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An Essay
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Home

Publications

Recent photos

Group shows

Works in collections

An Essay
(in English)

Prose online
(in Latvian)

Email
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Home

Recent photos

Group shows

Works in collections

An Essay
(in English)

Prose online
(in Latvian)

Email
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Contact webmaster

Surname : Zelmenis

Name: Martin (Mârtiòð)

Born: August 11, 1956, Riga, Latvia

Address: Kriðjâòa Valdemâra iela 34 - 22, Riga LV 1010 Latvia. Telephone + 7 272665

Background: From 1974 to 1982 studied in Latvian (State) University, department of Latvian Language and Literature, graduated as a Philologist, Teacher of Latvian Language and Literature; has never worked as one. From 1984 to 1990 worked in Literatûra un Mâksla, local newspaper dedicated to culture, finally as editor of fiction. At present living and working in Riga as an author and a freelance journalist, dealing with politics, literary criticism and general culture. Founder member of the (now defunct) photo-group A.

Dealt both with press photography and art photography, at present concentrating only on the art side. His first book of short stories and fairy-tales Peleka brala stasti  (Stories of the Grey Brother) was published in 1987; another book of his short stories Rokenroli un citas izmekletas milasdziesmas (Rock'nRolls and other Assorted Lovesongs) was printed in 1999.

Selected group shows:

1986 - Putnu palaiðana (Setting the Birds Free); Valmiera Museum, Valmiera, Latvia 

1987 - Pludi Talsos (Talsi Flood); Talsi Town Museum, Talsi, Latvia

1989 - exhibition A Day in Life of Ogre; Culture house of Ogre, Ogre, Latvia

1989 - Annaeherung an die Sowjetunion. Ein fotografisher Dialog; Kunsthochschule Bielefeld, Germany

1990 - Annee de l'Est; Musee de l'Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland

1991 - 1992 - Latvian Photographers in the Age of Glasnost; TPW Gallery, Toronto; toured 8 more galleries in Canada and the USA

1992 - Exhibition of ex-Soviet Photography, Santa Barbara, USA

1992 (Oct.10) - 1993 (Jan.10) - Baltisk Fotografi; Photomuseum Brandts KlØdefabrik, Odense, Denmark

1993 (June 8 - July 3) Affinities; Street Level Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland - with Gintautas Trimakas (Lithuania) and Jaan Kelner (Estonia)

1993 (November 8 - 23) Two-men show with Juris Nikifs It's Not So; M6 Gallery, Riga, Latvia.

1994 - (November) Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia - K. Barona iela.

1996 - (April 14 - June 2) - going on in 1997 - 1st Ars Baltica Triennial of Photographic Art The Return of the Past - The End of Utopias? travelling show, opened in Schleswig (Schloss Gottorf) and shown in Berlin Haus am Waldsee (August 24 - September 29) (Germany), as well on show in Helsinki (Finland), Tallinn (Estonia) and in Odense, Brandts KlØdefabrik (June 28 - August 24, 1997), in Warsaw (Poland) (Spetember 1997) - and other European towns.

1998 Talsu gods (Pride of Talsi), Talsi, Museum of Local Studies and Art, Riga, Latvia

One man show -

1994 June - Warszaw, Mala Galeria: Freedom Street Or So They Seem To Call It.

Works in collections:

Musee de l'Elysee (Lausanne, Switzerland)

Photosalon "Uzvara", (Bauska, Latvia)

Die Photosammlung der Kunsthochschule Bielefeld (Bielefeld, Germany)

Brandts KlØdefabrik (Odense, Denmark)

Plus private collections in Latvia, the USA, Russia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland

Curator of exhibitions:

1986 - Putnu palaiðana (Setting the Birds Free) Town Museum, Valmiera, Latvia 

1987 - Pludi Talsos (Talsi Flood) Town Museum, Talsi, Latvia

Selected comissions:

1987 - May 11 - Photo - action A Day in Life of Riga

1988 - Photo - action A Day in Life of Ogre

1989 - German-Soviet Photoprojekt - Kunsthochschule, Bielefeld

Publications of visual work:

"Martins Zelmenis", a portfolio. "Avots" Nr 8/1987 Text by V. Kleins (Latvia)

"Annaeherung an die Sowjetunion. Ein fotografisher Dialog" Deutsch-Soviet Photoprojekt - Kunsthochschule, Bielefeld - Hannover: Ed.Fackeltrueger, 1989 (Germany)

"Nejauðîabas estçtika", a portfolio. "Maksla" Nr 4/1990, text by P.Bankovskis (Latvia)

"Grupas "A" ideala un reala telpa", "Maksla" Nr 4/1991, text by H. Demakova (Latvia)

Latvian Photographers in the Age of Glasnost, (Exhibition catalogue) TPW, Toronto, 1991, text by different authors (Canada)

1st Ars Baltica Triennial of Photographic Art The Return of the Past - The End of Utopias? ; edited by Enno Kaufhold; text by Leonards Laganovskis (Germany)

Prose publications:

1998 An Essay

Prose in English:

1998 "Storm Approaching" in: The Review of Contemporary Fiction. Spring 1998, Vol. XVIII, no. 1, pp. 153-164.

Prose in Latvian

Short stories:

1987 Pelçkâ brâïa stâsti. Rîga: Liesma, 205 pp.

1999 Rokenroli un citas lîdzîgas mîlasdziesmas. Rîga: Intelekts, 229 pp.

Selected essays and writings on photography:

Exhibition reviews on photo-exhibitions, published in local Latvian press.

Books illustrated:

Nakamais autobuss (The Next Bus) - poetry by Amanda Aizpuriete Riga, 1991

Intervijas (Interviews) - plays by different authors, Riga, 1989

Oktava (An Octave) - translation of young Latvian poets into Russian, Riga, 1988

Asinsbalss  - photos of a literary happening plus fiction, Riga, 2001.