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KRISTAPS ĢELZIS

Born in 1962 in Riga, Latvia

Fields of activity: print making, video installations, installations, sculpture, environmental art, digital printing, drawing, watercolour, book illustration, stage design, money design, as well as exhibition set-up.

2011    Represents Latvia at the 54 La Biennale de Venezia.

Education:
2009                Master’s degree at Art Academy of Latvia
1980-1986       Graduated from Art Academy of Latvia, Department of Graphics.

Work experience:
2023-2011      Associate Professor at the Department of Graphic Art of Art Academy of Latvia
2010-2017      Member of the Coin Design Commission of the Bank of Latvia
2011-1997      Lecturer of the Departments of Visual Communications of Art Academy of Latvia

Selected solo exhibitions:

2021    "Artifacts", Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (etchings, object, digitalprint, watercolours)

2017    Kristaps Gelzis. Paulis Liepa, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2015    „19112015”, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2013     „Pulpit”, Cross Gallery of the Riga Dom, Riga / Latvia (together with Girts Biss, object)

2013    “2013”, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2012    “Substance to rethink”, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2011    “Artificial Peace. Contemporary Landscape”, the Latvian Pavilion at the 54^th La Biennale di Venezia, Venice / Italy* (fluorescent paintings)

2010    “Artificial Peace” II, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (black drawings)

2010    “Die Unechte Ruhe”, PREVIEW BERLIN 2010, Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (black drawings)*

2010    “Artificial Peace”, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (black drawings)

2009    “Maybe”, Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (watercolour paintings on paper)

2008    “Home Video”, Gallery Alma, Riga / Latvia (fluorescent paintings)

2007    “Bonaqua”, Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia (watercolour paintings on paper)

2000    “Time Square”, Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia

1997    “Independence Day”, Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia

1996    “Virtuale”, State Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia

1994    “Slide Paintings”, Gallery P.U.N.K.T., Hamburg / Germany

 
Selected group exhibitions:

2023    "Field of Vision", ZUZEUM Art Centre, Riga / Latvia

2023    "Archaeologists of Memory: Vitols Contemporary Art Collection”, KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia

2022    "Our Values", Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia

2022    "Growing out? Growing up? Contemporary Art Collecting in the Baltics", ZUZEUM, Riga / Latvia

2022    "ES_TEXT", Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia

2021    POSITIONS Berlin 2021 – Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (light box)

2021    Uzutrakis Art Festival „(re)create former reality“, Trakai, Lithuania

2019    "Humans" - Maksla XO Gellery - Riga / Latvia

2019    "Talk to Me" - Akiereyi Art Museum, Akeireyi / Iceland

2018    "Man in Art" - Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia*

2018    "Yard" - The Art Academy of Latvia, Riga / Latvia (plastic painting, watercolour)

2018    "PORTRAIT IN LATVIA. 20th CENTURY. Facial Expressions", Latvian National Museum of Art, Exhibition Hall Arsenals, Riga, Latvia*

2017    "New Acquisitions of the LNMA. The 21st Century" - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2017    POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair 2017 – Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (plastic paintings)

2017    "TOP in formation. Exhibition of Zuzāns Collection" - Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia*

2017    "Hyperrealism. Movement Manifestations in Latvia" - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (black drawings)

2016    16th International Vilnius Painting Triennial “Nomadic Images” - Museum of Applied Arts and Design, Vilnius / Lithuania

2016    „Light at the end of the cable“ – works from the State-owned collection of the future Latvia Museum of Contemporary Art, Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga / Latvia*

2016    ART VILNIUS 2016 - Maksla XO gallery, Vilnius / Lithuania (plastic paintings)*

2015     "Watercolour in Latvia. 19th – 21st Centuries" - The Latvian National Museum of Art - the Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Riga / Latvia*

2015    „Self-portrait” - Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (object)

2015    „Personal Structures - Crossing Borders” - Palazzo Mora, Venice / Italy. (plastic painting)*

2015    „Ornamentalism. The Purvītis Prize. Latvian Contemporary Art” - curator Viktor Misiano,  Arsenale, Tesa 99, the 56 La Biennale di Venezia* (plastic paintings)

2015    „Purvītis Prize 2015” - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia* (object)

2015    „Latvian Contemporary Art” - The European Parliament, Brussels / Belgium

2015    „Captive Beauty in Miniature” - Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (object)

2014    POSITIONS BERLIN 2014 – Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (plastic paintings)
2014    „till the end of it" - Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (plastic paintings)

2013    ART.FAIR 2013 – Maksla XO gallery, Cologne / Germany (plastic painting)
2013    PREVIEW BERLIN 2013 – Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (plastic paintings)*
2013    “NordArt 2013” - Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Carlshütte / Germany (plastic paintings)

2013    “Lsx20. Art Years of the National Currency” – Bank of Latvia, Riga / Latvia

2012    „Fresh Latvian Painting”, Tartu Art House, Tartu / Estonia (luminiscent paintings)
2012    „Grafik aus Lettland“ Grafik Museum Stiftung Schreiner, Bad Steben / Germany*

2012    16th Art Festival Cesis 2012, exhibition „Experiment and Exellence”, Audio painting “Veidenbaums” (cooperation with composer Girts Biss), Cesis Old Beer Brewery, Cesis / Latvia

2012    PREVIEW BERLIN 2012 - Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany (plastic
            paintings,watercolours)*

2011    “Is it that he does not seek the truth, but does want to influence?“ - Riga Art Space, Riga / Latvia

2011    “Thick space. Dr. Guntis Belevics Collection” - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia*

