From October 10 to December 31, 2026, the exhibition hall of Pedvāle International Art Residency features an exhibition of paintings and graphic works by Baiba Kalna, titled “Meditation of the Provinces”.
The exhibition “Meditation of the Provinces” by B. Kalna brings together several themes and series of works that have been significant to the artist in recent years: demecology, or population ecology (the interaction between species and the environment and its consequences) from the exhibition “Population” at Talsi Regional Museum in 2023; as well as nature moods – especially fog and forest – featured in the series “Hogweed Land” (Latvānija) and “Quiet Living Nature” (Klusi dzīvā daba), most of which were created in recent years.
Living in the countryside – or, to put it more elegantly, in the province – and being close to nature inspires her to reflect nature observations in her works. In a way, this serves as the artist’s “meditation” outside of work hours, deriving fulfillment both from the painting process and from creating works in various printmaking techniques. The works presented in the exhibition are executed in oil painting and diverse graphic techniques: etching, collagraphy, drypoint, stencil printing, as well as graphite pencil drawing.
It is not only the living and non-living natural processes, but also political developments that encourage “meditation” on the interactions between human and nature, human and human, and human and state. Touched with a bit of humor and irony, the works address not only environmental changes caused by human action or inaction (e. g., Spanish slugs, giant hogweed, etc.), but also the relationship between Latvians and the state of Latvia – or simply the fact that living in the countryside is beautiful, that this land of Latvia is our value, and that we can “catch happiness” right here!
Perhaps it is the artist’s own desire to awaken her conscience and keep it “alive” regarding matters close to her heart: species diversity and invasive species; the simple enjoyment of nature’s beauty; technology, but at what cost; political activism – is it practiced once a year and in the corridors of Facebook, or through daily actions? The artist is concerned by human hostility, living in “bubbles”, and the excessive radicalization of opinions; hence, she seeks to smile inwardly and preserve sincerity in her art.
