UNSCHEDULED SANDY MEETING II

From 11 July to 12 September, the contemporary art exhibition “Unscheduled Sandy Meeting II” will be showcased at the Bertschy Hall, Art Gallery “Romas Dārzs”, exploring the post-war legacy along Liepāja’s coast.

A bag that caught fire on the beach might seem an unlikely beginning for an art exhibition, but it was precisely this startling moment that sparked the creation of this exhibition. Four years ago, young artist Ulvis Grenovskis tucked a piece of what he believed to be amber into his bag – only to discover it was phosphorus, a dangerous remnant from the Soviet army. That moment, sudden, unrehearsed and uninvited, became the foundation for a narrative that now unfolds through this summer’s new exhibition in Liepāja, making us reflect on choices we don’t make wittingly.

As curators Ieva Rubeze and Ieva Epnere note, “Our lives, without asking our consent, are permeated by countless of such encounters. In this exhibition, young artists respond to the Baltic coast as both a natural environment and a geopolitical threshold in a new and sensitive reality we face – one where history, memory and nature collide”.

Some of the works depict the lingering influence of military heritage on the Baltic Sea, and there is also a series of photographs documenting the daily work of an inspector from the State Environmental Service.

Several of the works turn their gaze toward Karosta – the storied neighbourhood on Liepāja’s coast. Here, young artists confront the values, anxieties, and fading worldviews of an older generation. Through photographs, installations, and looping audio-visual works, they explore the slow unravelling of structure and meaning — the entropy that arises in the restless, often chaotic interplay between humanity and the natural world.

Many of the pieces speak directly to the state of the Baltic Sea, portraying a coast both reclaimed by nature and scarred by human negligence. Still life and staged scenes highlight the creeping tide of pollution and the slow erasure of cultural landmarks – messages gently placed, yet impossible to ignore.

As part of this year’s Sea Festival the “Unscheduled Sandy Meeting” builds upon a concept first presented by curators Ieva Rubeze and Ieva Epnere at the Rostock Kunsthalle during the inaugural Baltic Sea Youth Biennial in 2024. This original project, developed with art school students, now evolves into a deeper and more individual expression, offering the artists space to pursue their vision independently.

This year’s exhibition authors are Kate Babre, Leons Skudrītis, Anete Meire, Anna Mieme, Ulvis Grenovskis, Zelma Eltermane, Karīna Kristiņa, Kristiāns Šuideiķis, Elizabete Eroda, Patrīcija Ķeire, Agate Garsone, Miks Bumbulis, Ksenija Matvejeva, and Nikola Tērauda.

• Project curators: Ieva Epnere and Ieva Rubeze.
• Opening: 11 July at 18:00
• Venue: Bertschy Hall, Art Gallery “Romas Dārzs”, Zivju iela 3, Liepāja.

The exhibition is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00–18:00, and Sundays from 12:00–15:00. It is closed on Mondays.

Tickets are priced at €5 per person, or €10 for a family ticket (regardless of the number of family members). Schoolchildren, students and senior citizens are charged €2. Guests of the Art Hotel Roma are granted complimentary entry to the gallery.

On 12 July, Sea Festival Day, all visitors may enjoy the exhibition without charge.

The exhibition is organized by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, and co-financed by the Liepāja City Municipality, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the European Union’s Creative Europe programme “CreArt 3.0 #STRINGING_TOGETHER”.