MUD LAB

Spring arrived hand in hand with work. Following earlier research in Līvāni, MA POST from the Art Academy of Latvia visited the Glass Department at the Estonian Academy of Arts. During the visit in Tallinn, materials brought from Līvāni were tested and remelted, while Latvian artists Kristaps Ancāns, Līva Priedīte, Niklāvs Kadiķis, Francis Hagendorfs, and Emīlija Paškeviča were introduced to the processes of hot and cold glasswork thanks to the team of the Glass Department, including Andra Jõgis, Alyona Movko-Mägi, Rait Lõhmus, Eve Koha, and Kaja Knowers, among others. At the end of the month, the Estonian team will visit Līvāni and the Art Academy of Latvia to further develop this joint project. We would like to thank both academies, the Art Academy of Latvia and the Estonian Academy of Arts, as well as Līvāni City, the Līvāni Glass and Craft Centre, the Culture and Tourism Department, and others for their support. Photos: @niklavskad @mud_lab_community @eka_estonian_academy_of_arts @eka_klaas @alyona.movko.maegi @andra_jogis_studio @danzadelvientre_ @kajaknowers @makslasakademija @prriedit @hagendorfsfrancis @niklavskad @epaskevica @kristaps_ancans @visitlivani

Following earlier research in Līvāni, MA POST from Art Academy of Latvia together with MUD Lab has continued the project by collecting material remnants from the former glass factory. These fragments, industrial leftovers, traces of production, are now being taken to the Glass Department of Estonian Academy of Arts for testing and experimentation in collaboration with the Glass Department. The aim is to investigate how materials found on site can be reworked, recycled, and transformed into new material conditions and forms. Rather than treating the factory as a closed past, the project approaches it as an active resource - where what remains becomes a starting point for future production. The visit was led by Kristaps Ancāns with  MA POST students Līva Priedīte, Niklāvs Kadiķis, Francis Hagendorfs, and Emīlija Paškeviča. We would like to thank Līvāni City,  Livani Glass and Craft Center, the Culture and Tourism Department, and Kvartāls for their support. Photos: @niklavskad @mud_lab_community @visitlivani @eka_estonian_academy_of_arts @eka_klaas @makslasakademija @stop.spot.post @mjic_kvartals @prriedit @hagendorfsfrancis @niklavskad @epaskevica @kristaps_ancans

The historic glass factory in Līvāni has long shaped the town’s identity through its tradition of glass production and craftsmanship. Referencing an article by Alyona Movko-Mägi published in DEKA - the publication of the Design Faculty of the Estonian Academy of Arts, the site is described as more than an industrial memory: “the glass factory is not only a trace of local industry but also a place where new cultural connections and creative experiments can emerge.” Building on this idea, a collaborative project has been initiated between the Glass Department of the Estonian Academy of Arts, the MA POST programme at the Art Academy of Latvia, Līvāni City and the Līvāni Glass Centre, and MUD Lab. The initiative brings together artists, designers, and researchers from Latvia and Estonia to explore the glass heritage of Līvānī as a starting point for contemporary artistic exchange and site-specific experimentation. Full article (EE): https://www.artun.ee/app/uploads/2026/02/DEKA_2_Online_Version_Full.pdf @alyona.movko.maegi @mud_lab_community @eka_estonian_academy_of_arts @eka_klaas @makslasakademija @stop.spot.post @visitlivani

Thank you to the Cross-Regional Foundation of Mid Latgale (Viduslatgles Pārnovadu fonds) for the recognition and for awarding MUD LAB the Golden Falcon for the event PHYSICAL BORDER, which took place in Līvāni in June 2025. We are deeply grateful for this acknowledgement and would like to sincerely thank the Foundation, its team, and Līvāni Municipality for their trust, continued support, and belief in this project. A very special joy and thanks for the beautifully crafted award created by the students of Jēkabs Graubiņš Līvāni Music and Art School! The event PHYSICAL BORDER was organised in collaboration with Līvāni Municipality and Kvartāls – Multifunctional Youth Centre, with the support of: • Cross-Regional Foundation of Mid Latgale – Small Grants Programme • Latgale Culture Programme (State Culture Capital Foundation) • British Council We would also like to thank our partners for their ongoing support and collaboration: Art Academy of Latvia, Vilnius Art Academy, Lakuga – Latgalian Cultural News Platform, MOST Magazine, and Chayka. @mud_lab_community @mjic_kvartals @makslasakademija @britishcouncillatvia @brunotankelsons2 @emilsjansons @kristaps_ancans @jekaterina.golubkova @kathryn.zazenski @zaneteskarule @innaplavoka @dmytrochepurnyi @latvijas_dzelzcels @chaykalv @voluuda @mostmagazine__ @kulturkapitals @livanustikls @ilzegriezane @burgerija.latgale @visitlivani #physicalborder #friendsofeurope #MUDLABcommunity #MUDLAB #Livani

