The exhibition Fear of the Landscape by photographer Armands Andže focuses on the shifting nature of everyday urban landscapes in Latvia and their emotional and social effects. The exhibition features works created in a single print, using old analogue photographic techniques, thus emphasising the timeless nature of the landscape and the physical presence of the created image. The exhibition is on view at ISSP Gallery from February 7 to April 18.
The exhibition Fear of the Landscape explores unfinished architectural narratives in urban spaces, revealing a liminal state between presence and oblivion. Skeletons of unfinished buildings and monumental elitist high-rises become artefacts of the urban spectacle — testimonies that transcend public imagination and reflect the voices of ignored communities. Andže employs early analogue photographic techniques such as daguerreotype and dry glass plate methods to highlight the exhibition’s themes. Developed in the early 19th century, the daguerreotype is one of the earliest photographic processes, using a silver-plated sheet of copper to produce a singular image characterised by high detail and a mirror-like surface. Through these techniques, Andže emphasises the transient nature of landscapes and the tangible presence of the photographic image, in which past and future collide. Each image displayed in the exhibition is unique, existing as a single, irreplaceable artefact.
«The aesthetics of the urban environment are shaped not only by its visual appearance but also by the emotions it evokes as we observe the everyday landscapes that surround us. While aesthetic value is subjective, it nevertheless impacts each passerby. Fear of the Landscape is Andže’s exploration of this experience, rooted in both individual and collective memory. The exhibition focuses on the philosophical dimensions of fear, emphasising the emotional and psychological responses triggered by the interaction between the urban environment and its aesthetic expressions. Landscapes, especially unfinished urban structures or monumentalized objects, can create tension between feelings of connection and isolation. In this context, urban landscapes serve both as visual elements and as spaces where society’s collective fears, memories, and relationships with a changing environment are laid bare,» says the description of the exhibition.
Armands Andže (1988) has been a member of Baltic Analog Lab since 2018, and has over a decade of experience in analogue photography. As a self-taught artist, he has mastered a variety of early analogue techniques. He places significant emphasis on the sustainability of analogue photographic materials by looking for ways to recycle and reuse waste generated from the photographic process. Andže holds a degree from the Latvian College of Culture and a degree in glass art from the Art Academy of Latvia. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Graphic Art at the Art Academy of Latvia. In 2023, Andže received a special award from the Lithuanian publishing house NoRoutine Books for his project 29 Landscapes at the Riga Photography Biennale Next 2023 competition. As part of the award, Andže published his first book of photographs under the same title
The exhibition Fear of Landscape will be on view at the ISSP Gallery from February 7 to April 18, with the opening on February 6 at 18.00. The exhibition is curated by Iveta Gabaliņa and Kamilla Kūna. The exhibition is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.
Viedokļi