Reading the Room explores relationship between individual and space

«The publications selected for the exhibition all deal with the observation of space in one way or another. When planning the installation, we sought inspiration in the real, physical space of the Part Time gallery,» says Kārlis Melzobs from Gaiss. He points out that the renovation of the space in the 2000s did not preserve many traces or motifs that could serve as a starting point for the concept of the installation; the most characteristic element of the space is the colourful linoleum, which became the basis for the exhibition.

The authors set themselves a conceptual task — to create the installation using this material alone. «On an ideological level, we wanted to leave the space free of furniture, completely stripped. We imagined a scenario in which, by peeling away the layer of linoleum, we could see what lies beneath,» says Arnita Melzoba. The installation is not only an observation of the space but also serves as functional design — the architects have created a large «table» for displaying publications and benches for reading. The surface of the central «table» is a strip of linoleum hung in the room, with the gallery walls serving as the table legs.

As the authors explain, the solution implemented is not only conceptual but also rational: «To a certain extent, it is a continuation of the approach used in our other exhibition and installation projects — to create the greatest possible spatial effect with the least possible consumption of physical materials. This allows us to reduce the amount of resources used and to work within short-term scenography budgets.» The architects note that exhibition design allows for greater freedom to experiment with different materials, as they are used for a relatively short period of time. This allows them to assess whether a material used in an unorthodox way, such as suspended linoleum, would also serve in the long term.

The installation created by Gaiss is «inhabited» by zines and publications of various artists, architects, and designers. The contributions include works by Evita Vasiljeva, Pauls Rietums, Agnese Bebre, Kitija Pekaine, Maike Statz, Liene Pavlovska, and Svens Neilands; books by Olivia Viitakangas and Sauli Sirviö published by Utu Press; as well as an edition of Avīzes Nosaukums created by Kristaps Šulcs and Elīza Brice. «Through the publications on display at the exhibition, artists, designers, and architects observe, bring closer, examine in context, admire, and critique the space, its materiality, the boundaries and possibilities created by the space,» says Liene Pavlovska, co-curator of the exhibition. She points out that the group exhibition is conceived as a conversation between representatives of various creative fields, revealing the diversity of artistic vision in how we view and experience space.

At the same time, Reading the Room reveals the diverse forms and means of expression in the art of publishing — different approaches to graphic design, various types of printing and binding, collages, drawings, photographs, and other visual elements. In addition, some of the zines on display in the exhibition were made by hand by the authors themselves.

The exhibition Reading the Room will be on view at the Part Time gallery, until December 6. The gallery is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 15:00 to 18:00 and on Saturdays from 12:00 to 16:00. On November 27, as part of the Riga Last Thursdays programme, the gallery will be open until 22:00. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the exhibition curators and, from 18:00 to 19:00, the authors of the installation, Gaiss architects.

The curators of the exhibition Reading the Room are Liene Pavlovska and Oskars Pavlovskis of the association Neatlaidība. The exhibition was created with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation.