An exhibition by Latvian artists Agate Lielpētere and Luīze Rukšāne is to open in Ljubljana
From 24 July to 28 August 2025, the joint exhibition Zemlja by Latvian artists Agate Lielpētere and Luīze Rukšāne will be on view at Kresija Gallery in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
When focusing on the ‘culture’ in agriculture, we talk about caring or tending, yet globalisation and growing demands push us to expand into natural environments. Efficiency-driven farming reduces the presence of native varieties in the land we care for — plants that have become part of our culture and identity.
The exhibition’s title ‘Zemlja’ considers the meanings of the word: soil, earth, a piece of land, our piece of land, our planet. It marks a path that leads us from microorganisms to a planetary scale. The two artists invite us to explore where we belong in this chain, and what our relationship with it is. By understanding our soil and land, we can also learn something about our roots. Ignoring grand narratives of national belonging, the artists zoom into smaller units of land, questioning identity as an intimate reality.
Latvia has long been a nation of devoted potato consumers. In 2018, it ranked third in Europe for potato consumption per capita at 113 kg (FAO). Many domestic varieties have been developed in response, often named after women close to their (mostly male) breeders. Agate Lielpētere thus positions potatoes and women as Latvia’s national treasures, her works are portraits of women and the potato varieties that bear their names. As well as the ‘Latvian women’, the artist includes the once-popular Slovenian variety Igor, nearly wiped out by the Y virus. In an effort to keep him in our collective memory — and hoping for new love to spur — she introduces him to the Latvian varieties such as Magdalena, Zīle, Laimdota. Luīze Rukšāne expands this perspective, unearthing connections between femininity, fertility, labour, and the Latvian landscape. The motifs she depicts are small excerpts of the land, gently inviting us to search for traces of identity under a rock, in a stork’s nest, or in the labour of a potato harvest — places where one might not expect to find it, but where, with intention, it quietly reveals itself.
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Agate Lielpētere (b. 1995, Latvia) is a visual artist based in Ljubljana. She holds a BA in Graphic art from the Art Academy of Latvia. Lielpētere’s artistic work can be described as subtly humorous, focusing on social narratives and questions of identity.
Luīze Rukšāne (b. 1995, Latvia) holds a BA from the Art Academy of Latvia and is currently studying at HFBK Hamburg. Her solo exhibition Folding Lines (2024) won the public vote for the 2025 Purvītis Prize. Her work navigates themes of memory, time, and domesticity, offering subtle reflections on personal and collective histories.
Producer: Luka Piškorič, Poligon Institute
Venue:
Gallery Kresija
Stritarjeva ulica 6, 1000 Ļubļana, Slovēnija
