RIGA.- Botanist and Unicorn, a solo exhibition by Roberts Koļcovs, is on view in the 4th Floor Exhibition Halls of the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga (Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1) since 2 December 2023 to 18 February 2024.

In the exhibition Botanist and Unicorn, Roberts Koļcovs continues to explore the theme of the inseparable coexistence of nature and humans, a subject he considers to be of utmost importance.

The central topic of his oeuvre is feelings, which can be understood both as expressions of human emotional states and as sensuality seeking a form that corresponds to a spiritual condition. Sensuality manifests not only in images but also in forms, textures, lines, and the overall composition and mood of the works. Therefore, by delving into the nuances of the artwork, the viewer is invited to explore further in the direction of emotions and spirit.

However, alongside aesthetic play, the artist imbues his works with a mythological dimension. The recurring figures in Roberts Koļcovs’ compositions always embody a dual symbolic meaning. Strength and graceful elegance, ideal facial ovals and Greek profiles. The lines are refined, but the beings created by this plasticity could be monstrous. Beautiful and ruthless, noble and vile like the gods of Olympus. The unicorn, in this case, serves as a vivid archetype of indeterminate duality that one wants to admire and capture simultaneously, despite being a creature that does not exist but has the power to inspire people to chase their dreams.

Roberts Koļcovs (1966) graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Riga School of Applied Arts and studied at the Graphic Department of the Art Academy of Latvia. Since 1989, he has regularly participated in exhibitions. The artist is also a well-known interior painting master whose works displayed in public and private interiors in Latvia and abroad. He has created illustrations for several books and publications and led a drawing studio.

In the early 1990s, together with Aivars Vilipsōns, Roberts Koļcovs formed the creative group or artist association Passive Decadence, which became a sign of the era. Remaining faithful to the principles of “decadence”, Koļcovs continues to work individually, developing his creative style and unique system of images. The author’s works are found in private collections in Latvia, Norway, Russia, the USA, and Australia.

- Natalie Suyunshalieva

Roberts Koļcovs: Botanist and Unicorn
Latvian National Museum of Art
December 2nd, 2023 - February 18th, 2024
Exhibition curator: Eduard Dorofeyev