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How do changing cultural codes shape contemporary art? What role do digital technologies play in this metamorphosis? Where is the boundary between relevant and obsolete artistic expression? Is it possible to perceive the world without being influenced by previously established biases? Art salon The Phenomenon of the Open Gaze, explores these questions, inviting audiences to rethink conventional notions of art and its functions.
Throughout history, art has mirrored social processes and cultural practices, becoming both a reflection of its time and an active participant. Art allows for the experience of history not only through factual accounts, but also through emotional immersion into the visual symbols of an era. Nowadays, amidst rapid transformation, art is progressively shifting its focus from aesthetics to social and conceptual functions, serving as a tool for interpreting collective and individual experiences. Artists, reacting to current events, create space for dialogue, employing codes and symbols that are often subtle, requiring detailed observation and engagement with curatorial texts.
Digital technologies are radically altering the nature of artistic creation, providing artists with entirely new means of expression, and enabling the dissemination of ideas at an unprecedented pace. However, visual overstimulation and constant replication of imagery contributes to blurring the lines between the unique and the mass-produced. It is becoming increasingly difficult to determine whether an artwork is an original, a variation on an existing theme, or an interpretation that defies traditional notions of authorship. The rise of artificial intelligence further complicates this issue: can AI be considered merely an auxiliary tool, or has it already become an autonomous agent in the artistic process? Is AI-generated art a legitimate form of artistic expression?
The concept of artistic relevance remains fluid and ambiguous. Although the term contemporary art was coined in the 1960s-1970s as an alternative to modernism to refer to art made by living artists, it does not necessarily equate to artistic relevance. Art that is truly relevant has existed in every era – it is defined not only by the time of its creation but by its ability to address pressing social questions, propose new meanings, and experiment with modes of expression. Contemporary art can be retrospective, academic, or even archaic, whereas relevant art emerges as a response to social demand, acting as an instrument of change and reflection. In this context, a critical question arises: where is the boundary between art that actively engages with the present and art that remains confined to familiar, comprehensible forms yet lacks the capacity to shape the course of history?
The participating artists explore these challenges by analysing how popular culture turns into a platform for rethinking aesthetics and values, how art reflects social dynamics and cultural codes, and what role emerging technologies play in this process. They question traditional boundaries between artist and audience, between viewer and artwork, striving to establish a realm of unrestricted visual perception free from stereotypes and social filters.
The Phenomenon of the Open Gaze is an invitation to transcend conventional interpretations, to perceive art as an ongoing process where knowledge and sensation, concept and emotion coexist in a dynamic equilibrium. Openness becomes the key to understanding not only art but also society, technology, and oneself in a world where boundaries are constantly fluctuating.
Exhibition curator: Ksenija Afanasjeva
Participants:Vladimir Pavlov, Brūss Kalniņš, Laima Andrejeva, Kristaps Priede, Anastasija Bikova, Anna Egle, Julia Babochkina, Inta Gloda, Juta Policja, Dārta Lote, Kristīne Priedīte, Dina Danosa, Inga Insberga, Valērija Sosova, Anastasija Dubovska, Svetlana Saveljeva, Laura Grišatova, Brigita Rubine, Olga Golovko
