Small Giants
Roberts Bāliņš
04/10-26/10/2024
Exhibition depicts the cycle of life and consists of seven undulating platforms. Two Small Giants live on each of the platforms. These sculptures symbolize feelings and there are two of them because they balance each other. The only Small Giant without a balancing mate has fallen on the ground.
The sculptural ensemble of Small Giants is the artist's search for balance. The author has suffered from arthritis since childhood, which has physically affected his life. At the age of 20, Robert has recovered from the disease with the help of Eastern medicine, enough to no longer take medication on a daily basis, but the mental aspect of the disease remains. As a result of strong feelings, all joints start to hurt, both positive and negative emotions have a similar effect. Everything needs balance and feelings need to be experienced. The author's illness is only a source of interest to the topic. Small Giants is not a depiction of illness, but a simulation of the search for balance.
Roberts Bāliņš develops sketches of sculptures in virtual reality. Sketching how the "Small Giants" exhibition will look, the author digitally created the gallery space and created life cycle podiums while walking through this virtual space. In life, similar to the exhibition space, there are several external circumstances that we cannot mention or influence.
Roberts Bāliņš is a sculptor who graduated from the master's program at the Sculpture department of the Art Academy of Latvia. In his creative practice, he works with simplicity of form, abstraction and focuses on different mechanisms of perception. Roberts has participated in exhibitions in Latvia since 2016, as well as in a medal exhibition in Japan in 2021. He had a solo exhibition at the Grand Poet Hotel ("Personalities", 2022). During the last year, he participated in the group exhibition "Art e fakti" (M Galerija, 2023).
The exhibition is part of the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga 2024 program
Photos: Lidija Zaneripa
Roberts Bāliņš
04/10-26/10/2024
Exhibition depicts the cycle of life and consists of seven undulating platforms. Two Small Giants live on each of the platforms. These sculptures symbolize feelings and there are two of them because they balance each other. The only Small Giant without a balancing mate has fallen on the ground.
The sculptural ensemble of Small Giants is the artist's search for balance. The author has suffered from arthritis since childhood, which has physically affected his life. At the age of 20, Robert has recovered from the disease with the help of Eastern medicine, enough to no longer take medication on a daily basis, but the mental aspect of the disease remains. As a result of strong feelings, all joints start to hurt, both positive and negative emotions have a similar effect. Everything needs balance and feelings need to be experienced. The author's illness is only a source of interest to the topic. Small Giants is not a depiction of illness, but a simulation of the search for balance.
Roberts Bāliņš develops sketches of sculptures in virtual reality. Sketching how the "Small Giants" exhibition will look, the author digitally created the gallery space and created life cycle podiums while walking through this virtual space. In life, similar to the exhibition space, there are several external circumstances that we cannot mention or influence.
Roberts Bāliņš is a sculptor who graduated from the master's program at the Sculpture department of the Art Academy of Latvia. In his creative practice, he works with simplicity of form, abstraction and focuses on different mechanisms of perception. Roberts has participated in exhibitions in Latvia since 2016, as well as in a medal exhibition in Japan in 2021. He had a solo exhibition at the Grand Poet Hotel ("Personalities", 2022). During the last year, he participated in the group exhibition "Art e fakti" (M Galerija, 2023).
The exhibition is part of the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga 2024 program
Photos: Lidija Zaneripa