Stolen Verdure. Soviet Legacy
Four prints of digital drawings on polyester fabric, 2024
Exhibited in a public outdoor space next to the municipality building in Padure, Latvia,
30/08/2024 – 30/10/2024
The work examines how, over forty-seven years, the Soviet regime forced changes in local ecosystems. Like every occupation regime, both past and present, the USSR ensured a long-lasting impact.
Work focuses on one village in western part of Latvia, highlighting changes such as flooding lands, destroying local vegetation, introducing invasive species, and constructing buildings without regard for historical or cultural heritage.
Work created during Notes on Margins, a month-long residency program in the Latvian countryside, organised by the Kuldīga city council and curator Maija Rudovska.
Photos: Sabīne Šnē
Image courtesy Sabīne Šnē