The Art Academy of Latvia continues to cooperate with Semarah Hotels to support young and talented Latvian artists, and the sixth solo exhibition opened at Grand Poet Hotel on Wednesday, August 12, featuring works by LAA graduate Laura Veļa. The exhibition is titled “Nekas/Nothingness” and it will run until November this year.

Painter Laura Veļa, an AAL graduate whose works are currently exhibited at Grand Poet Hotel: “When I’m working, the creative impulse comes from the social environment and observations, but the sources of inspiration for the works at the exhibition include music, feelings and colours. These works portray abstract, mystical places where nothing happens, which are in an intermediate state before something. That moment of endless possibilities to me is the big NOTHINGNESS.” The artist explains that the sole purpose of the paintings is to take the mind to a peaceful, visually meditative state, when the mind is quiet, without any thoughts, dogmas, ideas and concepts.

Laura Veļa was born in 1983. She enrolled at the AAL (2013–2017), first obtaining a bachelor’s degree in painting, later, thanks to a scholarship from the Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation, she continued studying for her Master’s degree at the AAL Painting Department (2017 – 2019). Laura Veļa’s works are in private collections in Latvia, the United States, Netherlands, France and Germany. This is the artist’s fourth solo exhibition.

“Laura has her own worldview, own opinion of the world and life, and the ability to reflect this in her works, experimenting and trying to find a new dimension. The works are notable for their directness, simplicity of form and, most importantly, you just want to look at them. In my opinion, Laura already has earned a prominent place in the Latvian art world and is a remarkable artist,” painter and AAL Professor Kaspars Zariņš comments on the graduate’s talent.

Every visitor to the gallery can assess the works at the exhibition by awarding a five-grand sticker coin to his or her favourite painting. The voting stickers are available at Grand Poet Hotel.

“This is our first solo exhibition this year. It is great to be back after a long break and see that the young artist has been able to pleasantly surprise us, because her works not only reveal the story of the exhibition, it is also a story about herself,” says Māris Alnis, Head of Grand Poet Hotel, adding that works of art at the hotel make hotel rooms more lively.  That is why Grand Poet Hotel will continue building its unique and inspiring collection of works by young Latvian artists, buying a painting most popular with the visitors at the end of each exhibition to include it in the Grand Poet Art Collection.

Currently, the collection already includes five works by young Latvian artists – Madara Kvēpa, Justīne Seile, Ella Mežule, Agate Bernāne, and Kristīne Rublovska. The paintings are now showcased in the hotel to delight visitors, art and life lovers from all over the world.

About Grand Poet Art Collection

On June 14, 2018 the Art Academy of Latvia and Semarah Hotels chain of hotels signed a memorandum of understanding on support for the development of young artists. The objective is to support the academy’s students and young Latvian artists – to encourage them to strive for new achievements, build self-confidence and pursue an international career, provide financial support for talent development, create a space for solo exhibitions, thereby promoting the development of art in Latvia.

About Grand Poet Hotel

Grand Poet Hotel was opened by Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia. At the moment, the hotel chain includes resort hotel Lielupe in Jūrmala and two hotels in Riga: the four-star historic Metropole hotel on Aspazijas Boulevard and the elegant five-star design hotel Grand Poet Hotel at 5/6 Raiņa Boulevard. Each one has its own unique story to tell.

Grand Poet Hotel’s Diplohemia concept combines diplomatic and bohemian design solutions developed by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning concept and design agency Stylt Trampoli (Sweden). The hotel was designed by the architectural firm Sarma un Norde (Latvia), preserving the architectural uniqueness of the building. The name of the hotel carries a duality that is often embodied in poets – earnest and bohemian.

On Friday, November 1, the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL) in cooperation with Semarah Hotels opened the fifth art exhibition at the design hotel Grand Poet Hotel. This time, everyone interested has the opportunity to see solo exhibition “Beings” (Būtnes) by Kristīne Rublovska, a talented artist who graduated from the AAL earlier this year.

“I seek inspiration for my works in nature and people, because I paint what I see, I just interpret it the way I see things. Since detail and materiality are very important to me, I tend to reflect on the tactile experience. In some places the paintings resemble fluffy fabric, in others, natural shapes, grass stalks, animal furs can be discerned. In general, the works at this exhibition are a kind of mystical stories with a plot that is not easy to follow, which leaves room for the viewer’s free interpretation,” says painter Kristīne Rublovska, inviting everyone to visit the gallery.

Kristīne Rublovska’s solo exhibition was opened by the AAL Rector Kristaps Zariņš, AAL Associate Professor, painter Vija Zariņa, as well as other representatives from the AAL and the Grand Poet Hotel Head Māris Alnis. Family members and close friends were also present to support the artist.

The Art Academy of Latvia Associate Professor, painter Vija Zariņa describes the works of the young artist as emotional, deep and beautiful: “It was a pleasure for me to be the supervisor of Kristīne’s Master’s thesis. From the very beginning, I observed great drawing skills in Kristīne’s works of art, an excellent sense of colour and attention to detail, bringing everything together in a personal story. The artist is able to conjure her stories with confidence and skill.”

The title of the exhibition, “Beings” includes key words that interact and describe the overall idea. These include “beings” (būtnes), “to be” (būt), “I” (es), “carry” (nes) and a negative “not” (ne), or contradiction. The word “beings” has three meanings in Latvian. It refers to living beings, human nature, and imaginary shapes, images. In this case, “beings” encompass all three aspects and address such a controversial yet captivating subject as melancholy. The artist’s melancholy is a stage at which sadness is unified with happy feelings, and the aim is to create a sense of presence of contradictions, while at the same time to create a harmonious overall atmosphere.

Kristīne Rublovska was born in 1986. She started studying painting at the Art Academy of Latvia (2013–2017), first obtaining a bachelor’s degree in textile arts, then continued her Master’s studies at the academy’s Painting Department (2017–2019), graduating this year. She collaborates with artists in different fields, for instance, with choreographers, working on set and costume design. Kristīne Rublovska’s works have been exhibited in many galleries in Latvia, as well as abroad, for example, in Estonia and Belarus. The exhibition at Grand Poet Art Collection is her first solo exhibition in Riga.

“Grand Poet Hotel is creating a unique and inspiring collection of works by young Latvian artists – after each exhibition, the hotel purchases one painting from the exhibition that was the most popular with the visitors, and includes it in the Grand Poet Art Collection,” says Māris Alnis, Head of Grand Poet Hotel. Each visitor to the gallery can vote for his or her favourite work of art by awarding it a special sticker – a five-grand coin. The voting stickers are available at Grand Poet Hotel.

About Grand Poet Art Collection

On June 14, 2018 the Art Academy of Latvia and Semarah Hotels chain of hotels signed a memorandum of understanding on support for the development of young artists. The objective is to support the academy’s students and young Latvian artists – to encourage them to strive for new achievements, build self-confidence and pursue an international career, provide financial support for talent development, create a space for solo exhibitions, thereby promoting the development of art in Latvia.

About Grand Poet Hotel

Grand Poet Hotel was opened by Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia. At the moment, the hotel chain includes resort hotel Lielupe in Jūrmala and two hotels in Riga: the four-star historic Metropole hotel on Aspazijas Boulevard and the elegant five-star design hotel Grand Poet Hotel at 5/6 Raiņa Boulevard. Each one has its own unique story to tell.

Grand Poet Hotel’s Diplohemia concept combines diplomatic and bohemian design solutions developed by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning concept and design agency Stylt Trampoli (Sweden). The hotel was designed by the architectural firm Sarma un Norde (Latvia), preserving the architectural uniqueness of the building. The name of the hotel carries a duality that is often embodied in poets – earnest and bohemian.

Marking one year since the launch of cooperation between the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL) and Semarah Hotels to support young and talented Latvian artists, on Wednesday, July 10, the fourth solo exhibition opened at the design hotel Grand Poet Hotel. Until October 10, anyone interested will have the opportunity to see the works of Agate Bernāne, a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in painting at the Art Academy of Latvia. The exhibition is titled “Girl with a Canary” (Meitene ar kanārijputniņu).

“I believe that a good artist must challenge him or herself. While working on my paintings, I do a great deal of research and also dispute my own thoughts. It creates new ideas and changes the view of what is happening around. Inspiration to paint comes completely unexpectedly. Anything can cause it – a dusty windowsill, a pile of laundry, broken nail polish, tension, dreams – everything that creates the respective feelings. Sometimes it’s easier to paint than to find the right words to explain how I feel. In the process of creation, I seem to merge with the work I am creating, give it my inspiration, so that it can continue to live independently,” says Agate Bernāne, urging anyone interested to come see the exhibition.

Inese Baranovska, head of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design of the Latvian National Museum of Art and lecturer at the Art Academy of Latvia, emphasizes that Agate’s works stand out among other students with their unusual perception of the world. “Her paintings have a visual sensitivity, the ability to see and behold. The artist reflects on the processes of everyday life, but in every seemingly banal routine phenomenon she tries to capture the entire universe, connecting the forms of the past, present and future. In the painted visions, everyday reality alternates with imaginations and dreams – replicas of art history, travel notes, popular cultural signs and rituals of everyday life,” Inese Baranovska says about her student’s works.

The paintings at the exhibition have been made during the last two years. The artist philosophically explains that they are paintings of one and the same dream. Being in front of the canvas, brushes and paints evokes the pleasant excitement of meeting a canary. In the dream, the girl is visited by a canary. She feeds and strokes it. Within the white walls of the apartment, she lets it fly. The bird has neither a name nor a certain age, she does not know where the bird comes from and where it disappears, but she feels attached to it. The food and water feeders for the bird are empty, and the girl feeds it again, caresses it and listens to its song. This is how they meet – sometimes often, sometimes less often – for almost two years.

Agate Bernāne was born in 1996. She has studied at Janis Rozentāls Riga Art School (2012–2016) and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Art Academy of Latvia. She has participated in such projects as “Film Art Action Party” (2015), “Art Belongs to the People” (2015), “RAF. Jelgava. Art.” (2013), as well as in several group exhibitions. Twice (2014, 2015) she has received the excellence scholarship of Petr Aven charity foundation Generation (Paaudze). In June of this year, she represented the AAL at the international contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’19.

The exhibition at Grand Poet Hotel is the artist’s first solo exhibition.

Any visitor can vote for his or her favourite painting by assigning a special sticker to it – a five-grand coin available at the hotel. Māris Alnis, head of Grand Poet Hotel, explains that at the end of each quarterly exhibition, the hotel purchases the highest-voted painting of the exhibition to create a unique collection of works by young Latvian artists, Grand Poet Art Collection. At the moment, the collection already includes works by three young artists – Madara Kvēpa, Justīne Seile and Ella Mežule. The paintings are now showcased in the hotel to delight visitors, art and life lovers from all over the world. The next exhibition will open in the autumn.

About Grand Poet Art Collection

On June 14, 2018 the Art Academy of Latvia and Semarah Hotels chain of hotels signed a memorandum of understanding on support for the development of young artists. The objective is to support the academy’s students and young Latvian artists – to encourage them to strive for new achievements, build self-confidence and pursue an international career, provide financial support for talent development, create a space for solo exhibitions, thereby promoting the development of art in Latvia.

About Grand Poet Hotel

Grand Poet Hotel was opened by Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia. At the moment, the hotel chain includes resort hotel Lielupe in Jūrmala and two hotels in Riga: the four-star historic Metropole hotel on Aspazijas Boulevard and the elegant five-star design hotel Grand Poet Hotel at 5/6 Raiņa Boulevard. Each one has its own unique story to tell.

Grand Poet Hotel’s Diplohemia concept combines diplomatic and bohemian design solutions developed by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning concept and design agency Stylt Trampoli (Sweden). The hotel was designed by the architectural firm Sarma un Norde (Latvia), preserving the architectural uniqueness of the building. The name of the hotel carries a duality that is often embodied in poets – earnest and bohemian.

On Thursday, October 4, the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL) in cooperation with Semarah Hotels opened the second art exhibition organized with the aim of supporting young and talented Latvian artists. At the close of each exhibition, Semarah Hotels purchases the most popular painting at the exhibition to create a unique art collection, the Grand Poet Art Collection.

On Thursday, solo exhibition “Portraits” (Portreti) by the young artist and AAL Master’s student Justine Seile opened at Grand Poet Hotel, featuring several works of art can. The stories depicted in the paintings are dramatized, caricatured and exaggerated situations, which reflect the artist’s fantasy world with a small dose of humour. Unique compositions and evocative colour palette characterize the artist’s paintings.

Justīne Seile, a student at the Art Academy of Latvia: “I draw inspiration for paintings from powerful experiences and real events in life. That is why I, a family member or a close friend is often the main character of the paintings. I am interested in a person, his or her portrait and body, I pay a lot of attention to light and shade, how they interact, to conjure up a situation full of drama, which therefore draws my attention.”

Justīne studied at Ventspils State Gymnasium No. 1, attended Ventspils Visual Arts Studio to learn the ABCs of painting, then studied at Liepāja Art and Design Secondary School, and is currently continuing her Master’s studies in painting at the Art Academy of Latvia. Justīne had her first solo exhibition in 2014.

Vija Zariņa, painter, Associate Professor at the Art Academy of Latvia: “Justīne Seile is a young painter who clearly knows what she wants to achieve in her works, and she has the skills, talent and knowledge to do this. Having your own view of things happening in this world is very important. Equally important is the painter’s individual style and the means of expression he or she uses.”

Māris Alnis, head of Grand Poet Hotel: “The Grand Poet Art Collection, created in collaboration with the Art Academy of Latvia, is meant to inspire and support our young and talented artists. Grand Poet Hotel possesses tremendous creative energy. Having seen the works of the most talented young art students, we are convinced that the Art Academy of Latvia has a similar driving force. By creating this collection, we not only support artistic creativity and give the public opportunity to see works of Latvia’s young talents, but also tell our guests and life lovers from all over the world the story of Latvia as an inspiring and beautiful place that travellers want to see again and again.”

The first exhibition featured paintings by Madara Kvēpa. Visitors to the exhibition and hotel guests voted the painting “Sun Shouts in the City” (Saule iekliedzas pilsētā) their favourite piece of the exhibition. The painting was purchased by Semarah Hotels to became the first work of art in the Grand Poet Art Collection. Visitors will be able see Justīne Seile’s solo exhibition and vote for their favourite painting until January 2019.

About Grand Poet Hotel

Grand Poet Hotel was opened by Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia. At the moment, the hotel chain includes resort hotel Lielupe in Jūrmala and two hotels in Riga: the four-star historic Metropole hotel on Aspazijas Boulevard and the elegant five-star design hotel Grand Poet Hotel at 5/6 Raiņa Boulevard. Each one has its own unique story to tell.

Grand Poet Hotel officially opened on May 31. The hotel’s Diplohemia concept combines diplomatic and bohemian design solutions developed by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning concept and design agency Stylt Trampoli (Sweden). The hotel was designed by the architectural firm Sarma un Norde (Latvia), preserving the architectural uniqueness of the building. The name of the hotel carries a duality that is often embodied in poets – earnest and bohemian.

AAL Rector Kristaps Zariņš and Olga Smirnova, Member of the Board at Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia, participated in the gallery’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and signing the memorandum. Later on, “Phenomenon” (Parādība), a solo exhibition of the AAL third-year student Madara Kvēpa, opened at the new gallery and will run until September 13.

“With the establishment of the Latvian modern art collection Grand Poet Art Collection, we especially want to spotlight and support our young and talented artists, and at the same time we want our patrons to not only discover and explore Latvian art, but also involve them in the assessment of artists and their works of art. Most of our patrons are life lovers, travellers from different countries of the world who are interested in the culture of other countries, and we are very excited to give them a chance to meet Latvia’s young talents,” says Olga Smirnova who came up with the idea of the project.

The objective of the cooperation is to support AAL students and young Latvian artists – to encourage them to strive for new achievements, build self-confidence and pursue an international career, provide financial support for talent development, create a space for solo exhibitions, thereby promoting the development of art in Latvia.

“The closest neighbours of the Art Academy of Latvia are the Ministry of Culture, the Latvian National Museum of Art, and Grand Poet Hotel, and we are very pleased with our successful cooperation with these institutions. Our students are the creators of the bustling life in the centre of Riga, they embody creative energy. We are very happy that young artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their works at the hotel. This is a nice tradition that will benefit both sides,” points out Kristaps Zariņš.

The solo exhibition by the young artist Madara Kvēpa is the first exhibition in the newly opened gallery. “The opportunity to have my works exhibited at Grand Poet Hotel’s art gallery is the most significant turning point in my career so far. Even though painting has always been an intimate process for me, which I often compare to a special form of meditation, I cannot disagree with Edgar Degas, who said that ‘art is not what you see, but what you make others see.’ The hotel is an international venue for culture lovers from all over the world, so I can hardly imagine a better place for exhibiting my works to a wider audience,” emphasizes Madara Kvēpa, adding that any passer-by and art lover can visit the exhibition.

Each visitor to the gallery is welcome to participate in voting for the best works until September 13, giving his or her favourite work a special sticker – a five-grand coin. The stickers are available at the reception of Grand Poet Hotel.

About Madara Kvēpa

Madara Kvēpa began her art studies at Janis Rozentāls Art School, in 2012 she graduated from the Fashion Department of Riga School of Design and Art. She is currently studying painting at the Visual Arts Department of the Art Academy of Latvia. She has been exhibiting since 2016. In 2017, she had her first solo exhibition, “IntueriI”. In the spring of 2018, she participated in the international project Gattopardo II Palermo-Riga-Vienna.

About Grand Poet Hotel

Grand Poet Hotel was opened by Semarah Hotels, a hotel chain founded in Latvia. At the moment, the hotel chain includes resort hotel Lielupe in Jūrmala and two hotels in Riga: the four-star historic Metropole hotel on Aspazijas Boulevard and the elegant five-star design hotel Grand Poet Hotel at 5/6 Raiņa Boulevard. Each one has its own unique story to tell.

Grand Poet Hotel officially opened on May 31. The hotel’s Diplohemia concept combines diplomatic and bohemian design solutions developed by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning concept and design agency Stylt Trampoli (Sweden). The hotel was designed by the architectural firm Sarma un Norde (Latvia), preserving the architectural uniqueness of the building. The name of the hotel carries a duality that is often embodied in poets – earnest and bohemian.

As of 12 January, this year, the first five-star design hotel “Grand Poet Hotel” has opened its doors. The new hotel was established by “Semarah Hotels”, a Latvian hotel chain which owns the hotels “Metropole” and “Lielupe”.

“By opening the hotel on Raiņa boulevard, we have opened a new page in the history of Semarah Hotels. This is the first design hotel in Riga, uniting modern art and the bohemian lifestyle. Both the unique design, and the magnificent view over one of the most romantic parks in Riga – the Bastejkalns – serve to bring joy to the hearts of our visitors. The building hosting the hotel has a long and colourful history, and we have paid particular attention to preserve it in the renovation process,” Olga Smirnova, Head of the hotel chain “Semarah Hotel”, reveals.

“Grand Poet Hotel” is located on Raiņa boulevard 5/6, the heart of the historic centre of Riga, in the vicinity of the Freedom Monument. The name of the hotel represents a duality inherent to poets – formality and the bohemian spirit. The building itself is an architectural monument, therefore, as many authentic items as possible have been preserved, for example, the five-story wooden staircase and tile stoves. The hotel was designed by the honoured and respected Swedish company “Stylt Trampoli”.

There are 168 elegant guest rooms, including several especially luxurious rooms. “Here, everything is together in one place – a restaurant for a fresh and sophisticated gastronomical experience, modern premises for events and conferences, a spacious Wellness centre, as well as three elegant SPA treatment rooms, which will be opened in early spring. The hotel is a true gem for aesthetes, those intoxicated by life and culture,” Māris Alnis, Head of “Grand Poet Hotel”, adds.

“Semarah Hotels” is a hotel chain brand founded in Latvia, with long-term experience in providing high-quality service. The hotel chain takes pride in its various hotels: the resort hotel “Lielupe”, the four-star historical hotel “Metropole”, and the elegant design hotel “Grand Poet Hotel”. Each of these hotels carries its own unique story and values.