This week, from July 10 to 13, Riga will host the inaugural Riga Contemporary art fair organised by the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre in collaboration with Riga City Council. The event will feature works by local and international artists, with a special focus on art institutions in Riga, the Baltic States, and Scandinavia. The visual identity of the event, created by designers Dans Jirgensons and Pauls Rietums, plays on the round stickers traditionally used at art events to mark sold works.
The Riga Contemporary art fair at Hanzas Perons will bring together 40 galleries from the Baltic States, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Japan, the United States, and other countries around the world, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the art scenes of different countries and discover a diverse range of contemporary art. Although art fairs are usually aimed at the purchase of artworks, Riga Contemporary will also be open to the public as a large-scale art exhibition, free of charge to anyone interested. There will also be an extensive programme of talks and performances featuring artists, representatives of international art galleries, art consultants, collectors from the Baltic countries, and other representatives of the creative industries.
«We are very excited to announce a new contemporary art fair in Riga, aimed at giving visibility to the region’s art scene, with a focus on the Baltic countries and galleries from Northern and Eastern Europe. At the same time, by bringing renowned galleries from around the world into the mix, we hope to foster new ideas and connections while creating a vibrant art event that appeals to both local and international audiences. By making the participation fee as accessible as possible, we aim to redefine the concept of an art fair as a more community-orientated, collaborative, experimental and knowledge-sharing experience,» comments Evita Goze, the executive director of Kim? Contemporary Art Centre.
One of the goals of Riga Contemporary is to make art processes more understandable and accessible to a wider audience. This approach is also reflected in the design of the event, developed by graphic designer Dans Jirgensons and architect Pauls Rietums. The main element of the fair’s visual identity is the simple yet expressive round sticker that indicates that the artwork has been sold. «Presented with a touch of humour and a seemingly obtrusive manner, these stickers playfully poke at the conventions of art fair culture,» authors explain.
The designers wanted to create a visual language that does not follow trends but is based on an ascetic, timeless aesthetic that ensures a confident yet grounded visual presence. Considering that art fairs have a huge density of information — stands, works, artists, conversations, and visitors — the authors decided to use this saturation in visual communication as well, drawing parallels with 19th-century salon exhibitions, where works of art were densely arranged, providing visitors with a multi-layered experience.
Dans and Pauls point out that the work on the visual identity and spatial design took place in parallel, with both authors working closely together and solving all tasks as a unified system. «We were constantly thinking about how this relatively small, but precise visual language will function effectively in all of the different formats and contexts,» say the authors. The result is a witty and simple design with an intellectual core.
The Riga Contemporary art fair will take place at Hanzas Perons from July 10 to 13. All events are free of charge, but advance registration is required on the event website.
Riga Contemporary is organised by the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, a member of the New Art Dealers Alliance network, in collaboration with Riga City Council.
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