Artist in Residence

Encyclopaedic definitions suggest that mycelium (from Ancient Greek – “mushroom”) is the hidden vegetative part of a fungus normally found under mossy growth or tree bark or directly in soil and consisting of a branching network of thin thread-like hyphae – strings of cells that extend far beyond the fungal body and serve to help it absorb nutrients from the environment and reproduce. Mycelia permeate the Earth’s crust hundreds of metres deep. In a broader sense, these vast underground networks, invisible at first glance, can be used as a figure of speech to talk about social structures and systems, referring to the relationships and connections among people. At the same time, they are a fitting metaphor for the current exhibition because the featured works have been made in a close cooperation between two creators from two countries – women artists with different backgrounds, creative approaches and perspectives on current issues working together towards new creative concepts and artworks.  (...)

Thus, five German artists teamed up with another five from Latvia to work in tandems and produce their small creative ecosystems. The project brought together: 

Karin Fröhlich (Germany) – Gundega Evelone (Latvia) 

Silke Bachmann (Germany) – Ingrīda Pičukāne (Latvia) 

Patricia Lincke (Germany) – Laura Feldberga (Latvia) 

Penelope Richardson (Germany) – Sandra Strēle (Latvia) 

Sabine Schlunk (Germany) – Guna Millersone (Latvia) 

The project rested on networking within each artist couple and among them through the sharing of ideas, exchanging energies, and combining different mediums. The artworks and installations displayed in this exhibition remain in a constant mutual dialogue, reflecting the issues the artists address through fresh and diverse ways of creative expression. They relate to the artists’ pursuit of self-awareness and reflect the emotional experience and individual memories of each creator as well as their socio-historical context and heritage, highlighting the presence and importance of nature in their lives and demonstrating each artist’s subjective take on current processes. Through these emotionally packed works, the artists attempt to evoke an equally emotional response in the viewers and trigger relevant past experiences. 
(...)

Thus, “Mycelia” at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre is the latest stage in the ongoing cooperation of the featured artists and another tangible outcome of creative networking materialised in diverse contemporary art forms. 

Tatjana Černova, curator Mark Rothko Art Center, Daugavpils, Latvia. January 2022.