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This section features coins whose design was created by the artist – from the initial concept to the final visual solution.
Krišs Salmanis is a witty individual, known for providing concise, meaningful responses in interviews that resemble ready-made aphorisms such as: "An artist is not a doctor of the society", he says. "I must create the kind of work that resonates with me. I'm a spectator myself," he notes. “You can only determine whether a work is a success once it's completed". "And it's best if the prize also comes with monetary rewards. Muses are rather expensive sources of inspiration," and others.
Although many people view wit as a hallmark of Krišs Salmanis' art, the truth is more nuanced than it appears. In art, he is far more than just a carefree wit. The idea is always ingenious and often surprising, yet it undergoes thorough and careful consideration until the most suitable visual representation – at least the best possible option at that moment – is identified. Once found, it is executed flawlessly using the latest technical options available. It is this expectation of him that fosters trust in his abilities. For example, to represent Latvia at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013). The photo artist Kaspars Podnieks showcases his photographs there, capturing the people of Druviena suspended in mid-air, seemingly some distance above the ground. Meanwhile, Krišs Salmanis creates a tree with its roots in the "sky" which is constantly in motion among the unnaturally serene figures in the photographs. North by North-East is the title of their collaborative work, which combines seemingly irreconcilable opposites. Despite their differences, both elements convey a unified message: the journey of all living things from their origins to eternity. The audience's thoughts rise up like waves, keeping the characters alive in their minds.
He enjoyed particularly successful collaboration with Anna Salmane and composer Kristaps Pētersons, jointly creating the exhibition Dziesma (Song) in 2015 at the Arsenāls Exhibition Hall. This exhibition was later showcased in Tartu, Estonia, in 2017. The collaboration among the three artists continues with the creation of a large-scale sound installation Daudzskanis (Polisounder) in the Cupola Hall of the Latvian National Museum of Art in 2018. "I don't consider myself a conceptualist at all," the artist explains with a serious tone. "In my view, a conceptualist is someone who starts with an idea and thoroughly explores it, contemplating how to present it to others and whether it should be shown at all. For me, it’s the other way around – first, I create the work, and then I reflect on why I felt compelled to make and present it."
Krišs Salmanis was born on 2 February 1977 in Riga.
He studied in the Arts Department of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Christian Academy from 1995 to 1997 and graduated from the Visual Communication Department of the Art Academy of Latvia in 2003. He expanded his expertise at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne between 2009 and 2010. He served as an artist-in-residence in Kamiyama, Japan, in 2015.
Krišs Salmanis creates installations, videos, and animated films, illustrates children's books, and occasionally writes articles on contemporary art.
He has been participating in exhibitions since 1996. He represented Latvian art at over 30 exhibitions internationally, including in Slovenia (2001), the United Kingdom (2002), Italy (2003, 2005), Poland (2006), Norway (2007), Australia (2007), Portugal (2009), Switzerland (2012), and Czechia (2014). Additionally, he organised more than 15 solo exhibitions in both Latvia and abroad, including in Germany (2011), the Venice Biennale in Italy (with Kaspars Podnieks, 2013), the USA (with Kaspars Podnieks, 2013), Japan (2015), among others.
He has received a prize at the exhibition Rudens 2003 (Autumn 2003), the main prize at the 13th Tallinn Graphics Triennial (2004), the Latvian Artists' Union Debut of the Year Award (2004), and the main prize at the International Video and Contemporary Art Festival Ūdensgabali (Pieces of Water, 2008). He also won a prize at the 19th Videokunst Förderpreis Bremen exhibition (2010). He has been nominated for the Purvītis Prize multiple times, specifically in 2011, 2013, and 2021. He was awarded the Purvītis Prize for his exhibition Dziesma (Song), created in collaboration with Anna Salmane and Kristaps Pētersons in 2017. He was nominated for the Spēlmaņu nakts Award in the Video Artist of the Year category for his contributions to the Latvian National Theatre's play Ceļojums uz Ziemeļiem (Journey to the North) in 2019.
His works are part of the collections in the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art, the Central European and Eastern European Video Art Archive, and the Estonian Art Museum.
The biography was prepared by Rūta Muižniece,
Master of Arts
