Raimonds Staprans centenary marked with a book, an exhibition and a film

Latvia is marking the 100th anniversary of artist Raimonds Staprans. The anniversary events include a book, an exhibition and a feature film, all devoted to his life and work.

Three anniversary events

Staprans's own autobiography, titled "46 Episodes With and Without Irony" ("46 epizodes ar un bez ironijas"), has been published. At the Latvian National Museum of Art, visitors can see the exhibition "Architecture of Silence" ("Klusuma arhitektūra"), dedicated to his artistic output. Very recently, the film "The Red Barn" ("Sarkanais šķūnis") premiered at the Riga IFF film festival. It draws on the artist's life story, his dramatic writing and his paintings.

The director's view

The film's director, Peteris Krilovs, says that this kind of attention might not have appealed to the artist himself. According to Krilovs, Staprans always openly mocked the glorification of the artist's status.

Together, the book, the exhibition and the film form the centenary commemoration, covering both Staprans's art and his personality.