-
Inga Meldere (b. 1979) lives and works in Helsinki. She studied at the University of Latvia and at the Art Academy of Latvia. Between 2013 and 2014, Meldere was a researcher at Jan Van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. She graduated the Painting MA programme at the University of the Arts in Helsinki in 2021.
Inga Meldere describes her works as being about art practices and painting methods. In her practice, she emphasises painting as a performative tool and considers it an expanded field. Meldere works with cross-disciplinary, innovative, and speculative approaches with conservation, pedagogy and contemporary art. Her practice explores the traces of impermanence, dealing with questions around authenticity, social history, and the exploration of micro-histories.
Solo/duo shows
2024 Sunpoles duo show together with Luīze Nežberte KIM? Contemporary art centre, Riga, Latvia
Breathwork, Pech Contemporary Art space, Vienna, Austria
2022 Bloototh (Sister N) Temnikova&Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2021 Ashes of a Seedlings together with Emelie Luostarinen, Low Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2019 Hidden matter together with Mikko Hintz, Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Finland
Brownie from Bruninieku street, the inter-season programme of RIBOCA, Riga, Latvia
2017 Twofold together with Atis Ieviņš, Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
Vertex SIC space, Helsinki, Finland
2016 Coloring Books Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Riga, Latvia
House by the waterfall Temnikova&Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2015 Writers room Museum of Janis Rozentāls and Rūdolfs Blaumanis, Riga, Latvia
2014 Magic Mountain Gallery XO, Riga, Latvia
2013 Untitled together with Oscar Santillan (EC) Temnikova&Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2011 Enough is Enough with Mikko Hintz (FI) Temnikova&Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Offset XO Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2010 Unwritten Kim? Contemporary Art centre, Riga, Latvia
Selected group shows2025 Coalescence: Happenstance With Al Due Intent, Shimmer_Shimmer,
Rotterdam, Netherlands's
THOSE SWEATY RAGED KIDS, Pitted Dates, Helsinki, Finland
The Purvītis Prize 2025 Candidates’ exhibition, Latvian National Museum of Arts, Riga
COUPLING, at PUBLICS, Helsinki, Finland
2024 Straight No Chaiser, curated by La Méditerranée group, Zuzeum Art Centre, Riga, Latvia
The Moon Bends Back curated together with Aino Lintunen, SIC Space, Helsinki, Finland
Everyone is Invited Except Those Who Were Not, Temnikova&Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
In the Name of Desire, Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
2023 Don’t Cry! Feminist Perspectives in Latvian Art: 1965–2023, LNMA , Riga, Latvia
SAVVAĻA SKETE, together with Mikko Hintz, Savvaļa, Drusti, Latvia
Their Room Washed With Hot Light, Turku, Finland
The Nest For Us To Rest, Helsinki, Finland
Decentrality dispersed in one place, Padure, Kuldīga, Latvia
2022 Archaeologists of Memory: Vitols Contemporary Art Collection, KUMU, Tallinn, Estonia
Ruins/Rovine, curated by And a Klavina, Trapani, Sicily, Italy2021 The Same Sea Helsinki Biennial first edition, Vallisaari, Helsinki, Finland
Wrap Around Her Lap, Kuldiga Artist Residency, Kuldiga, Latvia
2020 Black Market, KIM?, Riga, Latvia
Kuvan Kevät 2020, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland
2019 Talk to Me! Exhibition of Latvian contemporary art from the collection of the LNMA
Akureyri Art Museum, Iceland
Contemporary Art Festival SURVIVAL KIT 10 to Exploring Outlands Riga, Latvia
Post Winter Mixtape Gallery Temnikova&Kasela, Tallinn, Estonia
2018 The Provisional City Spazio Murat, Bari, Italy
The Malphigian Layer CARDE gallery, Bologna, Italy
Portable Landscapes Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
Portable Landscapes Körsbärsgården, Gotland, Sweden
There and Back Again - Contemporary Art from the Baltic Sea Region KIASMA, Helsinki
2017 Young Popes Latvian Institute Rome, Instituto Svizzero di Roma, Rome, Italy
I Touch Myself Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
2016 You Talkin' to Me? Barbara Seiler Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
Contemporary Landscape Art Festival Cesis, Cesis, Latvia
2015 Le Fragole Del Baltico CareOf, Milan, Italy
2014 Magical Riso Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, Netherlands
JVE Open studios Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, Netherlands
2012 Jaunums! Fresh Latvian Painting Tartu Art House, Monumentaalgaleri, Tartu, Estonia
Traveling exibition Important Contemporary Latvian artists Driehaus/Museum ChicagoUSA and Latvian National museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
Is it that he does not seek the truth, but does want to influence? Riga Art Space, Latvia
2011 Tides of Change. Balticum HangART-7, Salzburg, Austria
FAX South London Gallery, London, England
Résidences Croisées CEEAC gallery, Strasbourg, France
2010 Mother of Wind HFBK gallery, Hamburg, Germany
False Recognition 14th Vilnius Painting Triennial CAC, Vilnius, Lithuania2009 Moving lines ART forum Offenburg, Germany
Solitude Neue Kunstlerhaus Lukas, Ahrenshoop, Germany
2008 Candy Bomber young artists in Latvian painting Latvian National Museum of Art, LatviaResidency's
2023 Structures Envisioned, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
2022 Cité des Arts, Paris, France
2021 Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin, Ireland
2017 BAC (Baltic Art Center), Gotland, Sweden
2010 Centre Europeen d`Actions Artistiques Conteporaines, Strasbourg, France
2009 Mecklenburg/Western Pomerania scholarship in Künstlerhaus Ahrenshoop, Germany
Awards/grants and nominations2022 Finnish Cultural Foundation two year working grant
2014 Mondriaan Fund grant, Netherlands
2007 Brederlo Family Award (Germany)
Works in Collections
KIASMA Finland; Latvian National Museum of Art; Finnish State Art Collection, and private collections