Temple. Solo show at Rothko Museum

After several years of creative research and collaboration with the Rothko Museum, Ritums Ivanovs transforms the premises of a former military arsenal into a Temple with four chapels. The series of paintings, divided and arranged according to the structure of the arsenal building, continue the artist’s deep interest in analysing the language of portrait painting.

The exhibition is an insight into the pages of art history through the artistry of Ritums Ivanovs and the intellectual legacy of Mark Rothko. Here, the monumental portraits become an object reference, in which we discover the real, the true, and the present artists – Rothko, Rembrandt and also Ritums.

In the creations of Ivanovs, the portrait refers to a direction rather than a destination, indicating the multi-layered and elusive nature of self-reflection. A portrait is only a tool for the achievement of the goal – a mirror in which one can see what is beyond words and explanations.

Each of the chapels reveals questions of importance for the artist. Each is a space for meditation, where the relationship between the painter and the painted can be analysed through the observation of light and colour. The central axis of the exhibition is the interaction between the three artists. A space for reflection on how feelings, thoughts and perspectives on the diversity of self-reflexive perceptions are changing.

The Rembrandt Chapel explores the legacy of the self-portrait genre created by the great Dutch painter during his lifetime. How can one re-image these already established images, creating a new feeling of presence and discovering new meanings? As the most scrutinising mirror, the Ritums Chapel puts the artist himself on display with particular self-criticism and asks: How does the viewer see the artist and how does the artist see himself? The Rothko Chapel is a tribute to the artist at a time when books, exhibitions and theatre performances speak of his contribution. And yet – how well do we know Rothko? How much can we get to know the real Rothko? Monumental paintings erase the subject-object relationship, and only experience remains. This is the experience in the Temple.

The Temple is a place for self-reflection, consciousness and a direct experience of art because “a painting is not a picture of an experience; it is an experience” (M. Rothko). The exhibition for the art pilgrims was also created step-by-step, with sacred reverence and introspection. Having explored the book “Artist’s Reality” with the notes of Mark Rothko that were not published during his lifetime, Ivanovs, in his paintings, attempts to reveal both the tensions all artists face and a part of his own reality as an artist – the techniques, sources of inspiration and persistent dedication with which this Temple was created.

Ritums Ivanovs (born in 1968, in Cesis) is one of Latvia’s best-known and most important artists, who has managed to gain international recognition. A graduate of the Art Academy of Latvia with a Master of Arts degree, he works with a self-created brushstroke technique that combines the traditions of Pop Art and Photorealism. Ivanovs has held more than 30 solo exhibitions in Latvia and abroad and regularly participates in international art fairs. His artworks can be found in numerous public and private collections in Latvia and abroad. Ivanovs has painted official portraits of three Latvian presidents, and in 2009, he became the first artist in Latvian art history to have a painting (“Frame05”) sold at the prestigious Sotheby’s auction in London.

The Rothko Museum (Latvia) is a multifunctional hub for contemporary art, culture and education, located in the historical artillery arsenal building of Daugavpils Fortress. It is the only place in Eastern Europe where visitors can explore the work of Mark Rothko (1903-1970), the world-renowned Daugavpils-born American artist, master of abstract expressionism and colour field painting. The venue features 2000 square metres of gallery space and offers more than 40 different shows per annum, featuring some of the finest contemporary art projects in different media by regional, Latvian and international artists.

Exhibition curator: Aivars Baranovskis

Exhibition open March 7 to May 18, 2025
Exhibition opening March 7 at 4PM at Rothko Museum (Mihaila iela 3, Daugavpils, LV-5401, Latvia). RSVP.

More info: Rothko Museum