From 15 December 2022 until the end of February 2023 the art exhibition ‘Groningen – Riga, The Classical Link’ can be seen every Friday from 10:00 to 15:00 and Monday to Thursday by appointment in the Latvian Embassy in The Hague. This exhibition concludes a wonderful journey from Veendam via Riga to The Hague.
The exhibition ‘Groningen – Riga, The Classical Link’ provides an artistic link between the past and the present. It is an exhibition of contemporary art where each piece of art is an individual expression of historical awareness of the shipping trade in the 19th century between the Netherlands and Latvia. This is the third year of the exhibition. The original exhibition contained more than 70 works by 19 artists.
The exhibition begun on 4 March 2021in the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam with 74 works by nineteen alumni of the Classical Academy in Groningen. The artists have studied the trade relations by sea and the cultural connection between Groningen and the Latvian capital Riga.
In the 19th century Peat Colonial (Veenkoloniale) seafaring flourished. More than 60% of the Dutch fleet came from this region. A route for the Baltic Sea was regularly set and hundreds of objects, documents, photos and souvenirs in the Veenkoloniaal Museum serve as a reminder of this time. The artists were inspired by this connection.
The very diverse palette of works of art tells the fascinating story of the peat, of seafaring between the peat colonies and the Baltic states and the way in which inhabitants and seafarers have experienced the relations between the two countries. After a successful exhibit in the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam, the exhibition, in a slightly smaller size travelled to the Museum Mencendorfa Nams in Riga. The exhibition was also a resounding success there. It’s opening on 29 April 2022 King’s Day were celebrated in the museum in the presence of the Latvian and Dutch ambassadors along with others.
From 15 December 2022 an important part of this exhibition will be shown in the Latvian Embassy in The Hague.
Participating artists:
Sonja van Beuzekom
Mineke Gravers
Margriet Kroeze
Erna Kroezen
Sieuwke Ronner
Beitske Sikkema
Gerrit Velthuis
Hana Vendlová
Antoinette Vunderink
Koosje Summer