InstalLation “THE LOST I”

Current location: the overgrown house on the reservoir of Annenieki

The installation was created as a continuation of the story of the painting, which depicts garden gnomes lost in the thickets, from the series "Exhibitions That Never Happened: Thickets". And it is unknown whether the dwarves got lost by themselves or someone lost them. It is known that they are lost.

While creating the exhibition in the abandoned building, I reflected on the rights of the garden gnomes, hoping that my artistic idea would not offend any of them and that I would not receive reprimands from the Garden Gnome Protection Association.

I have only partially dealt with gnoming - stealing garden gnomes from their owners' houses or gardens and returning them to the "wild nature", therefore releasing them. The garden gnome in the overgrown house was not stolen, but bought in Depo. Freed, and now he watches speeding cars passing by, one after the other, hurrying or slowly sliding along the recently renovated Liepaja highway.

A garden gnome lives for about 350 to 500 years, reaching its maturity at age of 40, similar to a human. It turns out that it's not the dwarves' vegetarian diet of mostly garden-sourced goodies that provides them with these many years of dwarven life, but rather the magical abilities they undeniably possess.

The installation consists of one freed garden gnome and five painted clocks, each showing its own time. These clocks, whose centers depict five different garden gnomes with their backs to their viewer, count the minutes and hours as the house overgrows more and more.

Special thanks to Inese and Vitalijs for their support.

If someone, reading this and seeing the photos of the installation, wants to experience it all in person, I warn you in advance that in order to reach the overgrown house, you have to cross a wet ditch. :)