On 22 September the VI Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art will open at VDNKh, its general partner being Rietumu Bank. For ten days, the exhibition will present works of artists from different parts of the world. Trustees of the event are three remarkable representatives of contemporary art: Bart De Baere from Belgium, Defne Ayas from Turkey and Nicolaus Schafhausen from Germany. Such concentration of international specialists promises a stunning success of the event.
In total, about 80 artists from different countries will take part in the Biennale. All have been selected by a special committee. From Latvia, Ieva Epnere – a young and promising artist – has been invited to participate in the Biennale. Her personal exhibition at the “kim?” Contemporary Art Centre in Riga is open until 27 September. Her next big exhibition is scheduled at the Zachкta National Gallery of Art in Poland.
On 24 September, within the framework of the main project of the Biennale, a 20-minute film “Refusal” (“Attekрanвs”), made by the artist in 2014, will be presented. This film is a portrait of a catholic priest, who refused his dream to become an artist, choosing instead to serve God. However, his interest and adherence to art remained with him and were manifested in the collection and restoration of liturgical texts.
The participation in one of the most prestigious projects of international significance is yet another step to success for the artist. Ieva has already had over a dozen personal expositions, not only in Latvia, but also in France, Belgium and Germany. One of the trustees of the VI Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Nicolaus Schafhausen, was the artist’s teacher and has been following her success. He comments on her work, “Ieva is the personification of a modern artist, like one must be. She creates on two levels – emotional and intellectual.” Ieva also acknowledges that there are no borders for her in art, as “life itself is art”.
Invited guests will consider the most topical current issues within the framework of master classes and discussions, will present their own view of the world and will try to find an answer to the key question of the Biennale, which coincides with the subject of its main project: “How shall we live together? View from the City Centre in the Very Heart of the Eurasian Island.”
According to the Chairperson of the Rietumu Charity Fund Inga Sina, “When taking a decision about supporting the participation of Ieva Epnere in the VI Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, we intended, firstly, to provide an opportunity for this interesting artist to show her works in Moscow and, secondly, to see Latvia represented among such a large number of countries.”
Rietumu Bank, which is well-known as an active art patron and which supports a large number of cultural, sport and educational events in Latvia, is supporting not only an international event, but also the participation of its compatriot at the Biennale – the young Latvian artist and director, author of several films and numerous photographs, Ieva Epnere.
Ieva Epnere (1977) – a Latvian artist and film director, author of several films and photograph series. Since 2003 takes part in international exhibitions - both in Europe and beyond. Had more than a dozen personal exhibitions organized not only in her homeland, in Latvia, but also in Belgium, Germany, France. Ieva participated in many European competitions, in 2013 she was nominated for prestigious international award Henkel Art Award, and in 2014 won the prize of Riga International Film Festival 2ANNAS. This year, Ieva Epnere is the only representative of Latvia at the VI Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Eleonora Gailisha Mass Media and Public Relations
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