The Order of Invisible Things
Agate Tūna
15/09-30/09/2022
Agate Tūna continues the research of family relations (initiated in the series of previous works "Pond House"), which is closely related to the supernatural. The artist's grand-grandparents were healers and fortune tellers, while her great-grandfather's brother was a black magician and his wife - a witch. "The Order of Invisible Things" is an attempt to uncover the presence of the intangible by drawing parallels in the events connected to family's past with phenomena related to paranormal photography and the history of spiritualism elsewhere in Europe and America. Spiritist sessions became especially important in the Victorian era and continued to spread widely during both World Wars. Communication with departed loved ones served as the healing of the pain and a sense of comfort for those who mourned. Meanwhile in the Soviet Union these abilities had to be hidden. Tūna uses analog photography as a medium - a mediator between the two worlds. Through experiments in twilight hours and bluish moonlight, the photo series establishes connections with magical possession, corporeal presence and illuminated phenomena.
Agate Tūna (b. 1996) is a multidisciplinary artist from Riga, Latvia, specializing in the field of analogue and experimental photography. Her techniques include film soups, chemigrams, and photograms, along with experiments in sound art. With her camera, Tūna plays the role of an investigator between reality and fiction. Fascinated by family tales and their sense of mystery, she weaves personal narratives with collective historical contexts and examines the complex, evolving interplay between technology and spirituality.
In 2020, Tūna earned her BA degree in Arts from the Painting department at the Art Academy of Latvia. In 2022, a two-year programme in Developing Photographic Language at ISSP School. In 2023, she graduated from an interdisciplinary MA programme POST at the Art Academy of Latvia.
Photos: Gints Virgilijs Tilks
Agate Tūna
15/09-30/09/2022
Agate Tūna continues the research of family relations (initiated in the series of previous works "Pond House"), which is closely related to the supernatural. The artist's grand-grandparents were healers and fortune tellers, while her great-grandfather's brother was a black magician and his wife - a witch. "The Order of Invisible Things" is an attempt to uncover the presence of the intangible by drawing parallels in the events connected to family's past with phenomena related to paranormal photography and the history of spiritualism elsewhere in Europe and America. Spiritist sessions became especially important in the Victorian era and continued to spread widely during both World Wars. Communication with departed loved ones served as the healing of the pain and a sense of comfort for those who mourned. Meanwhile in the Soviet Union these abilities had to be hidden. Tūna uses analog photography as a medium - a mediator between the two worlds. Through experiments in twilight hours and bluish moonlight, the photo series establishes connections with magical possession, corporeal presence and illuminated phenomena.
Agate Tūna (b. 1996) is a multidisciplinary artist from Riga, Latvia, specializing in the field of analogue and experimental photography. Her techniques include film soups, chemigrams, and photograms, along with experiments in sound art. With her camera, Tūna plays the role of an investigator between reality and fiction. Fascinated by family tales and their sense of mystery, she weaves personal narratives with collective historical contexts and examines the complex, evolving interplay between technology and spirituality.
In 2020, Tūna earned her BA degree in Arts from the Painting department at the Art Academy of Latvia. In 2022, a two-year programme in Developing Photographic Language at ISSP School. In 2023, she graduated from an interdisciplinary MA programme POST at the Art Academy of Latvia.
Photos: Gints Virgilijs Tilks