Reed Design Exhibition “Niedrotāji” to Open in Ērgļi
An exhibition called “Niedrotāji”, featuring objects made from reeds harvested at Lake Kāls, opens on 14 November at 15:00 at Pārsteigumkalns in Ērgļi, Latvia. The programme also includes the premiere of a short documentary and performances on reed instruments.
The contemporary interdisciplinary art festival “Optižūns” will open the reed design exhibition “Niedrotāji” on 14 November at 15:00 at Pārsteigumkalns in Ērgļi, Latvia. Anyone interested is invited to attend. The exhibition presents design objects made from reeds gathered at Lake Kāls.
The opening event will also include the premiere of a short documentary film and performances on musical instruments made of reed.
From initiative to exhibition
The exhibition concludes a participatory art initiative, also called “Niedrotāji”, which the festival team launched in the summer of 2026. It brings together set designers, hydrobiologists and residents of the Ērgļi area. Together they explored how Lake Kāls reeds can become functional and aesthetic design objects, while also drawing attention to the health of aquatic ecosystems.
At the end of August, the organisers held a work party in which volunteers helped cut part of the reeds that had overgrown the lake. In September, during several workshops, artists, biologists, local residents and other participants made more than 20 different reed objects.
All of these works will be on display at the festival venue, the Pārsteigumkalns grounds in Ērgļi.
