02/06/2020
The Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation (hereinafter — LMoCAF) was founded by patrons Boris and Ināra Teterev, Ernests Bernis and Oļegs Fiļs with the aim in cooperation with the government of Latvia to develop the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art.
The construction of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art is included in Latvia’s National Development Plan 2021 – 2027 among the priority investment projects, as well as in Riga’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2030.
Between 2014 and 2019, the patrons have already invested 4.1 million euros in the development of the museum. The technical project phase is completed and approved with all necessary State and municipal institutions. The museum is ready to enter the construction phase.
The museum building (around 7600 m2) has been designed to accommodate museum work of the 21st century needs and standards. It includes exhibition spaces, 200-seat performance and concert hall, education spaces, a reading room, a cafe and back of house spaces, as well as 2000m2 open air amphitheatre.
In recent years, The Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation has been going through turbulent times. Tragic loss of the Latvia’s most generous patron and visionary Boris Teterev, and also very complicated financial circumstances, which were brought upon by the liquidation of ABLV Bank. Despite these circumstances, the work of LMoCAF continued and the design phase was successfully completed. Taking into account the above mentioned issues, the board has consulted with the patrons and received a conceptual consent to donate the museum project to the government of Latvia if it would guarantee its construction. Such a decision would ensure the completion of the very first contemporary art museum in Latvia, create a long waited home for the contemporary art collection and would fuel recovery of Latvian economy in post COVID times.
Supporting art and culture
In 2010, philanthropists Boris and Ināra Teterev established a family charity foundation - The Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation. Its aim is to support distinguished and socially important charitable initiatives. During years of its work, the Foundation supported hundreds of organizations and thousands of people in Latvia and abroad. Foundation has implemented and funded programme "Art in Public space", the TÊTE-À-TÊTE arts programme, the broadcast and theatrical play cycle "Teātris.zip", co-funded exhibitions, plays, lectures, concerts and many more.
The Novum Riga Charitable Foundation (previously ABLV Charitable Foundation), which was founded for charitable purposes by philanthropists Ernests Bernis and Oļegs Fiļs, nurtures the interest of the general public in Latvian contemporary art already for 14 years. In 2017, the foundation was named the "Art Patrons of the XXI Century" of the prestigious international "Corporate Art Awards 2017" in the category of excellence in the realm of art philanthropy. Foundation was awarded the prize in recognition of its work promoting the works of Latvian artists nationally and internationally, providing financial support for over 90 contemporary art projects not only in Latvia, but also facilitating the exhibitions of our artists’ works beyond our country’s borders nad Latvia' s representation at the Venice Biennale.
Both foundations have supported the iniciatives of the Art Academy, funded art in public space and have supported Rundale Palace - one of Latvia’s greatest architectural monuments and significant Baroque-era palace complex comprised of the palace itself, stables and park.
The collection of the upcoming contemporary museum of art
In 2005, the formation of the collection of the upcoming Latvian museum of contemporary art of began in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture. The collection has been purchased with funds of ABLV Bank, the State budget and grants of the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanism. In addition, also gifts were received.
The collection of the upcoming contemporary museum of art represents such locally and internationally acclaimed Latvian artists as Imants Lancmanis, Ieva Iltnere, Ilmārs Blumbergs, Inta Ruka, Katrīna Neiburga, Monika Pormale, Miervaldis Polis, Kristaps Ģelzis, Ēriks Božis, Laila Pakalniņa, Krišs Salmanis, Maija Kurševa, Andris Eglītis, Jānis Avotiņš, Gints Gabrāns and others. It must be noted that among the privately funded purchases for the collection there were such important works of Imants Lancmanis as the full series of paintings The Fifth Commandment: Revolution and War, containing 14 artworks, and paintings from the series Kaletu Barn. More than 1 200 artworks have been purchased with private funds. State owns 249 inventory units and 69 auxiliary units; however, the actual number of artworks is larger.
The collection policy and selection of art works is carried out by international board of experts. The members of the board are Latvian arts scholars Māra Lāce, Ieva Astahovska, Helēna Demakova, Sirje Helme (Estonia), Maaretta Jaukkuri (Finland), Raminta Jurenaite (Lithuania), Leonid Bazhanov (Russia) and Norbert Weber (Germany), artists Raitis Šmits and Leonards Laganovskis.
Museum concept
In 2014, the Foundation signed a memorandum of intent with the Ministry of Culture regarding the development of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art, whereby a joint commission of experts comprised of 7 people was formed. The concept of the museum was developed and approved by Jānis Dripe (architect, expert of the Investments and Projects Division of the Ministry of Culture), Māra Lāce (Director of the Latvian National Museum of Art), Jānis Mitrēvics (artist, founder of the design studio “Dd studio”), Helēna Demakova (arts scholar, Curator of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation’s programme Art in the Public Space), Elīna Vikmane (Director of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation’s Arts Programme), Zanda Zilgalve (Chairman of the Board of ABLV Charitable Foundation) and Kaspars Vanags (curator, Head of ABLV Charitable Foundation Arts Programmes).
