The Gallery Daugava entered the Latvian art scene in November, 1993 with the exhibition of Rūdolfs Pinnis works “From the Aiviekste to the Seine”. Its foundation was motivated by the desire to find a place where artists and the public could communicate. Director and actors need a stage, otherwise their existence would never be known, and they would have no opportunity to address their audience. The same is true about artists. They need a place to exhibit their work through which they speak, make us think, dream, meditate, listen to ourselves and respond emotionally and intellectually to their artwork. The artist can be considered a barometer of his time, even if he is not aware of it. Art is created by the artist, but consumed by the viewer. This philosophy motivated us to set up a Gallery and not much has changed. We have just acquired experience, know-how and more understanding. There were solo-exhibitions of Latvian contemporary artists including painters, sculptors, graphic artists, ceramists; as well as competitive, specialized, thematic and conceptual exhibitions. Since the gallery’s opening the art scholar Anda Treija has been its director.
The Gallery Daugava is located in a quiet area near the center of Riga, on the corner of Elizabetes and Ausekļa streets in the first floor of a building built around 1871- 1873. The building was designed by Jānis Fridrihs Baumanis (1834-1891).
