«Matter to Matter» by Arthur Analts at the MDAD

For the first time Latvia was a participant in the prestigious London Design Biennale (LDB) with a project produced by the Latvian National Museum of Art and its department the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (MDAD) — the interactive installation «Matter to Matter» by artist Arthur Analts and interdisciplinary design enterprise «Variant Studio». This participation was part of Latvian Centenary Programme.

LDB awards four medals to the best contributions from the participating countries, cities and territories, the first three medals of LDB 2018 being selected by the Biennale’s International Jury. Latvia won the Best Design Medal for «the most exceptional design». The medal, designed by East London–based jewellery studio «Shimell and Madden», is now on view at the MDAD.

The «Matter to Matter» installation represents Latvia’s relationship to its natural environment using such materials as wood and water. It was inspired by Arthur Analts’ native city of Riga. Due to its proximity to the Baltic Sea, Riga has its own unique climate, with a constant humidity that often leads to condensation. In «Matter to Matter», Arthur Analts recreates the transition from gas to liquid using a large green–glazed glass surface. The installation invites visitors to leave their own message or print and, after a couple of minutes, the temporal marks naturally disappear.

Within the meditative space a large bench of Latvian wood invites contemplation of the continuous glass wall and, on closer inspection, the bench reveals itself as a visual tool to educate visitors about Latvia’s rich forests. The «Statistic Bench» is made from 13 different species of wood grown in Latvia, according to their prevalence.

The exhibition «Matter to Matter» is on view until October 28 from 12.00 to 18.00 at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Skārņu iela 10, Riga.