MAMA ‘Mother Nature’

26.05.2026–30.08.2026

Organised in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of Latvia, the exhibition reflects both a shared commitment to environmental awareness and the strengthening of the cultural dialogue between Azerbaijan and Latvia. Rooted in decades of diplomatic relations and expanding economic cooperation, this collaboration highlights the importance of cultural exchange as a space for mutual understanding and international engagement.

Bringing together artists from different countries, the exhibition presents works that address ecological transformation, cultural memory, and the fragile balance between human activity and planetary life. MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ is conceived as a global artistic platform reflecting on the interconnectedness of culture, environment, and collective responsibility. The project was first introduced at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku in 2024 in the context of the COP29 climate conference and has since evolved into an international initiative presented in major cultural capitals including Manama, Rome, London, Tbilisi, Berlin, Tirana, and Geneva. Each new presentation expands the dialogue, incorporating fresh perspectives and local contexts.

The Riga edition holds particular significance. Located at the intersection of Baltic cultural heritage and contemporary European discourse, Zuzeum Art Museum offers a setting where environmental reflection and artistic experimentation come together. As home to the Zuzāns Collection, the museum further enriches MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ in Riga through the selected works from the collection, spanning Baltic and international artistic perspectives, including artists such as Andris Eglītis, Klāvs Loris, Ieva Putniņa, Gabriele Adomaityte, Kris Lemsalu, Donna Huanca, Tala Madani, and Simphiwe Ndzube. Within this framework, the exhibition becomes both a visual and intellectual experience, inviting visitors to engage with nature as a living system shaped by memory, vulnerability, and resilience.

A special section of the exhibition is dedicated to artworks created by children, highlighting younger perspectives on environmental awareness and emphasizing the importance of intergenerational dialogue. By bringing together international artistic voices in Riga, MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ continues to foster a global conversation in which art serves as a catalyst for awareness, dialogue, and shared responsibility for the future of our planet. It also strengthens the cultural ties that connect societies across regions.

Exhibition’s creators

Idea by
Leyla Aliyeva
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Founder of the IDEA Public Association

“The idea behind MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ arises from the recognition that humanity’s relationship with the natural world is deeply rooted in culture, memory, and imagination.

At a time when environmental transformation shapes the global condition, artistic practice offers a powerful means of interpreting and questioning this relationship. Artists possess a unique ability to translate complex ecological realities into forms of experience that resonate both emotionally and intellectually.

The exhibition brings together artworks that approach nature not merely as scenery, but as an active presence that has shaped myths, civilisations, and the rhythms of human existence for centuries. Each work reflects a personal perspective, yet together they form a broader reflection on how contemporary society perceives and responds to the living environment.

MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ invites the visitors to pause and reconsider the relationship between humanity and the planet, and not through fear or urgency alone, but through attention, curiosity, and a renewed sense of care.”

Curated by
Emin Mammadov

“The exhibition at Zuzeum Art Museum unfolds as a space for a dialogue between artistic imagination and ecological awareness.

Rather than presenting nature as an abstract theme, the exhibition approaches it as a complex field of cultural, philosophical, and emotional meaning. The participating artists explore this field through diverse visual languages: ranging from contemplative and poetic to critical or experimental ones.

Within the architectural and cultural context of Zuzeum, these works create an environment where the viewers are encouraged to slow down and engage with the material presence of art. Colour, form, texture, and gesture become instruments for reflecting on humanity’s place within a fragile planetary system.

The exhibition does not claim to offer solutions. Instead, it proposes a moment of awareness, a pause within the accelerated rhythm of contemporary life where art can reconnect us with the deeper temporalities of nature.

In this sense, MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ becomes not only an exhibition but a shared experience of reflection, and a reminder to all of us that the future of the natural world is inseparable from the cultural imagination that shapes it.”

Organized by IDEA Public Association & Heydar Aliyev Center
In collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Latvia

Artwork: Ieva Putniņa. Good Morning, 2024. Zuzāns Collection.