Arturs Bērziņš

In his works, Arturs Bērziņš has created a unique interaction between images and texts, which often serves as a source for artistic and visual reflection. Although the mind triumphs over the emotions in these works, this does not mean that the artwork loses its refined, attractive material side. His monochrome drawings and paintings on rough, small wooden boards can be enjoyed both as miniatures and as witty and deep commentaries on philosophical subjects. The artist employs the drawing as an instrument for interpreting philosophical texts, occasionally to prove his hypotheses, at other times to experimentally research our ability to appraise the world with the aid of images. The artist appears fascinated by the question of the transformation of reality in images and out ability to read this.

In his works, Bērziņš speaks to his viewers with clear language rather than hiding post factum behind contrived interpretations. It is another matter if the viewer is unable to comprehend the high intellectual level of the message or is unfamiliar with the texts from which Bērziņš’ series of works emerge. The cycles “Time Spent”, “Nietzsche Sings.” and “Antichrist Still Life” are conceptual-small-format experiments, which have been born out of reading and imaginatively interpreting texts by Nicolas Bourriaud and Friedrich Nietzsche. In the cycle “Veltītais laiks,” the thinking process is physically depicted, which in the context of contemporary art stresses the primacy of time over space. 

Time Spent (Based on Nicolas Bourriaud “Relational Aesthetics”). 2012.

Nietzsche Sings. 2012.

Antichrist Still Life (Based on Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche’s “The Antichrist”). 2012.