Karosta festival 2022

when masks fall

PHOTOS

The Festival will start with an artist workshop on June 6. Artworks will be created in Karosta Prison, Karosta Water tower, Arsenal – the abandoned ammunition storage facility, Redan and Karosta urban environment.

Artists Reinis Liepa (Riga / Latvia), Veronika Frolova (Riga / Latvia) and sculptor Egons Peršēvics (Liepaja / Latvia) will work in Karosta Water tower.

Aija Vīdnere will create installations and Clara Cabrera (Spain) and Luis Guevara (Venezuela) will paint portraits on prison cell walls in Karosta Prison.

Multi- artist Huge Sillytoe will lead the mask workshop and performance with masks in Karosta Prison and Redan.

Large-scale mural at Atmodas bulvāris 21 will be created by Element-ton (Karosta / Liepaja).

A multi-disciplinary artwork and performance in the Arsenal – 19th century underground ammunition storage facility will be created by Ritvars Embrekts. The Arsenal will be open for public from 9th -12 th of June from 10.00- 22.00.

Artists group SERGARE from Spain and Reelika Tooming from Estonia will paint murals and Kirils Panteļejevs (Riga / Latvia), Kim Schmitz Coll (Germany / Spain) and Igors Ničajs (Karosta /Liepaja) will create installations in Redan.

There will be a public discussion “Karosta’s role in Liepāja, Latvia, the World”, vintage vehicle parade, retro party, concerts, performances and activities for children throughout the Festival.

At 15.00 opening and presentation of artworks in Karosta Watertower, Atmodas bulvāris 21 and Arsenal – the ammunition storage facility.

At 11.00 a public discussion “Karosta’s role in Liepāja, Latvia, the World”, presentation of artworks, vintage fair, buffet.

At 13-17 mask workshop with Huge Sillytoe.

At 14.00-16.00 display of vintage vehicles near the sea at the end of Katedrāles street.

At 16.00 vintage vehicle parade in Karosta

At 19.30 vintage vehicle awarding

At 20.00 retro style party in the back yard of Karosta Prison.

12.00-16.00 in Redan

Presentation of artworks – Kirils Panteļejevs (Riga / Latvia), Kim Schmitz Coll (Germany / Spain) and Igors Ničajs (Karosta /Liepaja).

Concert – groups “EDE”, “Magone”, Katrīna Tatarinova and group “Nejauši”.

Mask workshop with Huge Sillytoe and performance.

Live painting by Clara Cabrera.

Activities for children.

Buffet.

Egons Peršēvics (Liepaja, Latvia)

“If it is a good story, you can tell it beautifully, and that is my mission as an artist – enhance the beauty in the world!”

Kirils Panteļejevs (Latvia)

Associate Professor, Workshop Leader. I myself am a sculptor with a deep desire to seek new means of expression. Art for me is an opportunity to talk about life processes that interest me, moving away from stereotypical reactions, aggression and fashion trends.

Reinis Liepa (Latvia) “I’m a fine art painter and drawing lecturer. The balance between creativity and craftsmanship is what I seek.”

Veronika Frolova (Latvia). Veronika Frolova (born 1988) graduated from the Art Academy of Latvia in 2016 with a Master´s Degree in Printmaking/Graphics. During her studies she acquired many academic skills, such as painting, drawing and composition. But the one she treasures the most is certain, sarcastic way of thinking and reflecting on surrounding reality, that allows her to deliver semi-conceptualistic works that require usage of unconventional techniques.

Sergare (Spain)- an artistic group from Burgos, Spain. “We are two brothers, Sera and Gare. We start to paint street art more than 10 years ago nad we decide to work toguether and create the group Sergare 8 years ago in 2014. We have painted in diferent countries, the last one was Taiwan where we spend 9 months developing different artistic projects. For Karosta Festival we decide to paint this mural of a young girl (Cristina), its a picture from a Burgos photographer called Andrea Keynox. We want to remind the people, in this difficult days that we are living, how pure we all are when we are young, we want the people that look at the mural to feel confortable throught the eyes of Cristina. The background, with a gold tone, its to represent the value of that purity.”

Reelika Tooming (Estonia) – born in 1991. Graduated from the Tartu Art College(current name:Higher Education Pallas) painting and painting restoration. Later I studied in the Tartu Art school as an Illustrator. I work in digitally and traditionally. My current favorite traditional mediums are watercolors and black markers. I have been drawing since I was small. I really liked to draw and to do some sculpting. I was 13. Years old when I made decisions that I am going to do comics. After that I have been constantly draw and creating stories, what haven’t been seen on public. Now I’m working on my own children book and have been illustrating Finnish author children book what comes soon to the sale. My pictures are colorful and creating my artworks I take inspiration from the life. What ever is happy moment or sad moment. I give my best to get the feelings so true as possible. So that the viewers can feel the feelings. Also humor is important place in my life. How we can live a life when we don’t have fun sometimes and we can’t laugh. I don’t have always the happy face, but when someone says really good joke or happens something funny then I laugh. My face isn’t the only one what is laughing. I laugh with whole of my body. Even when I work with my art works I try to put little bit humor into it.

Luis F. Guevara (Venezuela) It will be second time when Luis is taking part in Karosta Festival. He will paint portraits of visitors in Karosta Prisons cell.

Clara Cabrera (Spain) Spanish artist who lives in Liepaja. Clara will take part in Karosta Festival already 3rd time. She will paint portraits in Karosta Prison and in Redan.

Huge Sillytoe (UK) is a multidisciplinary artist working across theater, performance, music, puppetry, poetry, storytelling, and visual art. They specialize in creating and performing with masks, puppets, musical instruments, and interactive sculptures built from found and reclaimed materials, seeking to toe open the pathway to a stranger and fairer world, whilst assisting others to trample this trail further via facilitating workshops where new practices of transgressive, emancipator performance are nurtured collectively.

Kim Schmitz Coll (Germany/Spain) Kim will make an installation from logs in Redan. “I like to make sculpture seeking that abstract sculpture with smooth and pseudo geometric shapes,  shapes that seem harmonic and forceful, and accompany and enhance materials such as wood and stone,  wanting to convey a feeling of eternity.”

Aija Vīdnere (Karosta, Liepaja, Latvia) Aija will make an installation in Karosta Prison cell.

Igors Ničajs (Karosta, Liepaja, Latvia). A long-term employee of the Karosta Rescue Society, an artist at heart.

Element-ton (Karosta, Liepaja, Latvia). In Liepāja, he is a favorite artist who has created several large-format wall paintings, including at the Karosta Festival in 2020 and 2021.

Ritvars Embrekts (Liepaja, Latvia) will create an installation “SHELTER” in the Arsenal – the main powder warehouse https://maps.app.goo.gl/KaN4T8J9tF3A9HyP9

ALL EVENTS FOR FREE!