This summer, artist Ikuru Kuwajima explored the landscape and history of the rural areas of Ogre region – he went on expeditions along the Daugava and Ogre rivers, and searched for archival photographs in the region’s museums and libraries. The artist has visualized his research with references to several tales and legends. He used both archival photographs and his own photographs and found objects. For example, the installation about the Ogre River features linden leaf collages and photographs taken by the riverbank, as the legend “How Ogre Originated” tells that the river originated from a linden tree.
Meanwhile, several legends about the Daugava River and Ķente Hill Fort, as well as Andrejs Pumpurs’ epic “Lāčplēsis” (Bear Slayer), inspired his other works. The exhibition will showcase both ancient images and entirely new captures of this area.
Ikuru Kuwajima is an artist and photographer, born in Japan, educated at a US university, but since 2007 has lived and worked in various Eastern European and Central Asian countries. In his works, he studies historical and social issues mainly in post-Soviet countries, using photography, video, artist books and installations, and they have been exhibited and published in numerous venues and publications in various countries. His books “Children of the Tundra” and “I, Oblomov” were published in 2015 in Vienna and in 2017 in Moscow. He is also a Japanese-English-Russian-Ukrainian translator, speaks French and a little Romanian.
Exhibition curator/Elīna Cērpa, texts/Ikuru Kuwajima, exhibition graphic design/Bumbierkoks, text editing/Antra Lezdiņa. The exhibition features images from the archives of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.
Ogre History and Art Museum thanks: Velta Riekstiņa, Līksma Dzelme, Sarmīte Poikāne, Ingrīda Ķezbere, Dzintars Kvants, Vija Links & Aivars Links, Mirdza Jačino, Daiga Sosnare, Liene Kainaize, Lelde Neimane, Jūlija Berkoviča, the Meņģele branch of Taurupe Primary School, Edgars Kalnriekstiņš, Vita Gžibovska, Ilze Jankuna, the Inķēni family, Daiga and Andris Eklons, Dāvids Zaķis, and Irisa Janēvica.