VIKA EKSTA (1987) is an artist based in Riga, Latvia.
At the heart of Vika's practice is the analysis of a specific theme, place or subject through a focused and photography-based view. Common themes in her work are personal experience and existential questions such as aging, relationship, gender and social roles. Another important thematic direction is artistic research of Eastern European life and reflections of historical trauma. Her approach embodies the desire of 19th-century Romantic painters to capture what they observe by constructing an entirely new reality - one saturated with emotion, association and imagery. Vika is skilled in artistic research, photography, analogue photo lab work and performance for the camera. She 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 in Europe and USA.
Vika is represented by ALMA gallery.
Selected solo shows
The Encounter (Satikšanās) - ALMA gallery, Riga, 2023
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
Artist is present - Survival kit festival, Riga, 2023
Don't cry! Feminist perspectives in Latvian Art: 1965-2023, Latvian National Museum of Art, 2023
Decolonial ecologies – Riga art space, 2022
Rehearsal - Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga, 2022
“Difficult Past. Connected world.” National Gallery of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania, 2022
Es – TEXT – group exhibition at Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, 2022
SURVIVAL KIT 12 contemporary art festival, Riga, 2021
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 Residency in Pair residiency, Pavilosta, Latvia, 2023
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
2015 Master of Contemporary photography and personal projects, EFTI, Madrid, awarded by Roberto Villagraz scholarship
2013 – 2015 MA with distinction from Latvian Art Academy, department of Visual Communication
2006 - 2010 BA in film history and theory from Latvian Academy of Culture