A new building has been temporarily located in Riga between the Art Academy of Latvia and the Art Museum, where "Šūna" will be open for eight weeks, focusing on various environmental issues each week.
Agita Baltbārde, a board member of CleanR Grupa and the creator of the concept, said:
"The Cell is not a museum, the Cell is not an exhibition. We call it an event for environmental awareness for a reason. It is a place where we talk about the environment, environmental sustainability, nature protection, climate change, all kinds of issues."
"The Cell tries to speak to different audiences through different forms. Some are interested in discussions, others in performances, others in workshops and more."
The Cell is open to visitors every day.
Sandra Andrejeva, ConceptSite employee, said: "For example, we could put together a picture. We chose the theme 'minerals'. This is like a jigsaw puzzle that we can put together. It's a bit of a different world here. There are so many screens, interesting things that attract attention. Different plants, glass, design elements, a lamp made out of paper, are particularly eye-catching."
Every week, experts, artists, activists and anyone who cares about the future of the planet come together at the Cell to discuss and find solutions to the planet's most pressing challenges.
Ieva Kalniņa, Project Manager at Riga Energy Agency, said: "We are looking for different ways to talk to the public, to get involved. This open space in a green area, so close to the flow of people, seemed like an ingenious idea for environmental education events."
The CleanR Group board member added: "Thinking about environmental sustainability, we have realized over the years that when it comes to environmental education, we can't expect people to come to us. We have to go closer to people to talk about these topics."
The Cell has been created to enable everyone, experts and passers-by alike, to gain new knowledge about environmental education, to understand climate change, to be aware of their role in it, and to think about what everyone can do for the better, even with small steps in their daily lives.
