VIKA EKSTA (1987)  is an artist based in Riga, Latvia.

In her long-term projects, Vika combines the documentary and fictional. Most of her work reflects upon the artist's personal experiences - be it an exploration of a fictional identity or of a Latvian rural landscape.

Vika's choice of medium depends on the idea of the project. She is skilled in photography, analogue photo lab work, performance for the camera and audiovisual archive research.

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Vika is the winner of the ADC Young Guns, FK Portfolio and Riga Photography Biennial awards for young Baltic photographers, and has been nominated for the Purvītis Prize. Since 2014, she has participated in exhibitions in Latvia and abroad, including at the Latvian National Museum of Art (2020), kim? Contemporary Art Centre (2019), Gallery Alma (2019), ISSP Gallery (2018), Kaunas Photography Gallery (2017). Her work is held in the collections of Latvian National Museum of Art, Latvian Museum of photography and private collections.

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Selected solo shows

Zvaigznīte - ALMA gallery, Riga 2021

Emoji poetry – Rainas un Aspazijas muzejs, Rīga, 2019

“P.” - ALMA gallery, Riga, 2019

“Life and poetry of Eugene Bergs” - kim?, Riga, 2019

“Vitol's archaeology” - Valmiera city museum, 2018

“Devils lake” - ISSP gallery (Riga) and KKKC gallery (Klaipeda), 2018

"Moving photography" - historical collection of Latvian Museum of Photography, 2017

“Snakes and Ladders” - www.anmgallery.com, 2017

“Dievs Daba Darbs” - Kaunas photography gallery, Lithuania, 2016

Dievs Daba Darbs - solo show at Ziemeļblazma art space, 2015

selected group shows

Flying closer to the Sun. Myths and Rituals, Cesis Art Festival, 2021

Hidden treasures, Rucka park in Cesis, Latvia, 2021

As she sees it, gallery Noorus, Tartu, Estonia, 2021

Difficult pasts. Connected worlds, Latvian National Museum of Art, 2020

33 - video performance made for Riga Photomonth, 2020

What even – concert hall “The Great Amber”, Liepāja, 2019

Belgrade Photo-month – Belgrade, Serbia, 2019

MELOS – Arsenals exhibition hall of Latvian National museum of art, Riga, 2019

New East Photo Prize – Calvert 22 gallery, London, 2018

Shaping desired futures – published by BOZAR, Brussels, 2018

Your received 1243 messages – Latvian National museum of art, 2017

Einaugiger Zuschauer – Performance fur die Kamera, Galerie GEDOK, Munich

Photobook “Dievs Daba Darbs”, Kassels Photobook festival dummy award, 2017

NEU NOW interdisciplinary art festival, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, 2016

Riga Photography Biennial, “Seeking latest in photography”, Riga, 2016

CIRCULATIONS Photography Festival, Paris, 2016

Contemporary Baltic Photography, group show in Bratislava Photomonth,

Pingyao photo festival, China, 2015

residencies

Artist in Residency at LOW gallery, Riga, Latvia, 2020

Artist in Residency at RUCKA art centre, Cesis, Latvia, 2020

Aritst in Residency at Riga Circus, Riga, Latvia, 2019

Residency program "Trauma and Revival: Contemporary encounters", 2017 Moscow - Biella (IT) - Krakow

Artist in Residency at Townhouse gallery, Cairo, Egypt, 2016

teaching experience

Currently: teacher of photography for youngsters at the Photostudio of the centre of technical creativity  Annas 2 and teacher at the ISSP school 2 years course of contemporary photography.

Since 2014 has been teaching courses and workshops on topics dealing with photography and creativity in collaboration with organizations such as International Summer School of Photography (ISSP), Latvian Centre for Contemporary art, Latvian Association of Art Therapists, Riga Photography Biennial, World Film Festival etc.

education