The Member
ISSP
ISSP is a platform for contemporary photography, art and education. Since its establishment in 2006, ISSP has annually organised the International Summer School of Photography, initiated local and international education and exchange programmes, produced exhibitions, publications and events, and, most importantly, gathered a thriving community of artists in Latvia and abroad. The ISSP School offers practice-based educational programmes, masterclasses and mentoring programmes for photographers and artists in Latvia. Since 2021, the ISSP Youth School offers photography and visual literacy education activities for teenagers. The ISSP Gallery, opened in 2018, is the central exhibition and events space for contemporary photography in Riga, Latvia, hosting exhibitions by local and international artists and an extensive public programme. Since 2019, ISSP is exploring the connections between art and society and supporting emergent socially engaged art practices in Latvia - projects in this area include mentorship programmes, summer schools, workshops and discussion series for artists and culture workers focus on various aspects of art and society. ISSP is an active member of the Association of Contemporary Culture NGOs in Latvia, an umbrella organization with the aim of improving the environment for cultural NGOs and promoting contemporary culture practices in Latvia.
Nominations
Discover the artists selected by
ISSP
since
2022
ISSP is an educational and exhibition platform for contemporary photography, based in Latvia and engaging internationally. As a member of the Futures platform, we champion emerging voices, particularly those from the Baltic region. This year’s selection was based on an open call disseminated through ISSP’s network of partner organizations.
The selection of the Talents 2025 was done by an international jury: the Artistic Director of Tallinn Photomonth Kulla Laas (EE), curator Ieva Meilute-Svinkūniene (LT), artist and curator of the ISSP Gallery Iveta Gabaliņa (LV) and ISSP director Jūlija Berkoviča. The resulting cohort of artists exemplifies a shared conceptual depth and a willingness to experiment. Across selected projects, the artists push beyond the static image to explore photography’s power as an evolving space—one that embraces ecological processes, mythic heritage, and the complexities of memory.
ISSP is an education and exhibition platform for contemporary photography based in Latvia and acting internationally. As a member of the FUTURES platform we feel that our experience lies in representing artists originating from the Baltics and Ukraine. Our selection process was based on an open call that was distributed through collaborative ISSP network organisations. The selected artists represent diverse approaches to the medium of photography, sharing a conceptual approach and exploration of themes relevant today.
ISSP is a platform for contemporary photography, based in Latvia and acting internationally. As a member of FUTURES, we feel that our experience lies in representing artists from the Baltic region, and our selection process was based on the broad collaborative network through different ISSP programs. This year’s artists represent diverse approaches to the medium of photography, sharing a humanistic approach and exploring themes relevant to today including migration, identity, history, digitalization and ecology. We believe that through the diversity of their approaches, these five artists will contribute both to the FUTURES community, and to the role of the artist in a changing and challenging world.
ISSP is a platform for contemporary photography, based in Latvia and acting internationally. As an organisation we offer highest-quality education and networking programmes for photographers, organise exhibition and events, and create new ways to promote the cross-border exchange of ideas in the art of photography.
Since its establishment in 2006, ISSP has hosted annual editions of its International Summer School of Photography, initiated education and exchange programmes and projects, curated a number of exhibitions and publications, established a contemporary photography education programme in Latvia, and, most importantly, gathered a thriving community of young photographers in Latvia and beyond – our students and tutors come from over 30 countries around the world. In 2018, we launched the ISSP Gallery - a new exhibition and events space for contemporary photography in Riga.
As a new member of the Futures platform, we felt obliged to represent artists from the Baltic region and broader Eastern region. The selection process drew on the broad collaborative networks developed through various ISSP programs, allowing us to select some of the most unique and active artists in the region. We hope that their involvement with the FUTURES platform will provide each other with opportunities for further collaborations, as well as the recognition they deserve.
