Kristaps Ancāns: When The Wind Blows
26.07.25 – 20.09.25
opens: saturday twenty sixth july, noon to six
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(image: Kristaps Ancāns and Pauls Rietums 'By Chance or by Appointment, Forest Plinth', 23.08.24–23.09.24, Latvia; image courtesy of Pauls Rietums and Kristaps Ancāns.)
Domo Baal is delighted to present 'When The Wind Blows' Kristaps Ancāns' first solo exhibition in the gallery – with contributions from Special Guests, Marc Hulson and Pauls Rietums. Kristaps Ancāns' augmented reality work Polar Rainbow* will make an appearance in the gallery on the opening day, the closing day and two other days (dates to be confirmed) during the exhibition.
— Are we dealing with the weight or gravity of things or is it just the circumstances or consequences of the windy weather?
— What is the value of the object which can't be blown away, however what is the use of an object you can't lift.
— Has the season been always so windy or have I myself been careless and ignored the forecast? It becomes essential to hold on to my own measure — to weigh myself.
— Have you eaten well?
'When The Wind Blows' includes sculptures in wood and plywood (proto industrial models), glass (post industrial breakdown detritus), powder-coated steel, rusted steel and porcelain. The forecast predicts the appearance of a Polar Rainbow*.
'Forest Plinth' was presented last autumn as the first collaboration between Kristaps Ancāns and Pauls Rietums, artist and architect, with the project 'By Chance or Appointment'. This partnership has since evolved into several new projects: 'Literally a Very Small Celebration' currently on view at Art Station Dubulti, Jūrmala, Latvia, curated by Inga Šteimane, until September 14. 'Abacus', created for the institution's 10th anniversary, will also be exhibited in 'When The Wind Blows'. These works have been developed in collaboration with leading Latvian industry partners: Latvijas Finieris and Troja.
Kristaps Ancāns and Marc Hulson have worked together on both academic and exhibition projects since 2020. An ongoing series of sculptural works and events under the META project umbrella has been in development.
*Polar Rainbow is an Augmented Reality sculpture, a virtual rainbow that connects the North and South Poles where rainbows do not exist. Polar Rainbow was developed by Kristaps Ancāns with support of Platvorm, produced in cooperation with domobaal, Tallinn Art Hall, Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation, and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union – as part of Beyond Matter project (ZKM, Centre Pompidou, Tirana Art Lab, Tallinn Art Hall, Aalto University, Ludwig Museum). Polar Rainbow moves around the globe to temporary locations. It connects us across actual time and space — signifying togetherness, parity and inspiration. It is a tool for peaceful activism that promotes and encourages solidarity, echoing the Baltic Way of 23.08.89 when approximately two million people joined hands to form a human chain spanning 675 kilometres. The Polar Rainbow project launched in Times Square, New York along the 74W meridian on 01.06.22, hosted by Times Square Arts and since then has visited: 2. Foundation Bec Zmiana, Warsaw and along the 21E meridian, 3. Accept, Bucharest and along the 26E meridian, 4. World Cup, Doha and along the 51E meridian, 5. Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn and along the 24E meridian, 6. Mozaīka, Rīga and along the 24E meridian, 7. European Quarter, Brussels and along the 4E meridian and 8. Berlin Design Week along the 13E meridian.
(many thanks to the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia for their support for this exhibition).