Poetic Robotism. AERO
From 22 August to 18 October 2026, the exhibition AERO by the artist duo Poetic Robotism (Laura Prikule and Eva Vēvere) will be on view in the Cupola Hall of the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art (Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1, Riga).
What could happen when the visitor becomes an active participant in an exhibition? How could a single artwork transform into countless variations? How could the creative process reveal the multifaceted roles of a contemporary museum?
The answers to these questions are sought by AERO, an exhibition of changing forms in the LNMA Cupola Hall. Presenting a novel exhibition format, it takes the shape of an interactive, visitor- engaging installation that generates live, dynamic artistic situations. At its core is the ongoing presence of the artists – throughout the exhibition, Laura Prikule and Eva Vēvere will continue to develop the exhibition on-site using co-creative and performative practices and micro-rituals. The visitor insights and artistic output will merge into a shared field of experience together with the already existing artwork. The nature of AERO dictates that part of the display consists of distinct movable and convertible pieces and modular systems. Every week, visitors will encounter a new perspective – over two months, the exhibition will experience ever-evolving, visually distinct versions, concluding with a collection of traces and artifacts from its various phases of transformation.
Conceptually, AERO explores the relationship between systems, time and play. The exhibition creates a space with an abstract and absurd structure, permeated by the motif of the "(Art) Hero's Journey," adapting the iconic 12-stage storytelling model to experimental artistic practices. As Poetic Robotism explains: "The 'Art Hero' is anyone willing to take a risk in art in order to rediscover themselves. It is a journey of wandering, unexpected discoveries, and finding allies." At the same time, the installation operates as a spatially fluid mechanism powered by the interaction of geometric structures, words and people. Visitors become co-constructors, expanding reality with layers of subjective experience and choice. Throughout the exhibition, artworks and events emerge, transform, and disappear, ensuring that AERO remains in a constant state of becoming.
Poetic Robotism is a concept discovered in 2009 through the creative dialogue between artists Laura Prikule and Eva Vēvere. It is a constantly evolving flow of ideas, a mode of perception, and an artistic practice. Through installations, performances, and texts, Poetic Robotism investigates the boundary between the spontaneous (poetic) and automatic (robotic) aspects of life. It reflects on both the mundane and the elusive, using geometric shapes to engage with multi-layered ideas. It strives to expand perception by exploring new territories and building bridges between "art" and "non-art."
