RIGA.- Beginning RIBOCA3’s exhibition programme, INTERMEZZO is a celebration of art, respect, and coexistence across and in spite of the conflicted waters of the Baltic Sea. With new and existing work from the region and beyond, 44Møen is the centre of an artistic dialogue that was unable to take place in Riga in 2022.

Under the heading ‘Exercises in Respect’, Block had previously invited 60 artists to exhibit in the old industrial harbour Andrejsala. However, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, RIBOCA3 was postponed and now opens in another format at 44Møen and in Riga.

Block has invited 13 artists to participate in INTERMEZZO, including Nanna Abell, Meriç Algün, Mehtap Baydu, Evelīna Deičmane, Dace Džeriņa, Jason Dodge, Ingrid Furre, Boris Mikhailov, Bjørn Nørgaard, Māris Subačs, Superflex, Evita Vasiļjeva and Maaria Wirkkala. Presented at the Kunsthal 44Møen, the show is located on the island of Møn: a UNESCO-declared biosphere reserve just off the coast of south-eastern Denmark where the curator partially lives and works. The exhibition includes artists that were to participate in the original exhibition ‘Exercises in Respect’, celebrating longstanding connections coming to artistic fruition. Among existing works, there are new commissions originally designed for Riga that have been transformed for the Kunsthal 44Møen.

For the exhibition, artists from Latvia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Ukraine gather on the island to think, reflect and tell stories - some new, some interrupted. For example, Evita Vasiļjeva, who had originally planned to install her concrete reversed benches on Andrejsala in Riga, now turned pre-existing Danish benches upside down. Dace Džeriņa’s gentle and poetic film about a decaying manor in Kurzeme, Latvia, commissioned for the original concept of RIBOCA3, now serves as a connecting link between the exhibitions in Denmark and Riga. Jason Dodge, from the island of Møn, created an abstract installation using floor surfaces. Bjørn Nørgaard's container takes a proud place in front of the Kunsthal, creating a platform for conversation and exchange between industry and nature, locals and tourists, people and other species. Humorous drawings by Māris Subačs, framed into a wall installation, serve as a reminder that one can discuss serious things in a playful manner.

INTERMEZZO provides a space for reflection and dialogue about a changing Europe. The exhibition is also accompanied by a program of music, performances and talks throughout the summer.

As 2023 marks an important milestone for 44Møen itself, the exhibition sees the space reopen after a year of renovations with new facilities: Klanghallen for concerts, installations and events; Studio 44Møen for visiting artists and schools; and Residency for shorter and longer stays for artists and guests.