The collection of letters for Fabric of Reality, a new artwork by internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, is ongoing. Until 22 November, a letter-writing station welcomes visitors at the Kurzeme shopping centre in Liepāja.
Liepāja 2027 volunteers will be on hand at the station to welcome visitors and invite them to take part in the creation of the artwork. Everyone is welcome to write a letter on the spot or bring along and submit a handwritten letter prepared in advance.
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.
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 communication, AS Air Baltic Corporation, Jsc; its promoting financial literacy and business growth partner AS SEB banka, Jsc; its land mobility partner, SIA Lux Express Latvia, Ltd.; its legal partner, SIA Sorainen ZAB, Ltd; its water transport mobility and international communication partner, SIA Stena Line, Ltd.; car rental partner SIXT and Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027. Media partners: VSIA Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs, Ltd., SIA Žurnāls Santa, Ltd., SIA TVNET GRUPA, Ltd. and AS Kurzemes Radio, Jsc. Media partners: VSIA Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs, Ltd., SIA Žurnāls Santa, Ltd., SIA TVNET GRUPA, Ltd. and AS Kurzemes Radio, Jsc.
On Lāčplēsis Day, we will come together in the light to honour those who fought for our freedom and reaffirm our sense of belonging to our country.
On Friday, 6 November, Liepāja 2027 – European Capital of Culture held its final monitoring meeting with the international panel of experts appointed by the European Commission.
On November 4, the Great Amber Concert Hall in Liepāja hosted the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 (Liepāja 2027) international conference Cultural Renovation, this year with the theme ‘All My Relations’, focused on art’s ability to build relationships, strengthen a sense of belonging, and promote public participation.