Continuing the OLAS SARUNAS discussion series, we invite you on June 11 at 17:00 to the
sixth meeting - a discussion focusing on our shared responsibility toward
culture. This time, we will discuss the topic: “Art, Ownership and Ethics - Where Does
Responsibility Begin and End?”
This discussion is inspired by our latest exhibition, which features a reproduction of a painting by Miervaldis Polis and a documented video of the burning of its original.
The painting was commissioned by the artist’s friend, Ainārs Gulbis, specifically for him. In 2017, Gulbis destroyed the work in a private ceremony -
as part of a personal process to symbolically free himself from his addictions.
However, this choice was made without the artist’s knowledge, highlighting a range of contentious
questions about ethics, authorship, the meaning of ownership, and the limits of action in relation to works of art.
This discussion will not be only about one work - it will be a conversation about the relationships between
the artist, their work, and the commissioner; about the boundaries between the rights of the artist and the owner; about the power of art, its autonomy, and its role in society. About the reality in which
art exists beyond museums, collections, and even the artist’s wishes.
Participants:
Māra Lāce - art historian, director of the Latvian National Museum of Art
Lauris Liepa - one of Latvia’s leading sworn attorneys and experts in constitutional
and human rights law.
Una Meistere - editor of the art portal Arterritory.com and co-curator of the Miervaldis Polis exhibition.
Kaspars Eihmanis - philosopher, Dr. phil. (Dhundzhi University, Taiwan), expert
in Buddhist philosophy, theories of consciousness, and Chinese history.
Artūrs Virtmanis - artist with international experience who worked in New York for more than 20 years.
Moderated by:
Anna Peipiņa – journalist and permanent moderator of OLAS SARUNAS. Her
nuanced and precise questions help reveal complex topics with depth and
clarity.
Venue: Ola Foundation, Ogļu iela 12a, Riga
Date and time: June 11, 17:00-19:00, arrival from 16:30
Participation is free of charge; places are limited
