On March 20, Gundega Makita Evelone visited the Bolderāja New Primary School in Rīga to meet with the group of students that will participate in the artist’s residency project “The Seaside Character”. The group consists of ten students from Grades 7 and 8. The artist chose to work with a smaller group as she has previous experience in working with a smaller number of people and finds it important to have an individual approach to establish a rapport. The teacher Lolita Maderniece likewise spoke to some of the students during the session. Speaking with the students, Lolita paid attention to the level of interest they had during Gundega’s first visit at the school as well as whether they had particular interest in a sphere of art, their vision and ideas. They got in touch with the Ukrainian student in the group as well to provide him with the chance to express himself creatively and help him better understand the atmosphere of Latvian art processes.
At the outset, Gundega asked the students what was the last book they had read and the most recent movie they’d seen, whether the students go to music or art school and what sports they like. Later the artist explained her project, “The Seaside Character”, in greater detail – students will be making art as part of it. During the discussion she used herself as an example to explain the meaning of an idea of an artwork. Gundega finds it important to have an idea at the outset, for which she can then find an appropriate means of expression.
During the second part of the meeting the students came up with a name for their group, with everyone putting forth their own suggestion. When the majority had voted for the name Broski Bračuki [Broski Bros], they wrote a manifesto and a set of rules to be observed during the workshop. Each student signed the manifesto and the rules. At the end of the session the students wrote and filled in a form, sharing freely some information about them that they found important at the time.
Teacher Lolita Maderniece provided support for keeping order in the classroom while art mediator Lana Zujeva took photos of the workshop activities.