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The exhibition “Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zariņa” presents the intellectual legacy of the renowned Latvian architect and educator Astra Zariņa in Italy.

The exhibition explores Zariņa's long-standing object of research - Rome, its public space and the social significance of roofscapes on the city's everyday life and culture.
The exhibition “Rome and the Teacher, Astra Zariņa” presents the intellectual legacy of the renowned Latvian architect and educator Astra Zariņa in Italy.

The exhibition explores Zarina’s long-standing object of research – Rome, its public space and the social significance of roofscapes on the city’s everyday life and culture. The exhibition is based on the book I tetti di Roma: Le terrazze, le altane, i belvedere, published in 1976 by Astra Zariņa and the eminent Hungarian architectural photographer Balthazar Korab. Within the framework of the publication, Zarina defined the concept of roofscape and argued that any plane of urban space can be socially active, can provide insight into society and reveal its habits and peculiarities.

In addition to her research on Rome, Zariņa has also been active in the preservation of the small commune of Banorejo, Civita, by founding the Civita Institute.

The exhibition will include original materials from the publication I tetti di Roma, including large-scale prints of photographs by Baltazar Korab, Zariņa’s personal sketches of Rome, large-scale prints of works by architect Steven Holl and handwritten letters, as well as a model of the Belvedere memorial dedicated to Zariņa. The exhibition will be accompanied by works created by the Faculty of Architecture and Design (FAD) of RISEBA University of Applied Sciences and the ARHITEKSTI foundation 2023 during the CIVITA 2023 masterclass in November.

The opening event will be introduced by Marisa Espe from the New York-based architecture studio Steven Holl Architects and the gallery T’ Space, who will interview the most famous student of Astra Zariņa, the renowned American architect Steven Holl, via a live video broadcast. The event will also include the presentation of a short film prepared especially for this exhibition on Zariņa’s lifetime contribution to architecture and the influence on Stephen Hall’s professional career. The exhibition will be included in the programme of the Second International Architecture Conference RIXARCH 2024, organised by the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design (FAD), which will be dedicated to Astra Zariņa. The conference will also feature the leaders of the CIVITA Institute, founded by Zariņa, as one of the keynote speakers.

The exhibition will be on view from 14 March to 27 April 2024 at the National Library of Latvia. The opening event is scheduled for 14 March, 17:00 – 20:00.

The exhibition is organised by the ARHITEKSTI Foundation and the Faculty of Architecture and Design (FAD) of RISEBA University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with ‘T’ Space non-profit art gallery in Rhinebeck, New York / Steven Myron Holl Foundation.

The exhibition is supported by the The Latvian Association of Architects, The National Library of Latvia, The American Latvian Association Cultural Foundation (ALA KF), Orac Latvia, Lumenu Centrs, AS Latvijas Finieris and Linda and Atis Zariņš.

Participation in the event by registration!

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