Museum Night 2009 - Reflections

This year's was thoroughly cool and without any particular surprises or discoveries - but here are a few highlights.

At the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design on Skārņu Street in Old Riga, fashion designer Jolanta Vadopalasa's costume show "In Diamond Chains" was on display.

Fine, close-fitting knitwear with graphic patterns dominated. As an accent - every garment featured unfailing metallic-sheen details.

In the ground-floor hall - also paintings of various moods.

This chair made of wood and brass is not at all intended for sitting and resting tired feet after long walks through nocturnal Riga, but rather is a 1987 decorative creation by artist Jānis Straupe. On view in the permanent exhibition on the upper floor of the museum.

At Dome Square, as part of European Month, a large-format photo exhibition "One Day in Latvia" is on - one I might never have noticed were it not for Museum Night. Genuinely interesting photographs, capturing everyday moments in black-and-white and colour, from Latvia in 1987 and 2007.

At the Riga History and Navigation Museum - permanent exhibition and a courtyard lit with memorial candles. Apart from the chanting of old ditties in one of the stairwells, the museum staff had not arranged any other attractions. :(

An offering to the Great Christopher (the original statue in the museum - as is known, the one on the embankment is a copy), and his reply in the words of O. Vācietis:

"I cannot protect you from anything, / If you do not do it yourselves, / But each one who fights for the good, loves the good, / And believes in the good, / I have faithfully protected / And shall protect forever."

Two pictures on the wall caught my attention. One, a painting by an unknown author in the study of dancer and collector Marta Alberinga (1909–2005). A fine piece. The other - an old photograph in which, greeting Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis, a crowd has raised its hands in salute with a "Heil!" - associatively reminiscent of another well-known regime and another leader (though hats off to both of them).

At the Museum of Literature, Theatre and Music on Castle Square - permanent exhibition, a photo exhibition, and music. From the permanent exhibition - the standout discovery was an almost unvarnished light-wood violin in a robust wooden case.

Subjective assessment:

It is good that such an event takes place in Latvia, as it does in other European countries rich in cultural and artistic heritage. Despite limited funding, practically all museums opened their doors to visitors - and there were many of them.

The announced main theme - Latvia and travel - was, in my view, very weakly addressed. Museums largely made do with their permanent exhibitions, not thinking of anything additional to engage or address visitors - in other words, they didn't make an effort. I can't judge how it was in previous years, but this year, when for the first time I had the idea of trying the free bus service, I was met with a certain disappointment. First, there was no information whatsoever about when it ran (no timetable information was available anywhere - only routes could be found online); second, there were no additional signs at the stops indicating that the Museum Night bus actually stops there; third, if it stopped running at 1:00 AM, then the main flow of passengers should clearly have been anticipated from the centre rather than to it. Moreover, this year, having left the car at home and relying on public transport, we discovered a sorry fact - after 23:45 there is no way to get home. The late-night transport service had been cancelled for austerity purposes during the crisis - either walk 5–6 km or call a taxi.