During the first such event 17 years ago, Daugavpils Fortress had no exhibition rooms or artist studios. The
abandoned buildings were still waiting to be renivated. But even then, this freshly demilitarised setting attracted creators who craved unconventional forms of self-expression, whether through semi-legal trance parties, clandestine treasure hunts or the first painting plein airs that bore the name of Mark Rothko.
As time went by, the space kept inspiring art whilst art kept filling the space, and now the neighbourhood has changed, almost beyond recognition.
The closing exhibition of the Mark Rothko 2021 symposium will open on 17 September. On opening day, visitors will be able to see it between 4 and 7 p.m. Once the show is over, the new crop of symposium outputs will be added to the city’s growing art collection.
