📅 26 November 2026, 18:00
🎟️ Free, with advance registration (limited places)
🗣️ The event will be held in Latvian
As part of the exhibition “Collective Memory is Everything I Don’t Remember: Moments We Share” by Czech curator Diana Kotmel Kněžínková at the Zuzeum Art Museum, we invite you to a special evening in the accompanying programme, dedicated to Czech and Latvian literary connections and the phenomenon of collective memory in literature.
Continuing the tradition, begun in Prague this spring, of introducing Latvian literature to an international audience, this time in Riga, the focus will be on translations of Czech literature into Latvian. The event will serve as a bridge between the visual arts and literature, expanding on the exhibition’s central theme: how individual and collective memory resonate within our cultural space.
During the evening, Nadežda Kopoloveca will give a brief introduction to the theme of collective memory in Czech literature. This will be followed by a discussion in which Inguna Cepīte, director of the publishing house “Pētergailis”, and translators Jānis Krastiņš and Halina Lapiņa, in conversation with Mārtiņš Mintaurs, will share their experiences of bringing works by Czech authors into the Latvian cultural landscape, the behind-the-scenes aspects of translation, and cultural exchange between the two nations. At the end of the event, visitors will have a unique opportunity to join a guided tour of the exhibition led by an art mediator.
The event has been organised in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Riga and the “Latvia–Czech Republic” Association.
Participants
Mārtiņš Mintaurs, Dr. hist., Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia; Leading Researcher at the National Library of Latvia
Nadežda Kopoloveca, Dr. philol., Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia; Deputy Chair of the “Latvia–Czech Republic” Association
Inguna Cepīte, Director, “Pētergailis” publishing house
Jānis Krastiņš, translator
Halina Lapiņa, translator
Alberts Sarkanis, Dr. philol., Chair of the “Latvia–Czech Republic” Association
Programme
18:00–18:15 – Introduction: The theme of collective memory in Czech literature as translated into Latvian.
18:15–19:00 – Discussion with publisher Inguna Cepīte (“Pētergailis”) and translators Jānis Krastiņš and Halina Lapiņa.
From 19.00 – Guided tour of the exhibition led by an art mediator.
*By attending the event, you agree to photo and video documentation and the use of these materials for publicity purposes. You have the right to object to being photographed or filmed, or to your child being photographed or filmed, by informing the photographer or videographer during the event.