Ingress XP by Dzelde Mierkalne
To inhabit a space and time in a ritualistic manner behind a porous shield of tangible fantasy - while in the midst of a continuous collapse. Level up, a thousand points, check your health, better gear, keep it up, ultra combo, skill issue, another try. The lore goes deep, we are only scratching the surface, inscribing it into earthly materials, into our minds and muscle memory. One click, a mighty stroke of the sword - what stands against me, I stand against. Outside, time passes, here it accumulates, its weight becoming the proof of a fictitious hero. This experience is finite, but the game is infinite and the goal of it is play itself.
In this exhibition the artist invites the viewer to step into a materialised space of the magic circle, a concept borrowed and used in game theory and experience. Describing the place where play happens, it refers to the mental space and the lusory attitude where one shifts to experience a different realm of sorts, with a set of its own rules, skills and landscape. While seemingly detached, reality seeps through the cracks, still carried in the body and shaped by the conditions of the times we live in.
Curator: Raivis Alksnis Graphic Design: Eglė Kirlytė
The project is partially funded by the Vilnius City Municipality.
Opening: 21 May 2026 at 18:00.
Exhibition opening hours: Thu–Sat 16:00–19:00, Sun 14:00–17:00. Exhibition runs until 31 May 2026.
#theroostergallery #dzeldemierkalne #lithuania #latvia #contmoraryart
Some of the process documentation from the stuu of the making of Cradlecodex 42 ;;
Also have to mention the beautiful catalogue(book) of @tallinn_print_triennial that I’m honoured to be a part of
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And Also this baby got on the cover of a magazine of Estonia culture September issue and apparently it’s still in stores there thank u for sending the pic @jukuluik
As curator Edd Shauten aptly writes: “Dzelde Mierkalne and her artistic practice are quintessentially Generation Z. In the shadow of a global pandemic, failed democracies, a new wave of wars, and the progressing climate crisis, promises of a rosy future are being unveiled as empty words marking the path into the inevitable. Growing up with a dying planet implies the inescapability of a doomed future and inevitably leads to the quest of finding modes on how to play a game that has been lost. Mierkalne draws a world that doesn’t negate our harsh realities, but instead emphasizes the fragility and transience of life. Through a hyperrealistic language inspired by rituals of death as well as enjoyment the artist depicts the approach of a young generation that understands their own insignificance.”
Dzelde Mierkalne
Hope Thaw (Cerību Atkusnis)
Scagliola inlay
30x38cm
2026
Dzelde Mierkalne (1997) is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in printmaking. Dzelde is a graduate of the Master’s program POST at the Art Academy of Latvia.
Photo: Kristīne Madjare
Polished from the shadows of the mezzotint rocker teeth upon the copper plate,, The Illuminator (referencing Cradlecodex 42) — featuring the first test proof i did for this one before lifting the lights out of the burr##
Made for the 19th Tallinn Print Triennial
@tallinn_print_triennial
Photos 1,2 by Hedi Jaansoo
“Cradlecodex 42” — a scagliola marble incunabulum made in the format, the size and likeness of its predecessor, the book of books, the 42 line Bible a.k.a. the Gutenberg’s Bible a.k.a. the first ever printed book (of the West). Made for this year’s Tallinn Print Triennial, a historic event in the Baltic printmaking scene, this has become one of my own most treasured pieces. Thinking of the triennials theme, related to memory storage and media oversaturation, I went all the way back to where it started- sort of. A memorabilia piece, heavy in its significance, accompanied by other petrified and forgotten books.
The platform for the pieces was developed in collaboration with the Tallinn Print Triennial’s exhibition designer specifically for the show; thank you @printandtreeprojects !
And so grateful to @tallinn_print_triennial@marika.agu@bennobritta for inviting me to participate in this and all the support along the way!
Photos nr 4,5,6 by Hedi Jaansoo
made out of dust— of everything else I do, the byproduct becomes the substance of its own ;; “Settledust (sculpture)”, an ephemeral memorial that commemorates whatever it has once been, once polished, sturdy and seemingly eternal— now mapping each instance of movement and gust it has lived through in the space //// scagliola dust,, since 2022 and ongoing, size varies adapting to the environment,,, this one is from the exhibition “In The Shadow of the Floater” in @distillerygallery June 2025, curated by @virgil_tilks
If, for some reason, you have not yet clicked on the hug-printmaking.org homepage (to register for the conference, of course) and have not noticed that the whole program is already up there, do not lose heart, for we will continue to introduce all the presenters one by one, day by day.
Next in the program is Dzelde Mierkalne @dxcldc , a multidisciplinary artist based in Riga, whose work covers printmaking, drawing, sculpture and installation.
In her presentation ''Etched in Dust: From Intaglio to Scagliola'' she will talk about her unique use of the scagliola technique, a historical method of marble imitation. Her works combine the substantial materiality of heavy (imitation) marble blocks with the delicate lines and patterns inlaid on them. Her latest work, „Cradlecodex 42”, is also part of the 19th Tallinn Print Triennial exhibition.
We can already say that our program will include a curator tour of the Triennial, so after you have heard Dzelde’s surely marvellous presentation, you can also see this marble marvel with your own eyes and admire her inventive and modern use of the 17th-century technique up close.
#HUGprintmaking #PRINTASconference #dzeldemierkalne #printmaking #graphicarts #graafika #contemporaryprintmaking #printmaker
from the opening of group show “In the Shadow of the Floater” in @distillerygallery Boston, Massachusetts, curated by @virgil_tilks , photo by @j_a_m_i_e_s <3 - so grateful-(and still processing) to have been present for my first overseas show &&& the journey and the people I’ve met thanks to it