From December 7 to 12, 2025, Kristers Krums (@nno4raa ) and Nicola Lorini (@nicolalorini ) were in residence at the Forest Plinth territory to develop, install, and activate the collaborative project Bits, and Peaks, and Splinters and Flowers. The work began with the recovery of an old set of traditional drums from the region, sparking an ongoing conversation around notions of music, belonging, material culture, ritual, borders, and collectivity. The two drums - restored by the artists and presented within a specifically designed architectural scenography - were played using several drumsticks crafted by friends and colleagues and shipped to the site. Through an absurd unboxing performance, recorded using early digital devices, each drumstick untied a chain of spoken and sound-based conversations. The sonic, visual, and spoken material collected during the event will be assembled into a video work. Meanwhile, the archive of drumsticks is stored in a custom-made wooden box and remains open to expansion and future activations. The project is supported by the MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ), State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (@kulturkapitals ) and Drikaines. Drumsticks by: Valters Veide (@tel.29utt ), Dāvids Asaris (@davidarmsdeal ), Rūdolfs Kuncītis (@rudolws ), Māra Avrameca (@730marla ), Katrīna Biksone (@katrinabiksone ), Krišjānis Beļavskis (@ch2kb ), Kristers Krūms (@nno4raa ), Nicola Lorini (@nicolalorini ), Kristaps Ancāns (@kristaps_ancans ), Sara Ravelli (@sara.rvll ), Luca Baldini & Jessica Zorzin (@gravida94 ,@jessica.zorzin ), Catarina Cubelo (@catarina_cubelo ). Vest, hat and scarves tailored by Alisters Bernāts ( @alisters_bernats_latvietis ) #forestplinth #mud_lab #latgale

From December 7 to 12, Kristers Krums and Nicola Lorini are in residence at the Forest Plinth territory to develop, install and activate the collaborative project - Bits, and Peaks, and Splinters and Flowers.   The work began with the recovery of an old set of traditional drums from the region, sparking a looping conversation around notions of music, belonging, material culture, ritual, borders, and collectivity.  The two drums, restored by the artists and presented within a specifically designed architectural scenography will be played using several drumsticks crafted by friends and colleagues and shipped to the site.  Through an absurd unboxing performance - recorded using early digital devices - each drumstick will untie a chain of spoken and sound based conversations.   The project is supported by the MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community  ), State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (@kulturkapitals ) and Drikaines. On December 11 from 13.00 to 16.00, visitors are welcome to the Forest Plinth territory to observe the unboxing of drumsticks and the activation of the drums. The installation can also be visited by chance or by appointment until December 12.    Drumsticks by: Valters Veide (@tel.29utt ), Dāvids Asaris (@davidarmsdeal ), Rūdolfs Kuncītis (@rudolws ), Māra Avrameca (@mareograph7 ), Katrīna Biksone (@katrinabiksone ), Krišjānis Beļavskis (@ch2kb ), Kristers Krūms (@nno4raa ), Nicola Lorini (@nicolalorini ), Kristaps Ancāns (@kristaps_ancans ), Sara Ravelli (@sara.rvll ), Luca Baldini & Jessica Zorzin (@gravida94 ,@jessica.zorzin ), Catarina Cubelo (@catarina_cubelo ).  #MUDLABcommunity #forestplinth #Latgale

Meeting in Līvāni – Exploring Glass Heritage and Future Collaboration. On Monday in Līvāni, representatives from the Estonian Academy of Arts (@eka_estonian_academy_of_arts ) — Andra Jõgis (@andra_jogis_studio & @eka_klaas ) Alyona Movko-Mägi (@alyona.movko.maegi ) — met with MA POST (@stop.spot.post ) participants from the Art Academy of Latvia (@makslasakademija ), Emīlija Paškeviča (@epaskevica ) and Kristaps Ancāns (@kristaps_ancans ) and MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ), as well as Ilze Griezāne (@ilzegriezane ) and Ivars Āboltiņš from the Līvāni Glass and Craft Centre (@livanustikls ). This was the first meeting aimed at initiating conversations around the glass heritage, histories, and transformations of the former Līvāni Glass Factory. The discussion also touched upon the region’s contemporary developments, including the high-tech companies such as Ceram Optec and Light Guide Optics International, alongside the only remaining glassblowing centre in Latvia, located in Līvāni. The meeting served as an introduction for participants from Latvia and Estonia to explore shared histories, common interests, and possibilities for future research, collaboration, and creative work.

