Symposium ‘Togetherness’
Yevgenia Belorusets (UA), Krišjānis Elviks (LV/DE), Azeem Hamid (PK/EE), Anna Ihle (NO), Robertas Narkus (LT), Sabīne Šnē
May 21, 15.00 – 19.00
Co-existence in today’s society, where disinformation, social division and conspiracy theories have become a normal part of human life, seems complicated and almost impossible. As part of the thematic framework of the Riga Photography Biennial 2026, the symposium will focus on the subject of togetherness, which encompasses questions of “me” and “us”, emphasising empathy, respect and love as an important component for co-existence in contemporary reality. As a theoretical point of reference, Maija Rudovska, the curator of the symposium, has selected Danish philosopher Dan Zahavi’s work Being We: Phenomenological Contributions to Social Ontology, which puts forward the following questions: what does it take to establish togetherness with others? How do sensations, thoughts and actions as part of togetherness alter an individual’s self-consciousness, relationships with others and the way they perceive the world? Is individual subjectivity something that requires a shared basis, or does a relationship of togetherness always entail a pre-existing plurality? What kind of understanding of others and relationships with others is necessary for togetherness to arise?
Curator and moderator: Maija Rudovska
Attēls: Sabīne Šnē, “Tears of Tide”, mixed media installation, 2025
The exhibition is organized by Riga City Municipality Institution RIGA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE and Riga Photography Biennial, with the support of the Riga City Municipality