Q
What structures and processes in art institutions do you find necessary to create a mutual, equitable partnership between institutions, curators and artists?
A
In international partnerships, equity starts with transparent agreements: clearly defined roles, decision-making rights, timelines, authorship/credit, and fair artist/curator fees, adapted to local contexts and cost differences. It also means long-term commitment, not one-off extraction: investing in relationships, follow-up opportunities, and continuing visibility for artists beyond the project moment.
Q
What role does solidarity play in the communication of art by oppressed or marginalized artists, and how is it possible to contribute to a more just and inclusive art landscape?
A
Solidarity is essential to how oppressed and marginalised artists communicate their work because it creates the conditions for sustained visibility, safety, and professional growth. It cannot be reduced to one-off inclusion; instead, solidarity is built through long-term relationships that offer networks, peer review, mentorship, and access to production resources over time. For institutions, this means shifting from symbolic support to structural change by redistributing resources (budgets, space, and staff time) so that artists are not expected to compensate through unpaid labour. It also requires creating predictable and transparent access to opportunities through open calls, clear selection criteria, accessibility budgets, and community-led programming. Crucially, solidarity means recognising marginalised artists as experts in their own practices and experiences, and giving them real agency in how their work is framed, contextualised, and communicated. Finally, solidarity must be embedded in care-based production: realistic and flexible timelines, accessible formats, safe working conditions, fair contracts and respectful feedback. Justice is built through these everyday practices.
Q
How can institutions develop their exhibition spaces into places for genuine dialogue?
A
For ISSP, exhibition space becomes a place for genuine dialogue when it operates not only as site of display, but as civic space for listening, learning and exchange. Dialogue starts already in the curatorial process—through research, long-term relationships with artists, and co-developing how works are contextualised and communicated. It is strengthened through a public programme that is treated as core infrastructure rather than an add-on: conversations, workshops, screenings and guided formats that welcome different levels of knowledge and create multiple ways of participating. Because ISSP combines exhibitions with education and mentorship, we can build continuity between learning communities and the gallery, making the space feel less exclusive and more relational.
Q
In what ways can art institutions restructure their curatorial work to create diverse voices?
A
Art institutions can create diverse voices by shifting from “inviting diversity” as an occasional gesture to building long-term structures that make diversity sustainable. This means establishing transparent open calls, clear selection criteria, rotating committees, fair fees, and mentorship pathways that help artists not only enter the programme but remain supported in the field. At the same time, institutions need to decentre the capital-city perspective by developing meaningful partnerships with regional organisations, sharing resources, and creating touring exhibition models that circulate high-quality work beyond major urban centres. Such approaches broaden the cultural geography of curatorial practice, reduce structural barriers for artists outside established networks, and redistribute visibility and opportunity more equitably.
Q
In what ways can curatorial practice and art exhibitions function as spaces for social and political change, leading to dialogue, reflection and change?
A
Curatorial practice and exhibitions can function as spaces for social and political change when they are designed not only to represent issues, but to actively shape the conditions for public encounter, critical reflection and collective learning. Curating can make power visible—by revealing whose histories are archived, whose bodies are represented, and which narratives are treated as “normal”—and it can open space for counter-narratives. Exhibitions become politically meaningful when they combine artistic experience with contextual framing: public programmes, facilitated discussions, workshops, reading groups, and accessible interpretation that invite audiences to think with the work rather than consume it. Equally important is care-based curating that creates safer conditions for difficult conversations, especially for marginalised artists and communities, through ethical collaboration, clear consent around documentation, and respectful moderation. Finally, exhibitions can extend beyond the gallery through partnerships, publications and long-term engagement, turning cultural spaces into civic infrastructures where dialogue continues, relationships form, and alternative futures can be imagined and practiced.
Q
To what extent can artists and curators work together to create alternative models of financial support for art, without undermining the independence and creativity of art?
A
Artists and curators can work together to develop alternative models of financial support to a significant extent, especially when funding is approached as part of the curatorial process rather than an external constraint. Together they can design hybrid structures that combine public funding, international partnerships, earned income (education programmes, publications, editions, ticketed events), and shared production models such as co-commissioning and touring exhibitions, which reduce costs while expanding reach. Independence and creativity are protected when these models are built on transparency and clear ethics: agreements on artistic autonomy, fair fees, crediting, rights, and limits on sponsor influence must be defined from the start. Curators can support artists by translating artistic intentions into funding language without simplifying the work, while artists can shape funding proposals so they reflect the values and realities of practice. Ultimately, sustainable support grows from solidarity and long-term collaboration.
