427 or FOUR TO SEVEN is an artist-run gallery in Riga that was opened in April 2014.
It was established by Ieva Kraule and Kaspars Groševs.
Àngels Miralda in conversation with Kaspars Groševs.
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| Kaspars Groševs |
ÀM: Can you tell us a bit about 427, how it started, and what it is now?
KG: I’m pretty sure I am not the one who came up with the idea that there should be an artist’s run space. There was a group of artists who shared ideas about aesthetics and what art should be about. We were pretty unhappy with the Latvian art scene. At one point, we said we would open a space and run it all together but I wasn’t sure if that would work. It could have been a mess and I don’t like arguing with people.
At that time Ieva Kraule was looking for a space for her graduate exhibition. She started looking through advertisements for spaces and it looked quite cheap. We thought, if they are so cheap let’s just take one and open a space. The first space was on Elijas street. It was quite close to Kim? Contemporary Art Centre so we thought if people go to Kim? they might as well come to 427. Ieva and I decided to do the first couple of shows out of pocket and then try to get some funding.
At the time spaces like Shanaynay in Paris, 1857 in Oslo, and Tulips & Roses in Vilnius were influences for me. The first show included ten artists – we sent them boxes with small drawings from the 1930’s from the area where the gallery was located along with poems, chewing gum, and money to return the box. Artist’s had to fit something inside the box and send it back. People responded really well. We invited artists who we had met and liked – international and Latvian artists. It included around 10 artists, it was a minimal show but everyone was excited and happy. At the time there were a couple of commercial galleries, a couple institutions, but there were not small artist run spaces in Riga.
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| Ieva Kraule, Nobody Dances Like That Anymore |