On November 8, MA POST— Francis Hagendorfs (@hagendorfsfrancis ), Niklāvs Kadiķis (@niklavskad ), Līva Priedīte (@prriedit ), and Kristaps Ancāns (@kristaps_ancans ) — were in Līvāni together with MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ) and the Līvāni Culture and Sports Department, leading an AI animation workshop for kids. Thank you to all the groups who participated — the atmosphere was truly creative and inspiring! The animation film will be screened on the Culture House facade during the National Holidays later this month. Special thanks to all partners, the Art Academy of Latvia (@makslasakademija ), and Līvāni Municipality (@visitlivani ) for their support. #workshop #livani #makslasakademija #StopSpotPost #MUDLABcommunity #latgale

Oto (@oto.holgers.ozolins ) and Anna (@nnmlck ) shared their experience as the latest collaborators who worked on the Forest Platform: Our research began with an invitation to come to the Forest Plinth and respond to the material findings within its immediate and wider surroundings. The outcome on the platform would depend entirely on what we discovered. We knew from the start that we wanted the documentary nature of the work to be transformed through artistic interpretation. We approached the Forest Plinth as a tabula rasa — an empty page waiting to be written upon. Aware that remnants existed within the forest and beyond, we began using a metal detector to search for fragments. The most revealing site turned out to be the area that once hosted a blacksmith’s headquarters. During the residency, our tasks were quite straightforward: to dig through the layers of soil to uncover objects, transport them to the platform, sort them by shape, size, and feeling, and finally arrange them according to the principle of knolling — a method of organizing items into a visually satisfying composition that conveys a sense of order. Because of the vastness of the plinth and the abundance of found objects, we were able to create the materialization of Field Record — a quasi–land art piece, an imaginary artefact inscription, a psychogeographical composition. Organised by MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ) and Kristaps Ancāns (@kristaps_ancans ), with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation (@kulturkapitals ) and Drikaines. #MUDLAB #MUDLABcommunity #forestplinth #linstowartaward #LMA_doktoranturas_skola #visitlivani #Latgale #collaboration

Oto Holgers Ozoliņš (@oto.holgers.ozolins ) shares photos from his and Anna Malicka’s (@nnmlck ) residency process at the Forest Plinth territory, developed within the Field Record project. The project is supported by MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ), the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (@kulturkapitals ), and Drikanes. The installation can be visited spontaneously or by appointment until November 30. #MUDLAB #mudlabcommunity #visitlivani #Latgale

From October 17 to 21, Anna Malicka (@nnmlck ) and Oto Holgers Ozoliņš (@oto.holgers.ozolins ) are in residence at the Forest Plinth territory, where, within the framework of the project Field Record, they explore the surrounding context by arranging material findings within the platform’s structures — digging through layers of the ground with a metal detector, and attempting to recognize or shape the new meanings of the discovered objects. Both artists are connected through their participation in the Acme Studios (@acme.art ) Helen Scott Lidgett Studio Prize / ACADEMIA Prize residency program in London (2024 and 2025) after finishing their master’s studies at the Art Academy of Latvia (@makslasakademija ). Field Record marks their first collaboration, sharing a mutual interest in processuality as a key condition for artistic creation, the knolling principle of arrangement, and the concept of display as a framework for recording documentation and personal connections. The project is supported by the MUD LAB (@mud_lab_community ), State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (@kulturkapitals ) and Drikanes. On October 21 from 14:00 to 18:00, visitors are welcome to the Forest Plinth territory to view the results of Field Record in the presence of the artists. The installation can also be visited by chance or by appointment until November 30. Forest Plinth is a space for testing and developing collaborative artistic ideas — this is the third project within the plinth’s framework. #MUDLAB #MUDLABcommunity #forestplinth #LMA_doktoranturas_skola #linstowartaward #visitlivani #Latgale #collaboration

We’re excited to welcome a new member to the MUD LAB team — a freelance photographer and digital designer who brings a strong focus on community building and youth engagement. Alongside his creative work, he is a Psychology student at Rīga Stradiņš University (@rsu.lv ) and an active volunteer with the NGO “Youth Club Monday the 13th” (@13.pirmdiena ), where he uses photography and design to support the organization’s mission and create meaningful visual content around social responsibility. He is also the co-creator of the podcast “Behind the Mic” (@aiz_mikrofona ), amplifying young voices through thoughtful conversations. Through leading photography workshops for youth, as well as writing, implementing, and participating in international Erasmus+ projects and training, he continually expands his knowledge and experience. We value young leaders from the regions, whose active work with youth enriches MUD LAB’s values and strengthens our community and impact. #MUDLAB #MUDLABcommunity