Voldemars Johansons

Latvia

Voldemars Johansons (1980) was proposed for the „Swedbank” Art Award for his solo exhibition „The Rainbow in the Kingdom of Darkness” (Liepaja, Karosta, 2009) and project „Aero Torrents”, that was exhibited in Riga, Liepaja and Dortmund (2007-2008).

The works of Voldemars Johansons, that are known to a spectator as experimental installations and performances of water, light and sound, are based on a synergy of art and science. The artist uses data of phenomenons of nature and atmosphere – for example, power of wind, spectrum of electromagnetci waves etc. – they are being investigated, treated and displayed in a visual and sonic experience that opens new frontiers of aesthetic perception to the audience. The critics highlight the artist`s ability to convey the complicated knowledge of physics and technologies in fascinating manifestations that draws in almost all the senses.

VOLDEMARS JOHANSONS

Education

2003. – 2007. Institute of Sonology, Royal Conservatorium, The Hague
1998. – 2002. – Latvian University
1998. – Natalia Draudzina gymnasium

Selected exhibitions and projects

2009
1906 - sound for theatre play (dir. Gatis Smits) National theatre, Riga
Iris in the Realm of Darkness - K.Maksla gallery, Liepaja, Latvia

2008
Electrohype biennale, Malmo
„Let’s Keep in Touch“ – “Homo Urbanus – Homo Sapiens?” Westerpark, Amsterdam
AERO TORRENTS – Installation at Waves festival at HMKV Dortmund, Germany
Objective sound – lecture at School of Media Art, Liepaja Room 2/1 - published in compilation “UN/TYPICAL” by CAC INTERVIEW, Lithuania
GAISA STRAUMES – Solo exhibition at Riga City hall, Latvia

2007
AERO TORRENTS – Installation at Forest of Sound forum, Riga [www.skanumezs.lv]
QuantaSonic – Audiovisual Installation at TodaysArt Festival Information Aesthetics forum, Atrium, Den Haag
Recorded Altitudes – Installation at “Urbanologic” exhibition, LCCA Riga

2006
QuantaSonic – presentation of the environment at STEIM Jamboree, Amsterdam Out Connect - QS presentation and performance at <>TAG, Den Haag, Netherlands
STEIM – Residency dedicated to development of 6DOF sphere controller, Amsterdam
SUMMA – installation at WAVES exhibition, Art+Communication festival, RIXC, Riga [http://rixc.lv/waves/]
Public Discussion – Video installation, Riga City Exhibition Hall
Knives in Hens sound for theatre performance (director Gatis Smits) Dailes Theater, Riga

2005
SPECTROGRAPHY – residency at Point Éphémère gallery, Paris
[http://rixc.lv/projects/spectrography/about.html]
Open Gauge – film workshop, Tbilisi, Georgia.
ALERT 05 – composition, performed at “Forest of Found” festival in Riga, Latvia. www.skanumezs.lv
DAS EIS – sound environments for Vladimir Sorokin’s theatre play “Ljod” (director Alvis Hermanis) in RUHRtriennale festival, Germany, [www.ruhrtriennale.com]
Space and Perception – presentation “Data Organization in Synthesis Environments” at International symposium of mixed reality, Riga, Latvia. [http://rixc.lv/projects/sp/]
SONO Ensemble – masterclass of sound improvisation in Korzo Theatre with SONO ensemble (led by R. Barret) in Den Haag, Netherlands.

2004
ESEJAS - performance of sound & dance improvisation at the Riga New Theatre
{ m ¬ o ∂ u l° 0204 } - curator for the programme of British electronic art within framework of British Council's "Crossroads for Ideas" event, Riga. 
neume - composition, published in Acoustic Space Lab CD compilation.
{ m ¬ o ∂ u l° 0104 } – curator for electronic music programme at International Composition Master class, Dunadaga, Latvia
sensual-automatic – audiovisual installation at exhibition "Enigma – Human body", Morsgo museum, Denmark.

2003
EUPHORIA! – sound for performance and video production by Theaterhaus Weimar. Weimar, Berlin, Riga.
"Les Monstres Epistémiques" – performance at "Art+Communication” festival, Riga.
Locative Media – workshop on wireless, GPS, mapping, and streaming media technologies, K@2, Karosta, Latvia.
MediaKnitting – DEAF Festival, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
RAM2 - A joker in the global bunker – February 2003. Atalier Nord, Oslo, Norway.
Myriad dots - digital film (DVD)

2002
Gaismaspils (exhibition) Archive gallery Riga, Dec. 4. –11. 2002.
Gaismaspils (Performance) Kiev International Media Arts Festival, Kiev 19.10.2002.
Gaismaspils Spatial sound and video installation at Latvia’s exhibition in 8th international Architecture biennal, Venice "NEXT".
ArtGENDA 2002. Hamburg, Germany. 4th interdisciplinary biennial for young artists of around the Baltic Sea
TELEJAM 04 multimedia performance in collaboration with machfeld.net (Vienna), neoscenes.net (Colorado) and others

2001
Acoustic Space Lab 2001. Riga, Latvia. Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre. (digital sound, data processing)
Net Art Meeting in Minsk. Minsk, Byelorussia. Workshop leader on analogue video mixing, video editing and Internet broadcasts.
Polar Circuit III Rovaniemi, Finland. International new media arts workshop
Minsk New media arts festival. Minsk, Byelorussia. seminars & video performance.
TELEJAM 03. (http://rigasound.org/arch/telejam03.ram) november, 2001. In colaboration with AmbientTV (London) and FRO FM (Austria), multimedia performance.