The Self :3!6q 6E B -"- T=o:t 6=ad ;; Oa<o oar .+or3 ,'? o ;.8 o ol Riga 20"t"1 a Th€ S€lf, Perional Journ€yi to Contempolary AJt: the 19609-803 ir Soviet Latvia Riqa,20l1 Compiler and editor in chief: HelCna D€makova Scientific editor: Stella PelI€ Technical editor: Vita Birz.ka Bibliography: AivU. Everte Text: Hel6na Demakova Project manager: Mi1.AdiDa lnte iews conducted by: leva Aatahovska, lnesc Bahnovska, Vita BiEaka, H€lan. D€m.kova, Sniedre So6ra Kale, R.imonds lGlais, Anda Kl.vila, Liga Lindenbauma. Stella Pelle, Alis€f entil€, Mira T.auman€, VilnisvEjl lntroduatory texts: Elita Anion€, l€va Astahovska, lnes€ Ba.anovrka,lnga Bunki€, H€lCna Demakova, Anda Klavi4., Lig. Lind€nb.uma, St€lla Pcl3e, AhtJa PJiede. Aliseffentile, Anita Van.ga Design and layout: OJ5r3 PEteBons Copyeditors: lveta Boiko, Vita Limanoviaa,lta Pelite, Linda Stlaulne, TerEze Svilane Translation into English: Valdii S6rziDt M.ir. Mo.a, Mir. Sosire,Januiz Kaminski, Daina O2olila,Jinis FriEvalds Translation from Russian: Ann. Minka Photographers: M5ii3 BEr3ons, Atis Elumbergr, Mara Braimane,Jenis Eult Normunds 81.5lif;,J;nii Deinats, lngrada Eveliete, J. Fadejevs, R, Gaitis,l, Grundulii, Andr€is Grants, L. G6evs, Atis l€viFt Georg. Jemelianovs, Gvido Kaions, Karlis Kabers, R. Kandelis,Valtr Kleins, BoJis Kolesnikov, Armands Licii, Manfr€d M.sackmann, Laima Slava, J.Tihonovs, MartiDl Zelmenir, Yuri Zhitlukhin, lmants Zodiiks Pu blished by the Mi n istry ot Culture ot the Republic of Latvi. Printed by Jelgava Printing Hou5e tsBN tsEN 978-9934-8010-3-7 @ Ministry ofCulture ofthe Republi( ol Latvia O State Archives of Latvia O Latvia State Archive ofAudiovisual Documents o Centre ofContemporary Aft o Latvian National Museum ofArt @ Scienti6c Documentation Centre ofthe Latvian National Museum of Art @ AB. LV, Aizkaukles banka @ Latvian Artists'Union O Helena Demakova text, compilation ofthevolume O leva Astahovska, lnese Baranovska,Vita Bieaka, Hel€na Demakova, Sniedze So6ja Krle Raimonds KalCjt Anda Klavirla, Liga Lindenbauma, Stella Pelie, Alise Tfenta le, MaraTraumane,VilnisVEjl - interviews o Elita Ansone, leva Astahovska, lnese Ba.anovska, lnga BunKe, Hel6na Demakova, Anda Klaviga, Liga Lindenbauma, Stella Pelse, Antra Priede, AliseTfentale, Anita Vanaga - introductory texts OOjars Petersons - de5ign and layout OValdis B€rzigE, Maira Mora, M;ra sosare, Janusz Kaminski, Daina Ozolina, Jenis Friivalds, Anna Minka - translation - Our sincerc thankr for aoopeEtlon to St te Archives ol Ltvi.: Daina Klavirla, the long term (1991-2010) Director ofthe State Archives of Latvia Anita Krastil!a, Senior Expert of the State Archives ofLatvia Laura Kabakova, Senior Expert ofthe State Archives of Latvia lna Stamere, Senior Expert of the State Archives of Latvia lveta Skinke senior Civil servant ofthe StateArchive5 of Latvia L.tvl.n ]{atlonal Museum of Art: Mara Lace, Diredor of the Lawian NationalMuseum of Art, art historian llze Putnina, curator of the Latvian painting collection (2tu half of the 206-21" century) of the Lawian National Museum of Art, a.t historian Gundega CEberc, culator of the Boriss BErzirlS collection ofthe Latvian National Museum of Art art historian Valda Knavi0a, curator of the Latvian graphi( art collection (2"d halfof the 2Oh-21n century) of the Lawian National Museum of Art, art historian L.wian Artlsts'Union: Astrida Valtere, curator of the museum ofthe Latvian Artists'Union, an hirtorian Iteputn3 publkhlng houle: Laima Slava, editor-in-chiefofthe Neput J publishing house, art historian l,linistry of Cuhure of the Republlc ot Lawlar Sanita Rancene-Dekole EU Funds Department Director Kristine Strazdite, Senior Civil Servant, Financial lnstruments Development Division Ministry of Fin.ncc of the Rcpublic of L.tvi. C€nt6l Fln.ncc.nd Contr..tlng Agen(y Latvian Cantrr toa Contemponry Art Aizk6ukl€3 B.nk Daina Bleiere, historian lndulis Zalft e, historian JAnis Riektirll, historian lngus 8au!keniek, musician Zigurds Konstantt art historian Jani5 8or9s, artistand art historian MaijaTabaka, artist Anda Argale, architect Sandra KrastiDa, artist Ed9a15 VCrpe, artist Kaspars Rollteins, artist Katrina Vasilevskd, artist Andreis Grants, photographer lnta Ruka, photographer Egils 5puris, philologist valts Kleins. photographer Elita Ansone art historian Anita Vanaga, art historian Vita Banga, art historian Viesturs zander' library studies researcher Contents 9 lntroduction by Jan Grevstad, Ambassador of Norway to the Republic of Latvia I I lntroduction by Sarmite Elerte, Minister of Culture ofthe Republic of Latvia 12 lntroduction by the compiler. lmage and text - dialogues on non- conformism in art l5 Helena Demakoya. The significance of memory in the study of Latvian contemporary art 35 Archive documents 56 Janis Borgs Janis Borgs: interview