There are two compelling reasons why we are the most visited art museum in the Baltics and our exhibitions are much in demand by other museums. Firstly, our unique collection of works celebrating arts and visual culture in Latvia and the Baltic Sea region from the 1960s onwards and ability to arrange loans of works from prestigious private collections have made the LMoCA an arts centre of regional significance. Secondly, as a stellar example of outstanding architecture, the museum building is one of Riga’s premiere points of interest and the sustainable solutions used in its construction continue to attract widespread international acclaim.
By making attractive and alluring use of the myriad interactions between art and visual culture in everyday life, the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art (LMoCA) will be a popular public meeting place, where people gravitate to be inspired and provoked; to pause for thought or to share ideas and experiences. We want the museum to be a place where people genuinely feel at home, welcomed by its open-mindedness, creative atmosphere and love of intellectual play ignited by contemporary art.
The Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art management will be organised in accordance with the Republic of Latvia’s Museums Law, so that in conformity with the operating principles of a private accredited museum, the museum will be accessible to the general public and its collection will be included in the National Museum Collection Catalogue.
The architecture of the museum
In 2016, among seven competitors of the conceptual design competition (competition organisation by Malcom Reading Consultants (UK)), jury deemed the most appropriate proposal for the design of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art to be the work created in tandem by the British architecture firm Adjaye Associates (and it’s principal architect Sir David Adjaye) and their Latvian partner AB3D (and it's principal architect Juris Mitenbergs).
Their architectural concept of the Latvian Museum for Contemporary Art is following. The museum will offer an experience of contemporary art that synthesises art practice and art perception. Speaking to a wide spectrum of artwork, the building comprises a group of flexible spaces for a multi-nodal display sequence – offering smaller spaces for intimate works through to more expansive environments to facilitate larger installations. The form resonates with traditional domestic Latvian architecture, like a simple wooden house, elevated to an institutional architecture. This suggests the idea of the museum as a home for the collection, inviting a wide audience to participate in the cultural and civic exchange it will offer. The roof structure refers to a distinctive architectural trope of the region. Each tilt is a highly specific geometry designed to sculpt the pure northern light in order to define the interior organisation and flexibility of the museum.
Sir David Adjaye (1966) is recognized as a leading architect of his generation. He often collaborates with contemporary artists, including for the Venice Biennale. David Adjaye has taught at the Royal College of Art, where he had previously studied, and at the Architectural Association School in London. In 2016, the architect received the Panerai London Design Medal, as well as, the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, in 2016, Adjaye Associates received the Firm of the Year award and in 2017 – the Public Building Architect of the Year award.
AB3D, led by it's principal architect Juris Mitenbergs, has just placed 1st in the competition for designing the new National Theatre annex, in 2018, was nominated for THE PLAN AWARD in the Residential Buildings category, in 2015, received the Architizer A+ Award according to both the jury and public vote. Juris Mitenbergs is included in the 2009 list of the best young (under 40) European architects EUROPE 40.
Surroundings
The location of the museum is planned between Pulkveža Brieža, Hanzas and Skanstes Streets. In recent years, approximately 25 million euros of private funds have been invested in developing the mentioned area – the territory’s infrastructure, construction of streets and carparks, as well as the cultural space Hanzas Perons, which has been appreciated in both Latvian competitions and by international, professional media as a high quality building. In addition, Riga Municipality has begun revitalization of the Skanstes territory with ERDF and State budget grants amounting to 17 million euros. The completion is planned in 2022, transforming the environment around the envisioned museum into a new, modern, green and well-established area for citizens and visitors of the capital.
In effect, the work towards the creation of the museum began already in 2005, when the formation of the collection of the upcoming contemporary museum of art began in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture. Upon construction of the museum, this collection would become State-owned.
The collection has been purchases with funds of ABLV Bank, the State budget and grants of the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanism. In addition, also gifts were received.
More than 1 200 artworks have been purchased with private funds. In turn, the base collection in storage at the Latvian National Museum of Art is comprised of 249 inventory units and 69 auxiliary units; however, the actual number of artworks is larger.
The collection of the upcoming contemporary museum of art represents such brilliant and internationally acclaimed Latvian artists as Imants Lancmanis, Ieva Iltnere, Ilmārs Blumbergs, Inta Ruka, Katrīna Neiburga, Monika Pormale, Miervaldis Polis, Kristaps Ģelzis, Ēriks Božis, Laila Pakalniņa, Krišs Salmanis, Maija Kurševa, Andris Eglītis, Jānis Avotiņš, Gints Gabrāns and others. The collection contains representations of painting, sculpting, photography, graphic arts and audio-visual works. It must be noted that among the privately funded purchases for the collection there were such important works of Imants Lancmanis as the full series of paintings The Fifth Commandment: Revolution and War, containing 14 artworks, and paintings from the series Kaletu Barn.
