Visual Culture of the Baltic Exile Communities in the Aftermath of World War II

Concept: Agnese Bergholde-Wolf, Jānis Krēsliņš, Ulrike Nürnberger, Dietmar Popp

Friday, 11. September 2026

9.15­–9.30 AM Welcome: Daiga Upeniece (Art Museum Riga Bourse), Ulrike Nürnberger (Böckler-Mare-Balticum-Foundation), Dietmar Popp (Herder Institute) 

Revisiting the Notion of Exile and Visual Culture in Exile / Moderation: Agnese Bergholde-Wolf

9.30–9.45 AM Jānis Krēsliņš jr. (SE)

09:45–10.00 AM Reflection and Discussion 

What do we know about Baltic Visual Culture in Exile? / Moderation: Dietmar Popp

10.00–10.15 AM Kadi Polli: Estonia

10.15–10.30 AM Elita Ansone: Latvia

10.30–10.45 AM Ilona Mažeikienė / Birutė Pankūnaitė: Lithuania

10.45–11.00 AM Reflection and Discussion 

11.00–11.15 AM Coffee Break

Visual Culture in the very early Stages of Exile / Moderation: Maarja Merivoo-Parro

11.15–11.25 AM Inese Gātere/ Jānis Tomaševskis (LV): The Thematic, Stylistic, and Social Narrative of Artifacts Depicting the Lives of Interned Latvian Legionnaires in Allied Captivity from 1945 to 1946 

11.25–11.45 AM Reflection and Discussion

11.45–11.55 AM Agnija Lesničenoka (LV): Collections of Latvian Exile Artists in the National Archives of Latvia: The Example of the Art Academy of Latvia Student Fraternity “Dzintarzeme”

11.55 AM–12.15 PM Reflection and Discussion

12.15–12.25 PM Triin Metsla (EE): Understanding the Possible Narratives of Refugee Art – from Self-Determination to Modern Art

12.25–12.45 PM Reflection and Discussion 

Exile and the Variety of its Visual Platforms / Moderation: Ulrike Nürnberger

12.45–12.55 PM: Elke Bauer / Agnese Bergholde-Wolf (DE): Hidden gems of fine art in the Herder Institute’s Diaspora Collections

12.55–1.15 PM Reflection and Discussion

1.15–2.15 PM LUNCH

The Visible and the Invisible — Physical Footprints vs. That which evades the Gaze / Moderation: Jānis Krēsliņš

2.15–2.25 PM Isabell Schierenbeck (SE): From Berlin to Tel Aviv: Traces of German Culture in the Cityscape

2.25–2.45 PM Reflection and Discussion 

2.45–2.55 PM Maarja Merivoo-Parro (EE): What in Exile evades the Gaze? 

2.55–3.15 PM Reflection and Discussion 

Memory vs. Forgetting? / Moderation: Andra Silapētere

3.15–3.25 PM Indrė Urbelytė (LT): We had to forget... National Art Histories and the Experience of Exile (Jonas Mekas, Kazys Varnelis, NYC)

3.25–3.45 PM Reflection and Discussion 

3.45–3.55 PM Liisa Kaljula (EE): Childhood Memories and Utopian Thinking. The Case of Estonian-Swedish Artist Enno Hallek

3.55–4.15 PM Reflection and Discussion 

4.15–4.30 PM Coffee Break

Reconfiguring Home vs. Creating a new Home? / Moderation: Isabell Schierenbeck

4.30–4.40 PM Martin Nõmm (EE): Home or Away – the Dilemma of Exile Art

4.40–5.00 PM Reflection and Discussion 

5.00–5.10 PM Ilona Mažeikienė / Birutė Pankūnaitė (LT): The Activities of the Art School École des Arts et Métiers (1946–1950): Art Education in New Settings, Freiburg im Breisgau

5.10–5.30 PM Reflection and Discussion

Preservation vs. Unbridled Creativity / Moderation: Jānis Krēsliņš

5.30–5.40 PM Marianna Auliciema (LV): No one wants your Art: Musings on Visual Culture in the Collection of the Latvians Abroad - Museum and Research Centre and beyond 

5.40–6.00 PM Reflection and Discussion 

6.00–6.10 PM Andra Silapētere (LV): A Wish to turn Lived Exile into narratable History

6.10–6.30 PM The day’s final reflections 

DINNER 7.00 PM – for invited guests

Saturday, 12. September 2026, 10.00 AM

Guided Tour through the exhibition “Raimonds Staprāns. Architecture of Quietude” by Elita Ansone, Latvian National Museum of Art, Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1

Please register for the conference: geschaeftsstelle@boeckler-mare-balticum-stiftung.de