Marking its 35th anniversary, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga (Skārņu iela 10), in cooperation with the association Design Export Alliance, launches a new pop-up exhibition series The Close up of Design Processes that will reflect the current developments in Latvian contemporary design. Visitors are invited to see the first exhibition titled Spring from 3 May to 28 June 2024.

3 May – 28 June 2024
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design /
permanent exhibition Design Process (3rd floor)
Skārņu iela 10, Riga

Media tour of exhibition on 2 May 2024 at 12.00
Registration of participants: 11.30–12.00

About the pop-up exhibition series The Close up of Design Processes

The four pop-up exhibitions, as parts of the project The Close up of Design Processes, replacing each other, will be on view at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (MDAD) until the end of the year. All of them are implemented in an innovative format by integrating into the museum’s 3rd-floor permanent display Design Process, which introduces Latvian design history since the 1960s. The concept and visual solution for this exhibition cycle find its inspiration in one of the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The special atmosphere will be achieved by the selected colour palette typical of the season, emphasizing the traditionally strong connection of Latvian design to nature, appropriating and interpreting organic forms, natural materials, and textures in its products. Each exhibition will showcase ‘success stories’ of several well-known Latvian brands using careful sample selection and audiovisual elements. Exclusively prepared video stories will reveal the process of product development and behind-the-scenes glimpses.

The first pop-up exhibition, Spring, offers insight into the work of companies such as Vaidava Ceramics, Mammalampa, Articul (Rīgas Krēslu fabrika / Riga Chair Factory), Madara Cosmetics, Mint, and Livette’s Wallpaper. Its idea and visual language will evoke thoughts of the first spring days, fresh green leaves and the colours of freshly ploughed fields.

The pop-up exhibition series will be accompanied by educational programme, public discussions, design hackathon, and, for the first time in the museum’s history, special projects by two resident young designers selected through a competitive process.

About cooperation with the association Design Export Alliance

The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Riga, located in the former St. George’s Church and opened on 6 July 1989, has gained acclaim thanks to its rich collection of Latvian applied art works and design objects of the past times, as well as due to the works created by contemporary Latvian artists and running displays of spectacular examples of foreign design products. At present, the museum is focusing its attention on the on-going processes in design and by doing so contributes to the future by supporting the efforts of the association Design Export Alliance to publicize the brand Design Latvia. The association’s goal is to define Latvia’s design identity and highlight the importance of design in contemporary culture. “By developing Design Latvia brand and our products, we wish to make everybody feel proud about Latvia, and we expect that this brand will confidently position Latvian design in the global context,” emphasizes Agnese Stalte, a representative of the association, director of the Kanttari brand.

The permanent exhibition of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design is regularly supplemented with the latest accomplishments of Latvian designers in the field. It’s natural that during the jubilee year, MDAD shall eagerly welcome its guests – actively developing and export-capable brands Vaidava Ceramics, an&angel, Mammalampa, PAA vannas, Articul (Rīgas Krēslu fabrika / Riga Chair Factory), Mint, Stenders, Munio, Baibaglass, Kanttari, Nordi, Livette’s Wallpaper, Aretai, Madara Cosmetics, and others.

The pop-up exhibition project has been implemented thanks to the initiative of MDAD and the creative vision of Ieva Kalēja who represents the association Design Export Alliance and will also be the curator of the anniversary series. The graphic identity of the cycle will be created by Liene Drāzniece. Both artists have gained extensive experience developing successful companies: Ieva Kalēja is the founder and designer of two brands – Mammalampa and DeTales, while Liene Drāzniece is the co-founder and leading designer of Madara Cosmetics.

This special collaboration between the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design and the association Design Export Alliance will actualize and promote awareness in society about the importance of design processes in everyone’s daily life. Through a series of pop-up exhibitions, visitors will have a great opportunity to explore and appreciate the remarkable stories of Latvian design brands.

Exhibition curator:
Ieva Kalēja, co-founder and chairman of the board of the association Design Export Alliance, founder and designer of brands Mammalampa and DeTales

Graphic design:
Liene Drāzniece, graphic designer, representative of the association Design Export Alliance, co-founder and leading designer of brand Madara Cosmetics

Team:
Inese Baranovska, Head of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design /
Latvian National Museum of Art
Ph: (+371) 67 830 900, E:

Ieva Zvejniece,
Curator of Design and Decorative Woodworking Art Collection /
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design / Latvian National Museum of Art

Līga Brice,
Senior Specialist / Museum of Decorative Arts and Design /
Latvian National Museum of Art

Līva Kubulniece, Communication Specialist /
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design / Latvian National Museum of Art
Ph: (+371) 28 381 129, E:

Education programme:
Kortnija Māra Gurtlava, Curator of Education /
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design / Latvian National Museum of Art