by leva Astahovska 96 Ojirs Abols Jdnis Borgs on Ojars Abols: interview by Vita Birzaka. lntroduction by lnga Bunkse 109 Boliss B€rzlni Laima Slava on Boriss BCrzi!5: interview byVita Birzaka. lntroduction by Stella Pelie 124 AuseklisBaulllenieks Zigurds Konstants on Auseklis Bau5kenieks: interview byVita Birzaka. lntroduction by Stella PelSe lngus Bauikenieks on Auseklis BauSkenieks: interview by Vita Birzaka 152 Maija Tabaka Maija Tabaka: interview by Liga Lindenbauma, Mara Traumane, Vilnis VCji. lntroduction by Antra Priede 164 lmants Lancmanis lmants Lancmanis: interview by Liga Lindenbauma 182 Bruno Vasilevskis MaUa Tabaka on Bruno Vasilevskis: interview byVita Birzaka. lntroduction by HelCna Demakova 199 Miervaldis Polis Miervaldis Polis: interview by Stella Pel5e 215 Miris Argalis Anda Argale on M6ris Argalis. 6 lnterview by Raimonds Kalejs. lntroduction by Anita Vanaga llmirs Elumbergs llmirs Blumbergs: interview by leva Astahovska Andris Grinbergs Andris Grinbergs: interview by Anda Klavila Aija Zari ja Sandra Krastifa on Aia Zarina: interview by Helena Demakova. lntroduction by Elita Ansone Edgars Verpe on Ata Zarina: interview by Helena Demakova Hardijs Lediqi Kaspars RolSteins on Hardijs LediDl: interview by HelCna Demakova. lntroduction by Anda Klavitla 310 Egons 5puris Andrejs Grants on Egons Spuris: interview by Liga Lindenbauma lnta Ruka on Egons Spuris: interview by Sniedze 5ofija Kdle Egils Spuris on Egons Spuris: interview by Sniedze Sofija Kile Andrejs Glants Andrejs Grants: interview by lnese Baranovska 364 lnta Ruka Andrejs Grants on lnta Ruka: interview by AliseT.fentale 377 Works ofthe artists represented in the book 425 Bibliography 441 lnterviewers and text authors 444 Participants of the talks 446 lndex The notes indicated by numbers aregiven bythe interviewers, the notes indicated by stars bythe scientific editor stella PelSe and compilerofthe bib iography Aivija Everte. INTA RUKA Andrejs Grants on lnta Ruka: interview by Alise T'rfentile 22 October 2010 lnta Ruka (b. 1958) is a photographet has achieved great success in documentary photography and especially portrait genre. She has created wide scope series - 'My Country People' (1983-1998), 'People I Have Met' (l 999-2004),'5a Amalijas Street' (2004-2008), etc. 7 The creative development of lnta Ruka in the l98Os is connected with the young generation that was defining itself in the photography of this decade - 'the'new wave photo people"l - characterized by turning to the image system based on documentary material. The documentary as "non- manipulated"'? realism or "uncompromising realism"3 opened new ways of development for photography that turned away from the principles of image making and aesthetics cultivated in the Latvian photographic art during the previous decades. lnta Ruka and other then young photographers were those who at the end 0f the 1980s and beginning of the 90s attracted attention of the curators of art exhibitions. One should mention in this context the contribution of Hel€na Demakova, Vid lngelevicsa, Philip Legross, Barbara 5traka6 and other curators. lfyou look through the first important exhibitions of Latvian photography in the West, the late l98os-early 19909 you,ll always find the name of lnta Ruka in the list of participants, also the names of Andrejs Grants, Egons Spuris, Gvido Kajont Valts Kleins. Documentary series or cycles united in style and contentt high demands as tothe technical presentation of photography - all these formal aspects are I A phrase of HelCna Demakova used to descrlbe mostly photographers of the yfF and 09re photo studios. (See: Demakova, HelCna.'Let's have a pictlre takenl When you?e dead lli have something to ook al: ln lnto Ruko. Moni lauku loudis = My coun(ty people = Lo mia qente diconpogna: tcatalo})e). Comp. by and editor-in-chief HelCna Demakova. Riga: Soros Centre for Contempo6ry Art-Riga, 1999, p. 22. Published in connecrion with the panicipation ofrhe Repubtic ofLatvia in the 48th lnternatlonal Exh b tion ofContemporary An ofthe Venice Biennale. 2 Zelmenis, A,4artiqi..Verojumi un piedzivajumi ostoldesmitajos gados (,Observa|ons and Expe ences in the 80sJ ln: tdtFoto : Ionlinel. Available : hnp//wwwladoto.lvllawijas foto/t t70- vrojumi-!n-pledzvojumi-astodesmitajos,gados.html I Klavini, Eduards.The story of lnta Ruka and her photoportrait stories. ln: Stor?, Story- teilen EditoFin-chief HelCna Demakova_ [The catalogue ofthe exposition of Latvian Repub]ic. Eennial of Venice. 48ih lnternational Exhibition of Contemporary Art.l Riga: Soros Centre for Conlemporary Art Riga, 1999, p. 14. 4 Vid lngelevics (b. 1952) artist, writer and curator. Lives and works in Toronto. He was acuratoroftwo importani exhibitions of Latvians photographers in West in the beginnlng ofthe 1990s: