PRESS-RELEASE
Riga, 14.02.2014
Riga’s Porcelain Art, 1925–1940
22 February – 27 April 2014
The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design / Great Hall
10/20 Skarņu Street, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
Press conference on 21 February 2014 at 12.00.
Registration: 11.30–12.00.
Opening of the exhibition on 21 February 2014 at 17.00.
From 22 February until 27 April, at the Great Hall of the Museum of Decorative
Arts and Design (10/20 Skarņu Street, Old Riga) viewers will be able to see the
exhibition „Riga’s Porcelain Art, 1925–1940”.
This year, when Riga is the European capital of culture, the Museum of Decorative
Arts and Design, part of the Latvian National Museum of Art, begins its exhibition
programme with an extensive show “Riga’s Porcelain Art, 1925–1940”. This is the first time
in Latvian art history that the museum has organized such a large-scale exhibition, which
brings together porcelain artworks from both state and private collections. The exhibition
aims to convey a full appreciation of the development, achievements and significance of
this art discipline in the cultural landscape of Latvia.
The preparation of this exhibition began in 2012. The first step was a significant
cross-border project: an exhibition titled “Riga’s Porcelain Art, 1925–1940” at the AllRussia Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Arts in Moscow. It was the first time of
fruitful collaboration with Peter Aven’s “Generation” Charity Foundation, which helped to
manifest the theme of Riga's porcelain more extensively on an international scale. The
exhibition was organized in cooperation with the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Riga
Porcelain Museum, and several private art collectors.
In 2012, the exhibition received the annual “Baltais zvirbulis” (“White Sparrow”)
award from the Riga City Council’s Education, Culture and Sports Department. In addition,
the exhibition catalogue was a finalist for The Best Designed Book of the Year award
“Zelta ābele” (“Golden Apple-Tree”) organized by the Latvian Publishers Association.
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The theme of Riga porcelain attracted the attention of Peter Aven, a collector of
well-known early 20th century Russian painting and porcelain. Currently there are about
400 items in his collection, including more than 40 works by the artists from the “Baltars”
Workshop. This year again the museum has the honour to exhibit artworks from his
collection in Riga.
The present exhibition basically comprises artworks from the Museum of Decorative
Arts and Design, Romans Suta and Aleksandra Beļcova Museum, as well as the Museum
of History of Riga and Navigation, the Literature and Music Museum. Numerous
outstanding items have been chosen from the Zuzāni family, Guntis Belēvičs', and some
other private collections, which are here being shown to the public for the first time.
The exhibition introduces viewers to Latvian artists – painters and graphic artists –
who, inspired by the establishment of independent Latvian State in 1918, developed new
artistic thinking and created sketches for porcelain painting in the 1920s and 30s. It was an
unexplored field, where national themes came to be linked with European Modernism. The
exhibition particularly emphasizes the legacy of the Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars”
(from Latin ars Baltica – Baltic art; 1925–1928), whose artworks most vividly express the
most remarkable artistic styles and directions of the time, such as Constructivism, Cubism
and Art Déco, at the same time amalgamating them with national themes.
The “Baltars” porcelain crockery collection, created based on the sketches of the
young modernist artists Romans Suta, Aleksandra Beļcova, and Sigismunds Vidbergs,
received gold and bronze medals at the International Decorative and Industrial Arts
Exhibition in Paris in 1925. The synthesis of modern artistic language, interpretation of
national themes, and high technical quality is the reason why “Baltars” porcelain items
receive special attention today and are among the most prized creations in the Latvian
culture canon.
The exhibition also represents two other porcelain workshops of this time:
“Burtnieks” (1928–1939), headed by the graphic artist Sigismunds Vidbergs and
sponsored by the Latvian press magnates the Benjamiņi family; and “RI PORS” (1933–
1934).
The exhibition includes wares from the M. S. Kuznetsov and J. C. Jessen factories,
the two outstanding porcelain manufacturing enterprises in Riga. Professional Latvian
painters and graphic artists created sketches for these factories, and their active
participation stimulated the factories to abandon the old principles of painting and decor
printing. As a result, the artistic level of mass-produced wares improved and their quality
was acknowledged in prestigious international venues. Acclaim was won in 1935 at the
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World Exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, and in 1937 at the International Exhibition of Art and
Technology in Paris, France, where the stand of the Kuznetsov factory was awarded a
Grand Prix.
Finally, the exhibition shows that Riga’s porcelain art is not only a unique local
phenomenon, but should also be viewed in its European context. It tells the story of the
independent Latvian State in the 1920s and 30s, and shows Riga as a metropolis of
European culture. Riga’s porcelain art is defined by its high technical quality and aesthetic
excellence – qualities that never go out of style.
Text by Dace Ļaviņa
CURATORIAL TEAM OF THE EXHIBITION:
Inese Baranovska, Dace Ļaviņa, Velta Raudzepa, Ludmila Neimisheva
EXHIBITION DESIGNER:
Jurģis Krāsons
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Dace Ļaviņa, Curator of the Latvian Ceramics and Porcelain Collection at the Latvian
Decorative Arts and Design Department of the LNMA
T: (+371) 67 830904, E: Dace.Lavina@lnmm.lv
The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (10/20 Skarņu Street, Riga, Latvia)
OPENING HOURS:
Daily 11.00–17.00, ticket office 11.00–16.30
Wednesdays 11.00–19.00, ticket office 11.00–18.30
Closed on Mondays
The museum is closed on all public holidays: 1 January, Good Friday, Easter, Midsummer Eve and Day (23–
24 June), Christmas (25–26 December), 31 December.
ADMISSION:
Individual admission fee for groups of 10 or more people given in brackets. Free admission for group leaders.
Adults:
EUR 3,56 (2,85) / LVL 2,50 (2,00)
Schoolchildren, students, senior citizens: EUR 2,13 (1,42) / LVL 1,50 (1,00)
Family ticket (1–2 adults with 1–4 children or family having many children): EUR 5,69 / LVL 4,00
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PRESS IMAGES (please request if need in a larger resolution)
1. Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Plate “The Masks”. 1925. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
2. Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Plate “The Hairdressing Salon”. 1925–1928. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA.
Publicity photo
3. Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Plate “Organ Grinder”. 1925. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
4. Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Vase. 1927. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
5. Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Plate “Old Russian Motif”. 1928. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA.
Publicity photo
6. Romans Suta (1896–1944). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–1928).
Plate “Wedding”. 1928. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
7. Romans Suta (1896–1944). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–1928).
Plate “Komposition With Interior”. 1927. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA.
Publicity photo
8. Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890–1970). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Baltars” (1925–
1928). Plate “Aviation”. 1926. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
9. Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890–1970). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Burtnieks” (1929–
1939). Vase. 1929–1939. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
10. Ansis Cīrulis (1883–1942). Porcelain Painting Workshop “Burtnieks” (1929–1939).
Vase “Three Laimas”. 1930. Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
11. Jēkabs Bīne (1895–1955). M. S. Kuznetsov factory. Coffee set “People”. 1937.
Porcelain. Collection of the LNMA. Publicity photo
Press release prepared by:
Natalie Suyunshalieva
Curator of Press, Information and Publicity
The Latvian National Museum of Art
P: (+371) 67 357527
F: (+371) 67 357520
E: pr.service@lnmm.lv
I: www.lnmm.lv
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lnmm_muzejs
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