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From September 25 to 27, the “Liepāja Art Forum 2026” festival took place, during which Kaspars Podnieks’ latest exhibition, “Bicorn,” opened at the “Lielais Dzintars” concert hall, where visitors, together with dancers and the works of Steve Reich, explored the concert hall’s acoustic architecture, and Canada’s most outstanding chamber musicians offered a glimpse into the moment of musical creation. This year, the festival’s main events were complemented by a cultural program at other cultural venues in Liepāja.

The festival opened with the latest exhibition by Latvian contemporary artist Kaspars Podnieks, titled “Bicorn,” in the “Stay-tion” community space at the concert hall. He describes it as follows: “Something’s been off with those horned creatures lately… It’s not going well for the unicorns, nothing’s going right. We’ll see… I have ‘Bicorn.’” With this solo exhibition, the concert hall briefly becomes a little piece of Drusti. That’s where he comes from, and that’s where he is. This place permeates all of the artist’s works—among the little animals, the two-horned ones. There will be both new works and those left without commentary, as well as pieces from the exhibitions “I’m Coming Home” and “Connected Vessels” presented in a new context. The exhibition will be on view through December 6.

The following day, a large crowd gathered to see “Teh Reich Passage,” a new dance and chamber music production created especially for the festival and dedicated to the 90th birthday of American composer Steve Reich. Several of the composer’s works received their Latvian premieres during the performance. The procession, created by choreographer and dancer Artūrs Nīgals, began outside the concert hall, where audience members were invited to speak their names into a microphone. Further on, on the first floor, “Pendulum Music” was set in motion by dancers from Liepāja’s dance studios “Deja Liepājai” and “Ekstra,” who continued their journey to the second floor, where, amid swirling smoke and a light show, they brought to life the algorithms of the previously recorded names for the piece “My Name Is...”. Here, dancers Anna Marija Puķe and Lauris Limbergs join in, leading the audience upward to watch the action unfolding at the station set up on the concert hall’s terrace. Meanwhile, young musicians from Liepāja rhythmically fill the spacious acoustics with “Clapping Music.”

As the piece “It's Gonna Rain” plays, the dancers lead the audience into the Great Hall. There, flutist Liene Denisjuka-Straupe performs “Vermont Counterpoint,” followed by a rendition of “Music for Pieces of Wood” by percussionists Marta Kauliņa-Pelnēna, Sonja Misiņa, Arnis Stepiņš, Matīss Skarēvičs, and Toms Kozlovs. The collaborative piece “Four Organs” is performed by pianists Agnese Egliņa, Elīna Bērtiņa, Rihards Plešanovs, and Juris Žvikovs. Meanwhile, accompanied by Reihs’ music, the story of the three central dancers unfolds before the audience.

On Sunday evening, violinist Sarah Neufeld, multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry, and cellist Rebecca Foon drew the audience into a meditative chamber music experience. The trio represents one of the most interesting music scenes of the past decade—the so-called “Montreal scene.” Perry and Neufeld are best known as members of the famous rock band “Arcade Fire”; both also perform with the collective “Bell Orchestre,” though their creative work extends far beyond that into other projects. Foon is a co-founder of the acclaimed chamber post-rock ensemble “Esmerine” and a member of several other groups; her solo project “Saltland” is also noteworthy.

The concert featured pieces from the trio’s debut album, "First Sounds". In pre-concert discussions, the musicians revealed that this music emerged from creative impulses that they are able to read in one another and weave into a unified sound without written scores or elaborate production. Each performance is also unique, as the compositions are often enriched by improvisation. This performance was no exception, as the musicians’ harmonious synergy created an atmospheric soundscape in the hall where the sense of time disappears. In a couple of pieces, they were joined by a surprise guest, Neufeld’s longtime friend Shipsea (Jānis Šipkēvics), who added vocal interplay to the sound.

This year, the festival’s main events at the concert hall were complemented by a program at nearby cultural venues. At “Veranda,” Norwegian musicians Stian Westerhus and Maja Ratkje, in their first concert in the Baltic states, revealed the unusual and profound connection between voice, guitar, organ, and violin in their program “All Losses Are Restored.” In the “Miezis & Ko” craft beer cellar, Emil Amos and Alex Hall—founders of the cult American psychedelic and progressive rock band “Grails”—presented their unique record collection. At the “Valhalla Wine & Coffee” café, Richard Reed Perry and Jimmy Tenor invited guests to an intimate musical gathering featuring a DJ set.

Meanwhile, at the Liepāja Puppet Theater, the youngest audience members were able to explore the world through their senses in the play “Čalotāji,” while the play “Ezītis Puksītis and Vilis the Moth” told a story about friendship and the desire to help others. However, the play “Metamorphosis” prompted young people and adults alike to engage in a deeper exploration of human loneliness and the desire to be accepted.

“Liepāja Art Forum 2026” is organized by SIA “Lielais Dzintars.” The event is supported by: the Liepāja City Council, the State Culture Capital Foundation, Artes Liberales, Erica Synths, the Uniting Foundation, Valmiermuiža Brewery, Gardu muti, and RTU Liepāja Academy, Latvian National Museum of Art , The Liepaja Holy Trinity Cathedral . Partners: Liepāja Puppet Theater, Veranda, Valhalla Wine & Coffee, and Miezis & Ko.