Since September 2018 the Art History and Theory Department of the Art Academy of Latvia offers a Curatorial Studies programme, in which a range of locally and internationally recognized curators and professionals help future professionals acquire the skills and abilities needed by curators as creative mediators between artists, society and socio-political events.

However, notions and stereotypes about the role of the curator still abound both within the study process and in the local art environment. There is a lack of understanding of the curator's significance in the art ecosystem not only in managing processes, but also initiating and creating them anew.

In order to draw attention to various issues affecting this field, the Young Curator! Award was established as a partnership between the Art Academy of Latvia and the Riga Photography Biennial. As part of this, a public discussion will be held on the significance of the curator within contemporary art and culture as a creative personality and mediator in creating a more successful dialogue with the public. Diversity will be highlighted as one of the themes, offering a democratic and inclusive approach, meaning that there is no a priori hierarchical system of experience that forms the profile of a curator today. No experience is left out and none is of any higher importance in terms of origin or content. The ability and desire to present one's views and work in public, articulated in a transparent and well-grounded manner will also be considered. Although the focus is currently on the work of younger generation curators, it is important to be aware of the development of the role of curator within the local scene even prior to the use of the term. Therefore, curators of different generations and experiences will participate in the discussion.

On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the Art Academy of Latvia on August 20 2020, the Pilot Gallery was opened, initiated by the EU4ART Alliance international association of art universities – an international project aimed at creating a unified European higher education platform. Set up by four art education institutions (Art Academy of Latvia, Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and Hungarian University of Fine Arts), the network furthers the quality of European higher education and promotes cooperation between the schools, as well as emphasizing the development of interdisciplinary and intercultural art education. The Pilot Gallery is a space where both emerging curators and artists, together with experienced professionals, can experiment, gain experience and make international contacts. The aim of Pilot is to focus on regular and systematic support for the creative practice of young artists and to actively follow the development of artists and their careers, as well as fostering international cooperation and visibility.

Participants: Irēna Bužinska (LV), Auguste Petre (LV), Tīna Pētersone (LV), Kaspars Vanags (LV)
Moderator: Antra Priede (LV)
Curator: Antra Priede (LV)
Organizer: Riga Photography Biennial in cooperation with Art Academy of Latvia and Experimental Art space Pilot
Image: View from exhibition ‘Are We There Yet?’, AAL Experimental art space ‘Pilot’. Photo: Pēteris Vīksna