Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
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alternative city guideTo find the city within the city. To goon psycho-geographical wanderingsand get lost in one’s city, discoveringa completely different, as yet unknownplace. Accompanied by an experiencedguide, an urban guru, discover the city’shidden zones, sneak behind the lining<strong>of</strong> the city and get to know the localfolklore.Cities as labyrinths <strong>of</strong> meaning and polygons<strong>of</strong> adventure have always temptednot just curious inhabitants but also cityguests. Not in vain has the movement <strong>of</strong>city diggers and waders recently developed;the wish to discover the city from adifferent angle has been activated.One <strong>of</strong> the thematic lines <strong>of</strong> the activitiesby the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art(LCCA) which over time has been developedin several projects, is the city, urban space,its mapping and study (“City. Tales about<strong>Riga</strong>”, 2002, re:publika 2004, “Urbanologic”,2007 etc). Several thematic tours have beenorganised and a guidebook has been published.Therefore, LCCA in cooperation withcity researchers, experts, artists and othercreative people will expand the initiated progressionand organise a cycle <strong>of</strong> excursionsto unknown places in <strong>Riga</strong>, as well as issuingan alternative <strong>Riga</strong> guide.These unique excursions will introducethe different faces <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>, reveal the citywithin the city, going on tours along pathsthat have never been included in the usualtourist routes. There will be an opportunityto discover Soviet <strong>Riga</strong>, whose imprint canstill be found on the interiors <strong>of</strong> several cafes,Spilve Airport and others; participantswill experience the charm <strong>of</strong> communalapartments and drink a glass <strong>of</strong> tea in thekitchen, while listening to the host’s tales<strong>of</strong> former times. Small groups <strong>of</strong> interestedparties will be <strong>of</strong>fered exclusive visits to thehouses <strong>of</strong> interesting characters.Another <strong>Riga</strong> will be sought, both getting toknow the multicultural history <strong>of</strong> the city andhighlighting its social texture. Guests couldget to know Hebrew <strong>Riga</strong>, take a walk throughthe Russian <strong>Riga</strong> in the Moscow district, visitthe Grīziņkalns workers’ area and track the territory<strong>of</strong> the Vārnu Street republic. During captivatingtrips, excursions round the industrialheritage zones would be <strong>of</strong>fered, which, justlike a history book, recount the city’s life story,confirming that the Ērenpreiss Company,design map“Design Map” is an alternative plan forre-discovering the unknown <strong>Riga</strong>, industrial<strong>Riga</strong>, the third largest industrial centre<strong>of</strong> Russia in the early 20 th century, themanufacturing and design pride <strong>of</strong> theLatvian state and the USSR, the achievements<strong>of</strong> the renewed Latvia. The designmap will introduce Latvian achievementsin design in the past and today.The design map will show the <strong>Riga</strong> thatthinks <strong>of</strong> its citizens, their comfort, so thatthey all might feel good in their city. Barsand cafes with contemporary interiors, historicallypreserved design statements, smallarchitectural forms and city environment,designer hotels and shops, innovative gastronomyand high class service design, anew library with its proposed opportunities.Places and people that are associated withdesign. The city creates its maps. We <strong>of</strong>fera design map <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong> that includes designobjects and places, the city’s creative areas– Kalnciems Street area, Berga Bazārs,Spīķeri, innovative gastronomy options, etc.It is a map that serves both as printed materialand as an interactive option. Objects andplaces are marked with special symbols.Throughout the year, with its culminationĶuze sweet factory or VEF and others are notjust forgotten trademarks. Many <strong>of</strong> the excursionswould be summarised in small guidebooksthat would be regularly updated andform the ‘collected works’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>.It is also planned to publish a large alternativeguidebook <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong> with the participation<strong>of</strong> artists (Ieva Epnere, Līga Laurenoviča,Ēriks Božis and others), writers (AgneseKrivade, Margita Zālīte, group Orbīta), sociologistsand others, in its creation. Theguidebook would be created as a valuableinterdisciplinary project and would includeduring the “Design Days” in October <strong>2014</strong>,a string <strong>of</strong> exhibitions will take place in themuseums <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>:• Each museum will create an exhibition inthe museum or exhibition hall about achievementsin the sector <strong>of</strong> manufacture and design,starting from the Latvian car manufacturingindustry and VEF (State Electro-technicalFactory), to porcelain, designer workshops(e.g. “Baltara” porcelain in the memorialapartment <strong>of</strong> Romans Suta and AleksandraBelcova, or the activities <strong>of</strong> today’s mostwell-known designers in Latvia). For the DollMuseum this might be creative doll workshopsfor children and pr<strong>of</strong>essional designersin cooperation with the Latvian PuppetTheatre and children’s theatre studios.• In the largest exhibition halls – thematicdesign exhibitions.• In the new Castle <strong>of</strong> Light an impressivedisplay <strong>of</strong> graphic design that includes bookgraphics, applied graphics – posters, cataloguesand informative publication graphicsand other visual forms <strong>of</strong> communication. Thehistory <strong>of</strong> Latvian graphic design up to today.• An exhibition about the creation <strong>of</strong>Latvian manufacturing or industrial design,as a base area choosing one <strong>of</strong> the mostdeveloped sectors <strong>of</strong> Latvian manufacturing– the furniture or textile industry. The exhibitionwill reflect the development <strong>of</strong> furnitureoriginal excursion routes, interviews withinhabitants, local folklore, writers’ essays,urban poetry, photographs etc.What: Guidebook <strong>of</strong> excursions.Where: Starts in March, guidebookpresented in November.When: All year.Concept authors: Latvian Centre forContemporary Art (LCCA).Organisers: Latvian Centre for ContemporaryArt (www.lcca.lv), Jānis Borgs, IndustrialHeritage Fund (www.i-mantojums.lv),www.urbantrip.lv, www.bradajumi.lv.through different periods <strong>of</strong> time – the work<strong>of</strong> craftsmen, manufacturing opportunities,contemporary manufacturing, the trainingprocesses for specialists in design, technology,economics and business management,the work <strong>of</strong> experimental design laboratories,new product testing, the path <strong>of</strong> aproduct from the idea to the finished product,showing that good design is one <strong>of</strong> theinstruments used for raising the quality <strong>of</strong> lifeand an added value indicator for goods.• Exhibition location – unused premises inthe city centre or any <strong>of</strong> the former productionunits.What: Displays, exhibitions, seminars,conferences. Creative fields in the urbanenvironment <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>. City mapping.Where: <strong>Riga</strong> museums, galleries, exhibitioncentres, educational establishments, designbureaus and salons, manufacturers, designinstitutions and internet portals.When: All year.Concept authors and organisers: DesignInnovation Centre, Design InformationCentre, www.dic.lv.Cooperation partners: <strong>Riga</strong> CityCouncil, Latvian Ministry <strong>of</strong> <strong>Culture</strong>,Latvian Ministry <strong>of</strong> Economics, LatvianInvestment and Development Agency,<strong>Riga</strong>’s museums and exhibition halls,businesses, design salons and bureaus.78 79