2011    PREVIEW BERLIN 2011 – Maksla XO gallery, Berlin / Germany ("Three White Mousses and Black Hole", object)

2011     ART VILNIUS 2011 – Maksla XO gallery, Vilnius / Lithuania (black drawings)*

2011    “The Purvītis Prize” - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia*

2010    „The 2009 - 10 Sovereign European Art Prize” - Barbican Centre, London / England*

2010    “Golden Works” - the Exhibition Hall Arsenals of the Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga/ Latvia*

2009    „Metabolism: Contemporary Latvian Graphic Art”, State Museum of Art, Riga /Latvia (drawings)*

2009    ART VILNIUS 2009, gallery Alma, Vilnius / Lithuania („Home Video” fluorescent paintings installation)*

2009    „Drawing” - Maksla XO gallery, Riga / Latvia (drawing) 

2009    „Contemporary Icons” - Gallery Alma, Riga / Latvia („Kulik DNS", object)             

2008    Art Festival - Cesis 2008, „Beauty” - Cesis Old Beer factory, Cesis / Latvia („Good night fairytale", fluorescent painting installation) 

2008    „Buket, Exhibition of Latvian Contemporary Art” - National Centre of Contemporary Art (ncca.ru), Moscow / Russia („Holiday balloons", installation)*

2008   „Homo Urbanus - Homo Sapiens?” - Sculpture and Installations by Artists from Riga. Latvia” - Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam / the Netherlands („Let’s keep in touch”, sculpture in city space. In cooperation with composer Voldemars Johansons)*

2007    „Contemporary Art from Latvia” - Calmar Contemporary Art Museum, Calmar city / Sweden (watercolour on wall)

2005    “Museum 100” - State Museum of Art, Riga / Latvia (supersize digital prints)

2004    “Den Haag Sculptur 2004. Giants” - city space, The Hague / Netherlands (sculpture “Red Apes”)*

2004    “Faster Than History”, Contemporary Art Museum Kiasma, Helsinki / Finland (video installation “Nothing Personal”, digital print)

2003    “Masks” - the 7th International Contemporary Art Exhibition ART MOSCOW - Central House of Artists, Moscow / Russia*

2003    “Adaptation” - Exhibition Hall Rotterman Salt Storage, Tallinn / Estonia*

2002    „Nothing Personal“ - Städtische Galerie im Buntentor, Bremen / Germany*

2001    “Identity”, Riga Gallery, Riga / Latvia*

2001    “New Reality. Identification” – the 5th International  Contemporary Art Exhibition ART MOSCOW – Central House of Artists, Moscow / Russia*

2001    “Modern Utopia” - Museum of Eduards Smiļģis, State Museum of Art Exhibition Hall Arsenāls, Riga / Latvija

2000    “Baltic Security!” - Aarland Airport, Stockholm / Sweden

1998    “Ventspils Transit Terminal” - the 6th Annual Exhibition of the Soros Contemporary Center of Art-Riga, Art Propaganda Train, Regional Museum of History and Art, Ventspils / Latvia*

1996    “Personal Time. Art of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 1945-1996” - Contemporary Art Center Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw / Poland; Central exhibition Hall "Manezh", St Petersburg / Russia*

1995    “Private / Public” - ARS 95, City Space of Helsinki / Finland 

1995    “Monument” - the 3rd Annual Exhibition of the SCCA-Riga - Photography Museum of Latvia, Riga / Latvia*

1994    “Zoom Factor” - the 1st Annual Exhibition of the SCCA-Riga, Exhibition Hall Latvia, Riga / Latvia   

1994    “State” - the 2nd Annual Exhibition of the SCCA-Riga - Art Museum Arsenāls, Riga / Latvia*

1994    “Firkspedvāle Conversations '94” - Pedvāle Open Air Art Museum, Sabile / Latvia

1992    “Paaudze. Sukupolvi. Generation” - Contemporary Art Museum, Pori / Finland
1992    “Mare Balticum” - Nordic Art Center, Helsinki / Finland

1991     “Fiatal Müveszek Rigaból” - Contemporary Art Museum, Budapest / Hungary*

1990     Rauma Biennale Balticum - Rauma Art Museum, Rauma / Finland* 
1990    “Latvia - 20th Century Somersault” - Exhibition Hall Latvija, Riga / Latvia*

1989    „Riga - Lettische Avantgarde“  Stadtgalerie im Sophienhof, Kiel; Exhibition Hall Weserburg, Bremen / Germany*

1988    „Riga - Lettische Avantgarde“ - Staatliche Kunsthalle, Berlin / Germany*;  Theatre Museum, Riga / Latvia (together with Andris Breže, Oļegs Tillbergs, Juris Putrāms, Ojārs Pētersons)*

 
Awards:
2011    Purvītis' Award - the most prestige and major award in the Latvia`s art world evaluated by international jury
2011    Diena Annual Culture Award
2007    Diena Annual Culture Award

Works in Public Collections:
Latvian National Museum of Art (previous title - State Museum of Art), Riga / Latvia
Latvian Contemporary Art Museum Collection, Riga / Latvia
Museum of Artists' Union of Latvia, Riga / Latvia
Zuzāns'Collection, ZUZEUM Art Center, Riga / Latvia
Signet Bank Art Collection, Riga / Latvia
ABLV Bank Contemporary Art Collection, Riga / Latvia
Swedbank Contemporary Art Collection, Riga / Latvia
Contemporary Art Museum Kiasma, Helsinki / Finland
Luciano Benetton Art Collection, Treviso / Italy
The European Parliament Art Collection, Brussels / Belgium
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick / New Jersey / USA

Works in Private Collections
Irina and Maris Vitols Art Collection, Riga / Latvia