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 Places, Owners, Offers Marita Batņa, Culture Theorist Gallery ‘Suņa taka (Su.Ta)' | |
| The energetic designer couple Ilmārs and Ilona Drīliņi describe themselves as the "avant-garde of Jelgava", and, having opened the town's first gallery, are on a mission to "develop gallery culture in Jelgava". Used to working on a grand scale - in contact with Riga, and full of ideas, the founders of the design company Silver Path (‘Sudraba taka') do not consider that art and design are from separate areas. "Creative expression covers everything! We do things that are interesting for us, and we can offer people the kind of environment they are missing. Art must be imported into people's thinking, because we know from experience that most people do not quite understand why art should be bought at all" - this is how Ilmārs Drīliņš links the purpose of the gallery with a way of life and a cultural mission. The poetic name of the gallery, which in English would be ‘Dog Path', and its shorter version ‘Su.Ta.' which spells the name of the feisty leader of Latvian modernism Romans Suta, whose art features vitality and wit, as well as the racy exhibition which was opened on Saint Valentine's day, PUPart (Eroticism in Art - works by Roberts Koļcovs, Aivars Vilipsons, Harijs Brants and others) encourage intrigue and give some clues about the gallery owners' style. A walk to the seemingly invisible old town area in Jelgava, where in a quiet square at a street crossing one finds a red building at no. 68 Dobeles iela, may feel like wandering along a path which leads to a destination of one's own intuition. Such "on the track of an idea" and independence in wandering is typical of a dog, which has become the brand image for the gallery and is symbolized by a dog's tail in the logo of the Drīliņš' brand name ‘Su.Ta'. Any resident of Jelgava, a Latvian from anywhere else in Latvia or a foreigner may chance upon the gallery as an interesting and inspiring venue. In addition Ilona Drīliņa avers that: "Art should be searched for!" | |
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The gallery shares the building with a music school, with which it lives in friendly co-existence. Exhibition openings are happenings: with performances by musicians, no shortage of surprises, and lively interaction. These will be club-type meetings with the presentation of ideas and debates; the tradition has been borrowed from architect and designer circles, but it is envisaged to involve various other interested parties and not just professionals. Logos and urban art are the first themes the Drīliņi have in mind. The small gallery space, according to the owners, is a "model" in keeping with present requirements. The gallery space is transparently connected to the office by a glass wall; the gallery managers are willing to talk about the exhibition with any visitor who walks in. So far the record of experience includes six shows in various genres: design objects, photography, paintings, graphic art. Exhibitions vary between dynamic theme-based shows and more sedate solo expositions. The high quality space and the skill of presentation set a standard which enables the Drīliņi to attract the participation of well-regarded artists. The future of a new gallery is usually connected to risk factors such as low-level demand and business issues. As regards the ‘Dog Path', there is good reason for confidence: the creativity and the solid professional standards of the owners will not let quality flow away like sand through the fingers. We wish that the ‘Dog Path' continues to express its spirit of independence and ideas in innovative forms and unlimited space, thus sending on their way along this attractive path more and more new explorers. | |
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