Q
How can institutions, curators, artists and exhibition designers contribute to a more social and environmentally sustainable art world through exhibition production?
A
For ISSP, sustainability in exhibition production begins with working at a human and material scale appropriate to a small, network-based organisation. Rather than prioritising large-scale builds and short-lived scenography we focus on the re-use of materials and shared resources with other organizations. This reduces waste while allowing artistic flexibility. Another factor that can support a more sustainable production process is working within limited budgets, where resource constraints encourage creative solutions and more thoughtful use of materials and labour.
Social sustainability is embedded through collaborative production processes. Curators, artists and designers are invited into early dialogue about practical constraints, accessibility needs and environmental impact, ensuring that aesthetic decisions are aligned with ethical production choices. This shared responsibility shifts sustainability from a technical afterthought to a creative parameter.
Because ISSP operates through education, mentorship and public programmes, exhibition production is also understood as knowledge production. Workshops, guided formats and discussions can make production processes visible, helping audiences understand the environmental and social implications of cultural work.
Q
How can art institutions use their resources responsibly to minimize environmental impact without compromising the integrity of art?
A
Responsible resource use does not require reducing artistic ambition; it requires redefining value. At ISSP, curatorial decisions consider not only what is shown, but how works travel, are installed, and circulate afterward. Whenever possible, we prioritise locally produced works, digital formats, shared equipment and co-commissioning models that extend the lifespan of production investments.
A small team structure encourages resource awareness: time, labour and materials are treated as interconnected. By planning longer exhibition cycles, coordinating transport with partners, and designing exhibitions that can travel or be reconfigured, institutions can reduce environmental impact while increasing visibility and accessibility.
Q
How can exhibition design be used to promote critical reflection and different voices?
A
Exhibition design can function as a spatial language that guides how audiences encounter knowledge and difference. At ISSP Gallery, design is not treated as neutral framing but as a tool for orientation, pacing and contextual layering. Design can also decentralise authority. Instead of a single dominant narrative, exhibitions can offer polyphonic structures. Because ISSP combines exhibitions with learning communities, design extends beyond display to include spaces for conversation, reflection and gathering. Seating, reading areas, and flexible layouts encourage slower engagement and dialogue, supporting the gallery as a civic space rather than a site of passive consumption. Where possible, we also incorporate accessibility features that enable people with disabilities to engage with the work. Equally important is the development of supplementary learning materials, such worksheets , designed for audiences of different age groups.
About the ISSP
ISSP (International Summer School of Photography) is one of Latvia’s leading platforms for contemporary photography and visual culture. Founded in 2006, ISSP has grown from an annual international summer school into a year-round organisation working across education, artistic production and public dialogue, bringing together a vibrant community of artists, educators and cultural workers in Latvia and internationally.
ISSP is based in Riga and runs the ISSP Gallery, an exhibition and events space dedicated to contemporary photography that has operated in the city since 2018. The institution is run by a small core team (6 staff members) and a wider professional network, collaborating with a teaching staff of more than 20 educators and artists who contribute to programmes, masterclasses and mentoring activities.
ISSP’s artistic profile is rooted in practice-based learning and experimentation, with a strong focus on critical visual thinking: we believe photography is not only an artistic medium but also a way of understanding reality and generating dialogue. Alongside professional education for photographers and artists, ISSP expands access and long-term impact through the ISSP Youth School (since 2021), which develops teenagers’ visual literacy and critical engagement with images.
The exhibition programme at ISSP Gallery brings together Latvian and international artists and is developed through curatorial research, collaborations and partnerships, while also creating opportunities for broader participation through open calls (including those developed in collaboration with major sector initiatives such as Riga Photography Biennial, Futures).
Since 2019, ISSP has deepened its commitment to the relationship between art and society, supporting emerging socially engaged practices through mentorship programmes, summer schools, workshops and discussion series for artists and cultural workers.
Financially, ISSP operates like many cultural NGOs in Latvia through a mixed model that combines project-based public funding, international cooperation, earned income from educational activities and partnerships; a central mechanism for cultural project funding in Latvia is the State Culture Capital Foundation, which allocates resources through competitive calls to support balanced cultural development across disciplines.
Each year around 250 people learn photography through ISSP programmes, and approximately 4000 visitors attend its exhibitions and public events, demonstrating sustained reach and relevance within Latvia’s cultural landscape
