The subtle spaces between things—the echo of a hallway, the hum of a fluorescent light—are often overlooked. But for a growing cohort of young artists in Latvia, these peripheral experiences are becoming a powerful source of inspiration. Elizabete Andersone, a recent graduate of the Latvian Academy of Art, has been awarded the BDO Young Artist Award 2025 for her installation, Oda nemanītajam (Ode to the Unnoticed), a work that brings these often-ignored elements into sharp focus. The award, now in its sixth year, aims to support emerging talent and strengthen the role of contemporary art within Latvia’s cultural landscape.
Andersone’s work, and that of her fellow nominees, represents a shift in perspective, a deliberate turning away from the traditionally celebrated to examine the everyday. This year’s finalists, selected from the graduating class of master’s programs at the Latvian Academy of Art, explore themes of memory, space, and the often-unacknowledged emotional weight of the mundane. The BDO Young Artist Award isn’t simply about recognizing artistic skill; it’s about acknowledging a new way of seeing the world.
Finding Significance in the Overlooked
“Initially, I think about human feelings in space, and only then do I create my works based on that experience,” Andersone explained. Her installation, Oda nemanītajam, is a direct response to this process. It’s a dedication to those things we observe but don’t truly *notice*—a sound, a broom, a corridor. Andersone’s work delves into the layers of perception that exist outside of conscious awareness, the fragmented experiences that remain in the body, subconscious, and sensory echoes. The installation itself, comprised of eight daylight lamps and a division of space using contrasting colors, aims to recreate this feeling of subtle, almost forgotten presence.
The installation first debuted at the Latvian Academy of Art’s Diplomandu dienu (Graduation Day) exhibition, held in a former University of Latvia Biology Faculty building on Kronvalda bulvāris 4. “It was located in a small room in the basement, which was dark and had fully controlled conditions,” Andersone recalled. “I was surprised that this installation also fit into the context of an art gallery.” The work’s adaptability speaks to its core concept: the ability to find significance in any space, no matter how unassuming.
A Resonance of Memory and Space
The daylight lamps, Andersone reveals, are deeply personal. “These daylight lamps transported me back to my school days and became an active object from a background element,” she said. They evoke memories of orange walls, wet chalkboards, and sticky desks—a sensory landscape of early education. “The lamps are like doors to a previously unconscious memory space,” Andersone explained, noting that the color division within the installation marks a transition from a neutral present to a space overlaid with the imprint of the past. Diena reports that the installation aims to create a space for internal resonance, allowing viewers to become aware of their own presence in time and space.
Evita Goze, the executive director of the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre and a member of the BDO Young Artist Award jury, echoed this sentiment. “Installation Oda nemanītajam successfully combines spatial thinking with conceptual clarity, talking about experience and memory,” Goze stated. “When I first saw this work, it reminded me of spaces that create a feeling of discomfort. The daylight lamps are associated with schools, offices, hospitals and waiting rooms, where we don’t always feel comfortable and safe. The orange color used in Elizabetes’s work, which is often seen in seemingly neutral interiors, only reinforces this feeling.”
Beyond Andersone: A Collective Exploration
Andersone wasn’t the only artist recognized for her innovative work. The BDO Young Artist Award also highlighted the talents of Katrīna Biksone, with her work Aizbraucu, būšu vakarā (I’ve Left, I’ll Be Back Tomorrow), part of her 2023 solo exhibition Aizņemtās līnijas anatomija (Anatomy of Occupied Lines); Baiba Čadore, with her large-format textile installation Nepiepildīto ieceru mezgli (Knots of Unfulfilled Intentions); Armands Andže, with his daguerreotype and dry plate works Bailes no ainavas (Fear of Landscape); Laura Aizporiete, with her installation Aprītā istaba. Gaide un latence (Smoked Room. Expectation and Latency); and Kristers Krūms, with his assemblage of found objects, Draugu kaste (Box of Friends). These works, along with Andersone’s, are currently on display at the Latvian Academy of Art’s experimental art space, Pilot, until April 2nd.
Kristaps Zariņš, Rector of the Latvian Academy of Art and a member of the jury, described the finalists as a group who each uniquely expressed a “post-birth” period of negation towards what they had learned during their studies. “Each has created something new as a step towards development,” he said.
Baiba Čadore, who received the audience sympathy award for her textile installation, explores themes of female self-sacrifice through four large-format knots made from robust, recycled ship ropes and lines. Her work poses a poignant question: is it easier to unravel a knot or to cut it?
Looking Ahead
Andersone received a €2,000 prize as the BDO Young Artist Award laureate, which she plans to invest in her next exhibition. She is scheduled to hold her first solo show this fall in the Small Hall of the Riga Contemporary Art Space, where she will continue to develop the ideas initiated in Oda nemanītajam. The award represents not just recognition of her past work, but a significant step forward in her artistic journey.
The BDO Young Artist Award underscores a vibrant and evolving art scene in Latvia, one that is increasingly focused on finding beauty and meaning in the often-overlooked details of everyday life. This focus on the peripheral, on the subtle and the unspoken, promises to yield further compelling and thought-provoking work from this new generation of Latvian artists. The next step for Andersone and her peers is the continued exploration of these themes, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and challenging viewers to see the world in a new light.
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