A professional commission of international experts representing the industry of arts and museums determines the principles for creating the collection and carries out the selection. The members of the commission are Latvian arts scholars Māra Lāce, Ieva Astahovska, Helēna Demakova, artists Raitis Šmits and Leonards Laganovskis, and foreign professionals - Sirje Helme, Maaretta Jaukkuri, Raminta Jurenaite, Leonid Bazhanov and Norbert Weber.
Creation of the museum concept
In 2014, the Foundation signed a memorandum of intent with the Ministry of Culture regarding the creation and development of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art, whereby a joint commission of experts comprised of 7 people was formed.
The concept of the museum was developed and approved by Jānis Dripe (architect, expert of the Investments and Projects Division of the Ministry of Culture), Māra Lāce (Director of the Latvian National Museum of Art), Jānis Mitrēvics (artist, founder of the museum exposition design studio “Dd studio”), Helēna Demakova (arts scholar, Curator of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation’s programme Art in the Public Space), Elīna Vikmane (Director of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation’s Arts Programme), Zanda Zilgalve (Chairman of the Board of ABLV Charitable Foundation) and Kaspars Vanags (curator, Head of ABLV Charitable Foundation Arts Programmes).
The vision for the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art is for it to become the most visited museum of contemporary art in the Baltic States, as well as a cultural and art centre of strategic importance, exhibitions of which, thanks to a unique collection, would be regularly included also in museum programmes of other countries.
The international architectural conceptual design competition
In 2016, the Foundation launched an international architectural conceptual design competition, recruiting the globally recognized organizer of architecture competitions Malcolm Reading Consultants (United Kingdom). Seven teams took part in the competition. Each of them was a collaboration between a Latvian architect and international firms of architects from the United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States of America.
The presentation of the competition results was an open and transparent process, which took place in Riga Technical University’s Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning and was attended both in person and via live internet broadcast by architecture professionals and students, artists and art lovers, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the media.
The museum conceptual design competition was judged in two stages. The jury of the competition assessed the architectural quality of the proposed projects, suitability to the museum concept, integration in the cityscape, functionality, expenses and longevity. The jury members were David Bickle from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, architect Reinier de Graaf from the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), architect Gianni Botsford, artist Luke Jerram, Executive director of Pillar Management, SIA Ieva Valtere, Board Member of the Foundation Elīna Vikmane, architect and expert of the Ministry of Culture Jānis Dripe, and architect and representative of the Ministry of Culture Uldis Balodis.
The architect of the museum
The conceptual design competition jury deemed the most appropriate proposal for the design of the future museum to be the work created in tandem by the British architecture firm Adjaye Associates and their Latvian partner AB3D.
Sir David Adjaye is recognized as a leading architect of his generation. His most acclaimed realized projects are the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture located on the National Mall in Washington DC, Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver and others. He often collaborates with contemporary artists, including for the Venice Biennale. David Adjaye has taught at the Royal College of Art, where he had previously studied, and at the Architectural Association School in London.
Shortly after the victory at the competition for the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art design, Her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II knighted him for his contribution in architecture. In 2016, the architect received the Panerai London Design Medal, as well as, the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, in 2016, Adjaye Associates received the Firm of the Year award and in 2017 – the Public Building Architect of the Year award.
The Latvian firm of architects AB3D, led by Juris Mitenbergs, has just placed 1st in the competition for designing the new National Theatre annex, in 2018, it was nominated for THE PLAN AWARD in the Residential Buildings category, in 2015, received the Architizer A+ Award according to both the jury and public vote. Juris Mitenbergs is included in the 2009 list of the best new European architects EUROPE 40 under 40.
The museum’s national and socioeconomic value
On May 7 of this year, during an LTV interview Imants Lancmanis stated, “the term ‘museum’ itself is important. Museums of contemporary art are highly visited all around the world. The situation in Latvia is complicated. It is nearly a disgrace that we do not have one. Museums are true value troves. It is a deposit for the future and eternity. It is a large and significant responsibility. It has to be achieved. And I hope to see it one day”.
In addition, currently there are discussions in the Latvian public space regarding construction-ready public sites for support of the economy. Therefore, we can confirm that the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art is undoubtedly considered such a site.
The estimates have already been calculated for the construction-ready project, in which millions of private funds have already been invested, and its construction is projected to cost approximately 43 million euros. According to the 2020 estimations, for each euro invested, the construction of the museum would generate extra 1.9 to 2.9 euros in economic activity or its construction would generate additional 107 million euros, thus positively affecting approximately 30 industries, but after beginning operation, the “sliding effect” would continue in around 15 industries.
The location of the museum is planned between Pulkveža Brieža, Hanzas and Skanstes Streets. In recent years, approximately 25 million euros of private funds have been invested in developing the mentioned area – the territory’s infrastructure, construction of streets and carparks, as well as the cultural space Hanzas Perons, which has been appreciated in both Latvian competitions and by international, professional media as a high quality building. In addition, Riga Municipality has begun revitalization of the Skanstes territory with ERDF and State budget grants amounting to 17 million euros. It is projected to complete it in 2022, transforming the environment around the envisioned museum into a new, modern, green and well-established area for citizens and visitors of the capital.
