Anrijs Zemgals

Initiated by young artist Anrijs Zemgals, the social project Bird Trees turned into an event uniting friends of nature who came together to create new homes for birds. The artist, his team and city residents who were invited to this special event – mostly Rigan families and children – made a total of 186 bird cages for their singing friends, including 120 for tits and 66 for starlings. All bird cages were installed in Mežaparks and other forests surrounding the city of Riga.

Marija Rozīte, in cooperation with the AAL

The ascetic shape of a Christmas tree is made of neatly stacked firewood logs, complemented by tiny lights. After the festival, the author’s intention is to donate the firewood used in the environmental art object to needy people who still use firewood to heat their houses but are not able to provide the necessary winter supply themselves.

Ēvalds Vanags, Rihards Ābeltiņš, in cooperation with the AAL

Each year, thousands of Christmas trees end up in the dump. Artists have created an installation using cut fir tree trunks, drawing our attention to the fate of trees after the Christmas festivities. With mild irony, the authors have created a peaceful Christmas tree retirement home for the trees that have already served their purpose.

Līga Vanaga, Liene Skestere, Madara Laure, in cooperation with the AAL

The Heater-tree visually resembles the mouth of a massive, ascetic country stove, but it is technically equipped with heating elements, and functions as an outdoor fireplace. On cold winter days, The Heater-tree has already warmed up many big and small hands. It has become an informal socialisation place where city residents stop for a moment to stay warm, chat and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Elīna Vojevoda, in cooperation with the AAL

The author has created her own Tree of Dionysus from bottles of wine, thus reminding us about recycling everyday items. The Tree of Dionysius was exhibited in one of the courtyards of Miera Street, near the former art gallery/shop Buteljons. This shop recycles used glass bottles, and they are reborn in the form of new vessels.

Iveta Heinacka, Laura Bistrakova, Laine Uzulēna

Inspired by land art, the artists have created an original alley of infinity from cut fir tree trunks – stumps. With the help of a volunteer team, the alley Stumplets was set up on International Volunteers’ Day in one of the capital’s neighbourhoods, the Ķengarags promenade near the river Daugava and is a testimony to the power of the volunteer movement.

Jānis Vītols, in cooperation with Riga Youth Centre Kaņieris

Young people from the Centre Kaņieris contemplated the idea of extending Christmas and chose to symbolically freeze a Christmas tree with wishes of Riga residents in ice. The process of creating the work was equally important. The young people working in a team were required to respect the values defined by Kaņieris – cooperation, inclusion, openness, solidarity and quality.

Ansis Dobičins

Window to the neighbours. Window as a symbol of light, warmth and home. A window into the future and opportunities that can also be a meditative and philosophical view into the future. The author has created an environmental object from old wooden window frames, featuring the beauty of old things living their second life, and conjuring up a quiet, cosy atmosphere in the urban environment.

Pupils and teachers of Bolderāja Music and Art School (Ineta Greiža, Sandra Osīte, Helga Jaksone)

Pupils began their work with a study of the historical glass ball in the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Inspired by the research materials, pupils created a light object displayed at the Bolderāja School of Art and Music, one of the few environmental objects set up in the outskirts of the capital, and involving children and young people of Bolderāja.

Pupils and teachers of Bolderāja Music and Art School

The authors of the project continue researching Christmas tree decorations and involve the locals in decorating their surroundings. During Latvia’s first independence, Christmas trees were decorated with candies wrapped in foil and white fringes at the end. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Laima candy factory made chocolates wrapped in paper with fringes.