They will join the platform’s activities to present their work to international professionals and to network, amongst other opportunities that will be developed for them, including exhibitions, publishing opportunities, portfolio reviews, and more.
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. The materiality of the medium and its relation to the digital realm are themes present in work by Agate Tūna, Gedvile Tamosinaite and Ruudu Ulas. Another trajectory – artistic explorations as an inner resilience towards forces of power and war – are the main focus in Klaus Leo Richter and Katya Lesiv's documentary photo series. The social, economical and ecological aspects of today's reality place artists in a challenging position. The projects selected mirror the concerns and reflections of a context of wars and rise of digital realities. We believe these five artists will contribute to the FUTURES artistic community with the diversity of their approaches, demonstrating the role of the artist in a changing and challenging world.
Discover more about them:
Agate Tūna's work, "Techno-Spectre," challenges traditional photography by immersing viewers in a space where historical perspectives on capturing the unseen blend with the connections between photography, spirituality, and technology. By using an experimental photography technique called chemigrams, Agate metaphorically explores the digital traces people leave in the virtual world, ranging from subtle saved data to more noticeable elements like lasting social media posts. This enduring digital presence is compared to a haunting spectre that persists long after its creation. The artist draws inspiration from the concept of a "ghost," a recurring theme in her work, symbolizing the ongoing effort to capture the elusive in photography.
“Kliudžia” – the title of photographic work by Gedvile Tamošiūnaitė refers to a Lithuanian language phonetic trope, its pronunciation reminiscent of cutting, hitting, a physical material encounter. Tamošiūnaite’s interest lies at the intersections of the physical and digital realms – various facets of these transitions and their manifestations in the social and emotional spheres of individuals. One focal point is the exploration of adolescence as a phase marked by physical and emotional transformations, where innocence and playful games may evolve into expressions of aggression or unwarranted violence. This theme is elucidated through visual and conceptual references to gaming and play, which have emerged as a significant issue during past decades.
"Difficult Objects" by Ruudu Ulas delves into the meeting point of the tangible and the psychological through a collection of photographic works. Each piece explores the territory between the familiar and the unknown, encouraging contemplation of our connection with everyday objects. In mirroring the fragmented nature of daily life across digital, urban, and domestic spaces, the project combines images ranging from staged scenes to documentary captures. Its aim is to outline the intersections and blendings of urban landscapes and domestic ones, inviting the imagination to interpret and understand the complex amalgamation of our experiences.
Klaus Leo Richter resides in the small village of Bajorai in the northeast of Lithuania. This place serves as a starting point of his photographic series dedicated to Kastute – a woman who lived in a slowly deteriorating wooden house nearby until her passing in 1990. The primary theme of Richter's series revolves around the act of an individual refusing to engage with an oppressive system and the subsequent consequences that follow. The work explores the motivations and circumstances that drive noncompliance – raising questions about who Kastute was, why she chose such path, and, more broadly, examining who is capable or unwilling to undertake actions that lead to punishment. The series also delves into the theme of punishment, particularly the historical practice of punishing individuals by denying them access to the comforts of civilization, placing them within the sphere of "nature".
Katya Lesiv, a Ukrainian artist, presents a poignant reflection in her project, "I’m going home to eat mulberries from the tree," encapsulated by a gentle manifesto to the resolute embrace of choice, intricately woven with a delicate acknowledgment of its fleeting nature. The project transcends personal experiences, serving as a reflection on foundations and attachments during the full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Since her childhood, the artist has cherished the act of eating berries from bushes. This simple yet profound act becomes a metaphor for emotional refuge.
