4 April |20:00, ISSP Gallery,Berga bazārs, Marijas Street 13 k. 3, Riga.
Language: English, free entrance. www.issp.lv

In 2019, the Riga Photography Biennial award Seeking the Latest in Photography! will be presented for the third time. The goal of the award is to discover and appraise the creative efforts of young artists who demonstrate the power of the image in their works, offering an original point of view and conceptual depth, suited to the times. Award finalist’s work presentation evening provides an opportunity to take a look at the projects by 5 young artists of the Baltic States. In 2019, award has been presented to Annija Muižule (Latvia) for her series ‘Joyful Businessmen Throwing Papers and Having Fun in the Office’. The special prize – opportunity to publish a photography book with the NoRoutine Books publishing house was presented to Reinis Lismanis and his series ‘Trial and Error’.

The Riga Photography Biennial received 53 applications from photographers from the three Baltic States. 15 artists were selected during the first round. The jury nominated 10 finalists who will be invited to participate free of charge in the Riga Photography Biennial’s Off-year Programme 2019 Portfolio Review: from Estonia – Aap Tepper, Mari-Leen Kiipli, Hedi Jaansoo; from Lithuania – Vytautas Kumza, Kotryna Ula Kiliulyte; from Latvia – Reinis Lismanis, Annija Muižule, Georgs Avetisjans, Paula Jansone and Annemarija Gulbe.

The award was presented by an internationally renowned jury - Michael Biedowicz (DE), photo editor and owner of Pavlov’s Dog Gallery; Iveta Gabaliņa (LV), programme director of the ISSP Gallery; Jonatan Habib Engqvist (SE), curator and writer; Sten Ojave (EE), curator at Center For Contemporary Arts, Estonia; Paul Paper (LT), artist and curator; Daiga Rudzāte (LV), editor-in-chief of ‘Arterritory’ culture portal and director of INDIE culture project agency; Amelie Schuele (DE), exhibition manager Unseen; Mitch Speed (CA/DE), artist and art critic; Diāna Tamane (LV), artist and RPB Award winner 2018.

Participants: Georgs Avetisjans (LV), Hedi Jansoo (EE), Mari-Leen Kiipli (EE), Annija Muižule (LV), Aap Tepper (EE)
Organizer: Riga Photography Biennial in cooperation with ISSP, Goethe-Institut Riga and Lux Express
Image: Georgs Avetisjans. From series ‘Krunk. The crane that flew over the fatherland’. 2005 - work in progress.