The 12th edition of the Ezera Skanas (Ezera Skaņas) music and art festival will take place from July 31 to August 2, in Vestiena, Latvia. Festival organisers are announcing an open call for architects, designers, musicians, and volunteers to become part of the programme. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Me and You and Phantasia,’ exploring the experience of two co-dreamers.
Play Between Two
‘There is a play between two: friends who dance across the hill, between two strangers who sit with their backs touching. Between you and the tree when you lie under it. Or between me and you when we sit down to talk for the first time. There are clusters of invisible worlds that grow between us. We can extract them when we connect.’ This year Ezera Skanas turns its attention to the relationships between two. Between me and you … and the invisible worlds between us.
People before us who lived around the lake used to paint stories with adjectives. Directions were not two-dimensional maps, directions were visual legends describing the characteristics of rocks, trees, and past events, creating multidimensional spaces. Phantasia was a practical tool. It helped to describe the direction to the other side of the lake. It helped to memorise a rock or a tree. It built imaginative worlds to establish deeper understanding between two people.
We Build Spaces
This year, the festival will build spaces that become islands for two. Lenses, bridges, strings, mirrors for connecting the two. Spaces that connect two pairs of eyes or connect the sight with the surroundings in new ways. Hideaways that shift the perspective of how we can experience each other. Spaces that inhabit a new set of rules, that insist on a game being played by … two.
A strong material focus remains at the centre of the festival’s architecture and design approach. The attention is on materials found around the campus and those that degrade easily in the environment. We encourage reuse materials from the previous projects. However, we can explore plastic, glass or metal justified as rain protecting or reflective materials. Available materials are timber in various sizes, plywood, fallen trees, reeds, wicker, fabrics, ropes, plants, grass, and flowers. Materials and instruments are provided by the Ezera Skanas and are delivered to the site before the camp. Landscape remains the central element of Ezera Skanas – each built object becomes an integral part of it.
Open Call for Creative Souls
Festival organisers launch its open call across architecture, design, volunteering, and music, inviting a diverse group of participants to join this year’s summer camps and festival programme, which is going to take place week before the festival starting on August 24.
The architecture and design section will feature six projects, curated by designers Jonathan Roditi (FR), Zane Priede (LV), Helena Caixeta (FR), Ernests Cerbulis (LV), and Francis Keiss (LV). This year’s open projects include [1] interactive object on a lonely hill – eyes overlooking the campus, [2] inhabitable hideaway between the woods with eyes over the lake, two and floating installations with base dimensions of [3] 3 x 3 metres and [4] 4 x 4 metres, and two [5], [6] design, kinetic, and light-based installations intended to visually complement the surrounding landscape.
The volunteering programme is open to those seeking a summer escape and want to be part of the Ezera Skanas campus. Volunteers will be organised into two groups: the first will join construction teams to help build the architecture and design projects (Group [1] offers 15 places and will take place from July 24 to July 30). The second will support the organisation and maintenance of the festival site (Group [2] offers 15 places and will run from July 30 to August 2.) All volunteers will receive full access to Ezera Skanas events.
The music open call includes four spots and welcomes artists of any genre. This year it is going to be a jam between different artists each bringing their own qualities. One week of matching, connecting and disconnecting.
We welcome submissions from artists and volunteers until May 12. More information about camps and application forms can be found on our website.
Morning Performance
Ezera Skanas welcomes attendees starting on August 31. The festival’s central event, the Morning Performance, will take place on August 1 at 4:00 AM. ‘In the middle of Lake Kāla, a floating village will emerge. Boats will move toward a distant light, and sound will carry across the vast open space. Darkness will gradually fade, music will paint the sky, and people will gather in the middle of the lake. As dawn breaks, the music reaches its climax across the morning landscape. A new day begins.’
The morning performance is the key moment of Ezera Skanas. It is a morning ritual celebrating the beginning of a new day. The lineup of artists is never announced. We keep the space free from names and expectations.
To explore the full programme and purchase tickets, visit ezeraskanas.lv and follow along on social media.
We are thankful to Ufloat, Madonas Dome, Būvniecības ABC, LICGOTUS, Kokmuiža, Brite, Black Balsam, Madara Cosmetics, and Latvijas Finieris whose support is an essential part of bringing this project into the reality.
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