lawsis the eternal impulse in a person’slife, which also allows for the perception<strong>of</strong> the preconditions <strong>of</strong> individualexistence.Within the framework <strong>of</strong> the project, closecooperation will take place between artistsand scientists to create works <strong>of</strong> arttogether, based on scientific experiments,attempting to explain the so-called obvious,but unbelievable. The artist’s point<strong>of</strong> view and vision would be connectedto experiments <strong>of</strong> physics and chemistry,established, made up <strong>of</strong> wooden buildings,the tents <strong>of</strong> craftsmen and traders, trainingground <strong>of</strong> ancient combatants, games,competitions, trading, animals, etc. In one<strong>of</strong> the fields, international competitions inaxe throwing and archery are taking place,or contests between masters <strong>of</strong> trickery withfire. Ancient craft workshops allow visitorsto try their hand at pottery, forging, leatherwork,weaving etc. Viking ships are mooredin the River Daugava.In the market place haggling is going on,goods are praised in turn with jesting.Alongside ecological products, traditionalLiv and Latvian items may be bought –blankets, socks, forged items, woodencarvings, etc. Culinary competitions takeplace and food prepared according to ancientrecipes may be sampled.as well as elements <strong>of</strong> other sciences, intrying to explain the events <strong>of</strong> the worldaround us.In the public parks <strong>of</strong> the city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>, 10objects – stained glass windows – willbe installed. In each <strong>of</strong> these a scientificexperiment model will be displayed. Themodels will be created by groups <strong>of</strong> scientistsand artists. Scientists and artists fromLatvia and abroad will be invited to takepart in the project.What: Exhibition in the public space.Where: Vērmanes Garden, KronvaldaPark, Esplanade.When: May.Concept authors: Inga Bodnarjuka, GintsGabrāns, Aigars Bikše, Kristaps Gulbis.Organisers and cooperation partners:Art Management and Information Centre.In parallel, the game “Unravel the tale <strong>of</strong><strong>Riga</strong>” is played, with the opportunity <strong>of</strong>guessing and uncovering various factsand details from the history <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>. Thegame is constructed as a series <strong>of</strong> tasks,also partly as an orienteering game, a test<strong>of</strong> resourcefulness and knowledge withanagrams and secret texts. The winnersare awarded amusing prizes.What: Ancient skills in the open-air, market,competitions.Where: Esplanāde or Zaķusala.When: Summer.Concept authors and organisers: JulgīStalte, the <strong>Riga</strong> Group <strong>of</strong> the Liv Union.literary food rationsThe “Survival Kit” contains the literaryvalues <strong>of</strong> Latvia, Europe and the worldthat will be ‘read’ throughout the year.Each country will create spiritual foodrations from their country’s literary baggage.From the literary works <strong>of</strong> theircountry, writers will select and createa unique ‘survival kit’ <strong>of</strong> literature thatcould help man to overcome existentialconditions, and face everyday problems.Regular literature readings are anticipated,in which prose-writers from Latvia <strong>of</strong> differentgenerations and nationalities willenvironment unitesThe surrounding environment is one<strong>of</strong> the components forming a person’spersonality. This project is a challengeto people to create their own environmentin which they live, making thecommon city-environment their own,investing their own work, ideas and energy.To show how it is done and inviteothers to participate.The “Design For All” movement throughoutEurope promotes the tidying <strong>of</strong> theenvironment and an understanding aboutthe involvement <strong>of</strong> different social levelsand social groups in creating a tidy environment,which also facilitates theirinclusion in the social circuit. Within theframework <strong>of</strong> the “Design For All” programme,creative workshops, seminars,conferences and a competition to improvethe city environment are organized.Designers and architects from abroad,for example, the French Association Bruitdu frigo, are involved in developing individualcreative workshops and the issue<strong>of</strong> the urban environment.take part, as well as authors from abroad.Writers will read their own works and those<strong>of</strong> their colleagues, including the classics.It is planned to invite not just writers to perform,but also authors involved in poetry,journalism and other sectors <strong>of</strong> art, who,for example would be involved in events like“Short Breakfast Story” or “Long Stories forEvening Sittings”.The events will reveal the newest works andtrends in literature developing in Latvia andEurope; will promote an interest in Latvianliterature to a wide audience; allow visitorsto compare works <strong>of</strong> Latvian literature withinteresting examples from abroad; will givethe opportunity for different generations <strong>of</strong>Initially, designer and architect groups in<strong>Riga</strong>’s catchment areas will carry out asurvey to determine the issues that needresolving. Society is involved through varioussurveys, for example, about the necessityfor footpaths, waste bins, informationboards, lighting, public transport stops,children’s playgrounds and other issues.Based on the results collected, an appropriatesolution will be sought.Every month for one weekend, an educationaland practical creative workshop linked withdesign will take place in one <strong>of</strong> the catchmentareas, led by designers, revealing ways inwhich anyone can change the surroundingenvironment with minimum resources.A street drawing competition will be organisedin which new designers and graffitiartists, as well as local inhabitants will beinvited to participate. Such cooperationpromotes an understanding by the inhabitants<strong>of</strong> catchment areas about thebroad range <strong>of</strong> options for humanizing theenvironment.A travelling Latvian design store“DesignDrive” will be unveiled, displayingwriters to perform with readings <strong>of</strong> new and,mostly, unpublished works or their fragments.Writers’ debates about the role andposition <strong>of</strong> literature in Europe are planned.What: Literary readings.Where: <strong>Riga</strong>’s cafés, small theatre stages,artist premises, museums, etc.When: January – November <strong>2014</strong> (twice amonth), culmination in December <strong>2014</strong>.Concept authors: Jānis Oga, MarikaPapēde, Arita Gutāne, www.literature.lv.Organisers: “Latvian Literature Centre “.Cooperation partners: <strong>European</strong> literaturecentre network Literature Across Frontiersand <strong>European</strong> Writers Unions and others,www.lit-across-frontiers.org.and selling items by new designers. Thecampaign will take place in parallel to variouscultural events or in catchment areasnear department stores and at annual markets,assembling a new target audienceand acquainting the greater part <strong>of</strong> societywith design.What: Creative workshops, campaigns,seminars, art in the public space.Where: <strong>Riga</strong> city environment, catchmentareas, cafés and clubs, recreational andshopping centres, young adult informalmeeting places.When: April-October.Activities already begin in 2010.Concept authors: Design Innovation Centrein cooperation with Design InformationCentre, www.dic.lv.Organisers and cooperation partners:Design Innovation Centre in cooperationwith Design Information Centre, unions<strong>of</strong> new designers, “Tasty”, “Rijada”and “Directdesign” and others., nongovernmentalyouth organisation Sinergyfonds, Latvian and Russian schools fromPļavnieki, trading centres “Rimi”, “Jysk”,Health centre Pļavnieki, Children’s socialcare centre Pļavnieki and others.70 71

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