RIGA.- Concluding the pop-up exhibition series The Close up of Design Processes, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga, in cooperation with the association Design Export Alliance, presents the fourth exhibition, Winter, which is on view from 5 December 2024 to 2 February 2025.
Just as the seasons sequentially are changing, consequently the third show in the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design’s (MDAD) pop-up exhibition series The Close up of Design Processes, titled Autumn, is conceptually and thematically replaced by the next one – Winter. This exhibition serves as a grand finale to the museum’s 35th anniversary project, bringing together 14 Latvian brands.
“This exhibition gather all members of the Design Export Alliance at one table, providing a rich insight into the contemporary Latvian design scene. The winter show is characterized by colour contrasts – the whiteness of snow and the blackness of charcoal. The exhibition reflects the tranquil nature of the Latvian people, highlighting monochromatic products and compositions that invite viewers to appreciate the subtleties of materiality. Its guiding themes are simplicity, purity, and clarity. The tone, texture, scent, changing form of charcoal and the brightness of flames – it all belongs to the Latvian winter, too,” tells project curator Ieva Kalēja.
Exhibition visitors will view creations of 14 national brands, including Kanttari, Studio Sarmīte, an&angel, Vaidava Ceramics, Livette’s Wallpaper, mammalampa, Madara Cosmetics, Mint, Stenders, Aretai, Nordi, Articul (Riga Chair Factory), PAA Baths, and Baiba Glass. Together, these works evoke the atmospheric feeling characteristic of Latvian winter. The charcoal-coloured wooden table designed by the Mint was chosen as the central object, on top and around of which the products manufactured by other companies are placed. Viewers will have the chance both to see previously assessed design works and to discover new creations.
“With this pop-up exhibition series, we wanted to offer a contemporary platform for showcasing the achievements of Latvian design. The project has already achieved significant coverage of media and become popular among visitors. Its ‘success story’ is rooted in mutual trust and the courage to implement new and unconventional exhibition formats. We are pleased to have productive and creative cooperation with the association Design Export Alliance – as we all are learning, growing, and uncovering something valuable and extraordinary in this field,” says Inese Baranovska, Head of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.
The pop-up exhibition series The Close up of Design Processes
In honour of the 35th anniversary of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, the project The Close up of Design Processes has been created in collaboration with Design Export Alliance, consecutively offering four pop-up exhibitions during 2024. All of them are implemented in an innovative format by integrating into the museum’s 3rd-floor permanent display Design Process, which introduces Latvian design history since the 1960s.
The concept and visual solution for this cycle find its inspiration in one of the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn or winter. The special atmosphere is achieved by the selected colour palette typical of the season, emphasizing the traditionally strong connection of Latvian design to nature, appropriating and interpreting organic forms, natural materials, and textures in its products. Each exhibition showcases ‘success stories’ of several well-known Latvian brands using careful sample selection and audiovisual elements. Exclusively prepared video stories reveal the process of product development and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Cooperation with the association Design Export Alliance
The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga, located in the former St. George’s Church and opened on 6 July 1989, has gained acclaim thanks to its rich collection of Latvian applied art works and design objects of the past times, as well as due to the works created by contemporary Latvian artists and running displays of spectacular examples of foreign design products. Looking back on thirty-five years of work, the museum has chosen to pay more attention to today and contribute to the future, reflecting the current developments in Latvian contemporary design in the form of pop-up exhibitions.
The project The Close up of Design Processes has been implemented thanks to the initiative of MDAD and the creative vision of Ieva Kalēja who represents the association Design Export Alliance and is also the curator of the anniversary series. The graphic identity of the cycle is created by Liene Drāzniece. Both artists have gained extensive experience developing successful companies: Ieva Kalēja is the founder and designer of two brands – mammalampa and DeTales, while Liene Drāzniece is the co-founder and leading designer of Madara Cosmetics.
This special collaboration between MDAD and the Design Export Alliance will actualize and promote awareness in society about the importance of design processes in everyone’s daily life. Through a series of pop-up exhibitions, visitors will have a great opportunity to explore and appreciate the remarkable stories of Latvian design brands.
