“Before, it was the landscape in which human influence and inflicted wrongs could be felt. In recent years, it is the interior – a space created and affected by man,” says Reinis Hofmanis about the context of the artworks. “When functional and aesthetic thinking meet, the space evolves over time and becomes adapted to new functions and new living standards. Layers of wires, pipes, insulation and ceiling fixtures are squeezed into spaces where they have never existed before. The architecture of the space and the placement of an utility infrastructure may even seem absurd, but there is an internal logic and a unique aesthetic to it.”
In the images created by Reinis, the utility infrastructure has become a unique metaphor for the relationship between man and the environment. However, these are not relationships that are formed on the basis of a personal and intimate experience, as in the case of our childhood homes, for example. On the contrary, it is difficult to imagine a pleasant physical or mental experience in the spaces captured by the photographer, although they reveal the human desire to adapt, improve and, ultimately, give meaning to the space. Even if this understanding of meaning does not extend beyond painting walls a lettuce-green colour.
The scenography and spatial solutions of the exhibition are created by artist Aleksejs Beļeckis. Curator – Iveta Gabaliņa.
Reinis Hofmanis (1985) is an artist and photographer. He studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Germany, and obtained a master’s degree from the Visual Communication Department of the Art Academy of Latvia. The artist’s works are characterised by a socio-anthropological point of view, which manifests in an interest in typifying different groups of society, their behavioural patterns and effect on the surrounding environment. Reinis received the main prize at Archifoto in 2012 and 2013, and 2nd place in the Architecture category of the Sony World Photography Awards. His works have been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Financial Times, Spiegel, Esquire, Bloomberg, Le Monde, The Globe and Mail, The British Journal of Photography.
