The opening day gathered together representatives of the arts, and the intellectual and business elite of Russia’s ‘northern capital’. The exhibition organiser is the biggest private bank in Latvia – Rietumu.
Janis Krumins is not only a professional photographer, well-known due to his original photos, but also a unique personality in every sense of the word. Being a personal friend of many politicians and business leaders, he is an influential figure among the artistic, governmental and business elite of Latvia.
Janis Krumins
“Janis Krumins is an outstanding person. Apart from photography, which he is so keen on, he is also a recognised public figure and philosopher. He has been a minister several times and one of the originators of the two political parties that have ruled the country over recent decades. His view of Latvia is very precise and, at the same time, individual,” emphasised Iveta Sers, the ex-Consul General of Latvia in Saint Petersburg, and the representative of Riga City Council in the regions of Russia, on the opening day.
Janis Krumins has never been without the camera his entire life. He has participated in over 40 exhibitions in Latvia and abroad, and was a photo correspondent of TASS. His portfolio contains dozens of publications in the Latvian and foreign press. Janis Krumins has taken photos of Leonid Brezhnev and Boris Yeltsin; he is the author of official photo portraits of senior government officials of the Republic of Latvia and, at the same time, the author of sensational photos of political leaders ‘in a private environment’.
The photo project “My Latvia” presents the best works of Janis Krumins, dedicated to his favourite cities – Riga and Jurmala, starting from the 70s of last century up to nowadays. The capital of Latvia, Riga, and the popular resort Jurmala, which thousands of Russian and European tourists have rediscovered for themselves in recent years, are often presented in a new, non-standard focus in the photos by Janis Krumins. And, the narrow streets of the medieval city, cobble-stone pavements and red tile roofs, sandy beaches stretching ahead for kilometres, pine forests and gorgeous sea sunsets create a special harmonious world, full of romanticism and free from hustle and bustle.
The premiere of the exhibition took place in Riga this spring at the Rietumu Bank art gallery. Saint Petersburg is the first stop on its international tour; the exhibition will also travel to Moscow, Kazan, Kiev, as well as Azerbaijan and Georgia.
As Janis Krumins said at the opening of the exposition of his works in Saint Petersburg, “This exhibition is the result of several decades of work. I call it a sort of a cardiogram of my country and I am very grateful to all those who voluntarily or unknowingly helped me to represent the feeling of what was or is happening in Latvia.
I am very glad that the first place the exhibition has opened abroad is here, in Saint Petersburg. This is a very important and dear city in the hearts of Latvians, as this is one of the cradles of our intelligentsia. The people who established and ruled the First Republic of Latvia got their education in two university centres: Saint Petersburg and Tartu. It was here that they were thinking over the fates and the future of their people, dreaming about independence, and brooding over big plans which were destined to change the course of history. And, certainly, it is a very beautiful city – every street and every building here are a part of European history.”
In turn, Member of the Board of Rietumu Bank Alexander Gafin noted, “This exhibition is a significant project in the field of cultural cooperation between Latvia and Russia, which has been implemented with the support of the biggest private bank in Latvia – Rietumu. A large number of our clients work in Russia and have partners here. We assist in promoting Russian business to Europe and support joint projects with European partners. Therefore, the idea of arranging the exhibition of Janis Krumins, which started in Saint Petersburg and will continue in other cities of Russia, is very logical for us. Such projects bring our nations together; they help us to know and understand each other better.
We thought very carefully about how to best present this exhibition and came to the conclusion that it should not be done in a large formal hall – it would hardly be possible for us to compete with museums. Therefore, it was decided to show it in one of the most fashionable recreation places of Saint Petersburg, where it can be seen by a wide audience, including participants of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will take place here shortly.”
The exhibition “My Latvia” is held in a new fashionable restaurant named PMI Bar. It will last for two weeks and will run until the completion of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.
This week, on the eve of the traditional spring sales, the Auction House ‘Mākslas Vēstniecība’ is arranging a large exhibition of fine and applied arts at the Rietumu Bank Gallery in Riga.
