I'm Getting to It!

I've seen a number of wonderful exhibits here in Latvia, and I want to share them with you--but I've been slow getting to it. It's terrific that that my delay, reading British mysteries, going to markets, and more, is actually the theme of a fabulous exhibition at the Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music.  Literature and music occupy a vital place in Latvian culture--for everyone, as I've discoverd. The permanent exhibit is Procrastination and Creation.   The visitor begins with a manifesto (when was the last time you saw one of these to start an exhibit!).

I love that this manifesto is written as "We,"  putting us in the same place as these revered artists who are often only seen on a pedestal.  In our work on creativity, Rainey Tisdale and I found this procrastination phase vital, although we didn't call it that (hello, incubation time).  Each artist gets their own vignette, an installation that includes both original objects but also sometimes video and hands-on activities.  Each one is witty and engaging.

Director Iveta Ruskule taking a sniff of something that I can't remember what!

I particularly loved that the exhibit's designer even created a display of her own creative space in an upstairs hallway, showing her own process.  But the best part, the very best part, was that each artist's ways of procrastinating were highlighted!

Here are some lessons I took away:

• Re-invention is always possible!  The museum is 100 years old and took the chance to do something totally new.
• "Surrender the chronology!"  Long-ago, in a planning meeting, a renowned historian advised this--and it really worked here.  The simplest choice would have been a chronological presentation--simple but boring!
• Have fun!  It must have been great to work through all these procrastination labels.  They are funny and moving, and of course, we can all see ourselves in them.
• Mix it up!  Audio, video, hands-ons, photos, objects, created spaces, many from natural materials were all used in ways that didn't interfere with each other.

Such a pleasure!  As an additional note, virtually every exhibit I've seen here in Riga has beautifully translated English language labels that are much appreciated!