06.04. - 06.05.2023

Galerija "Māksla XO"

Elizabetes iela 14, Rīga, LV 1010

LEONARDS LAGANOVSKIS

Ellipsis

Since the 1980s of the 20th century, Leonards Laganovskis has cleverly manipulated with “soc-art” and conceptual art techniques in his works, creating semantically saturated multi-layered works of cultural space. Working in various fine art media - drawing, graphics, painting, photography and creating objects- Leonards Laganovskis uses text as the main tool in communication with the viewer. “Colour doesn’t matter in this case. The main thing is the text. Because what came first? In the beginning, was the word. And this principle remains.” For Laganovskis, the text is not a decorative element. For his works, the text modelling both the form and the content.
A realistic documentary of the era characterizes Leonards Laganovskis’ works, and they are ruthlessly topical - socially critical, full of subtle irony, or sharply directed against political ideology. Laganovskis appeals to our collective memory. His works are puzzles for the mind based on science, literature, art, memories and associations...

“History is very complicated. The country’s history is what it is, and I am a part of it. Willingly or not, I’m in all those fights. And there are two ways to express your opinion. One is to curse someone over a glass of beer; the other is to participate. As an artist, I must participate on paper or canvas. I won’t go into politics, I don’t speak at congresses, and I don’t start a party, but I do this kind of work. I drew [...]” - Leonards Laganovskis.

Leonards Laganovskis (1955) studied at the Department of Interior Design and graduated from the Department of Painting in Set Design speciality (1979) at the Art Academy of Latvia. The artist has gained extensive international experience, living in Germany for several years (1988–1994) and actively participating in its art life by organizing personal exhibitions and participating in group exhibitions abroad.
Leonards Laganovskis’ works are included in public collections: Latvian National Museum of Art (Riga, Latvia), Collection of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art (Riga, Latvia), Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University (New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA), Neue Berliner Kunstverein (Berlin, Germany), Reha- Klinik Lubben (Brandenburg, Germany), Artphilein Foundation (Vaduz, Liechtenstein), Art Museum of Estonia (Tallinn, Estonia), National Centre for Contemporary Art (Moscow, Russia), S. P. Diaghilev Museum of Contemporary Arts (St. Petersburg, Russia).
Leonards Laganovskis lives and works in Riga, Latvia.