The Liepāja 2027 Foundation invites everyone to contribute to The Fabric of Reality, a new artwork by internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, by writing a personal letter that will become part of her installation. Until 16 October, visitors can write their letters at a dedicated letter-writing station on the first floor of the National Library of Latvia.
Dagnija Baltiņa, a Liepāja 2027 Ambassador and Director of the National Library of Latvia, has also taken part in the initiative by writing her own letter to the artist. Her letter, along with those submitted by other participants, will become part of the installation, which will be exhibited in Liepāja in 2027.
The artist invites participants to share personal stories and reflections on what gives them strength in life, memories they wish to preserve, and traditions or life lessons inherited from previous generations or which they hope to pass on to future generations.
The initiative aims to collect 10,000 letters by 30 November 2026. These will be suspended from red threads to create a large-scale art installation entitled The Fabric of Reality. The new artwork will form part of Chiharu Shiota’s first solo exhibition in the Baltic States, which will be on display in Liepāja from March to November 2027 as part of the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme.
Letters can also be submitted online by completing the following form: forms.gle/dnpgwpehtBTryiyHA
Chiharu Shiota is one of the most internationally recognised names in contemporary art, celebrated for her monumental, immersive installations in which entire spaces are filled with threads, cords and wires that intertwine with everyday objects to create striking, unexpected associations. Her work explores themes of memory, identity, bodily experience and the meaning of place. Woven threads, suspended objects and familiar items are transformed into symbolic elements that connect deeply personal stories to broader social, historical and geopolitical contexts. In Shiota’s installations, the viewer becomes an active participant, their presence within the space itself becoming part of the artwork.
The Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme is delivered by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, the City of Liepāja and official partners – the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, with the co-founding from the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, Jsc; its partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, Ltd; its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd; alongside its maritime mobility and international communication partner SIA “Stena Line”, Ltd;
The Foundation’s media partners are: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd; SIA “Žurnāls Santa”, Ltd; SIA “Tvnet grupa”, Ltd; and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
