Structure

I recently completed a research project focused on identity and structure in relation to living spaces. According to Eurostat data, 66% of Latvians reside in standard Soviet-era apartments, presenting a stark contrast to Norwegians, who are less likely to live in apartments.

During my exploration, I had the opportunity to connect with an artist living in Trondheim. One artist shared her experiences and guided me in different neighborhoods of the city, showcasing various residential buildings. It gave me an idea of the living habits of Norwegians in different decades. In the process, I took a lot of photos of these buildings. Then I evaluated the pictures taken and selected the most typical residential houses. Using these images as reference, I transferred it to a large-scale screen printing mesh with line drawings. I also drew the most typical Latvian apartment buildings on the mesh and I painted balconies very colorful. Colorful balconies in general are a typical feature of Eastern Europe. I created a two-layer approach. On the bottom layer I put typical Latvian apartment buildings and on top I had large typical Norwegian apartment buildings.

Throughout my artist residency, I continued to experiment and explore these concepts, which culminated in a solo exhibition at the residency premises, showcasing my work. The exhibition was a tangible expression of my research and observations, visually interpreting the identity and structure of living spaces in different contexts.