From March 9 to 24, the 2nd and 3rd floor public area and the 4th floor gallery of the Great Amber Concert Hall is exhibiting Written in Latvianness by Latvian designer and costume creator Evija Dāboliņa.

Today, I write Latvianness. I have inherited it from the generations before me, through the wisdom of my ancestors. I give it rebirth and creation. I write contemporary works of applied art, celebration costumes based on folk tradition. They are worn by the conductors of our Grand Choir, the leaders of our dancers, and the representatives of our folk music and art. The Song Festival is the brightest symbol of our culture. Conductors are the spiritual elite of our nation – they symbolize culture that has shaped the Latvian state. They continue shaping the Song Festival, which is a unique process on a global scale.

I practice a symbolic way of cultural thought. The sign of the Sun carved into ancient distaffs, chests, and kokles, shines in a golden festive rosette of my creation. The Namejs ring on a tribal chief’s finger transforms into a silver buckle on a conductor’s white shirt collar. Men in grey coats of simple cloth singing a song, and signs written in silver dust on the grey tailcoats of grey-haired conductors. This is heritage, captured in a living language. My language.

The exhibition shows the Centennial Song and Dance Festival costumes worn by chief conductors and participants of the Grand Dance Performance, as well as Evija’s 2023 costumes for the chief conductors, soloists and hosts of the concert The Field. The Road of Song and the closing concert Upward Together – Inga Tropa, Jānis Šipkēvics, trumpetist Jānis Porietis. Special collaborations were established with conductors from Liepāja Ilze Valce, Jēkabs Ozoliņš, and Guntis Kuzma.

Visitors will also see the 30th anniversary performance costumes for the production Lāčplēsis, stage costumes created for organ player Iveta Apkalna, Raxtu Raxti, head of the Latgale Embassy GORS Diāna Zirniņa, choreographer and chief dance leader of Liepāja region dance collectives Jānis Purviņš, as well as costumes from productions of the JVLMA opera studio Figaro – Dzirnavniece, Arlekīns, and a costume from the dance performance Krustdūriens.

Costumes by: Evija Dāboliņa

Concept and design by: Aigars Ozoliņš

Admission: free

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–3 p.m.