Krišs Salmanis

Krišs Salmanis (b. 1977) lives and works in Riga, Latvia

Krišs Salmanis uses animation, video, photography, objects as well as his body, trees and other materials in his art. However, it is neither the media used, nor the unifying themes, but rather the employed method what characterizes the work of Krišs Salmanis.

In Latvian there is not an appropriate synonym for the word joke to denote that the element, which in Salmanis’ work can be perceived as irony or humour, is instead mental excersise, intellectual activity, wit as a twist of thought.

Another important aspect is formulated using Kurt Vonnegut’s idea of the complicated futility. The making of Krišs Salmanis’ work is often seemingly unnecessarily time- and effort-consuming. It is a kind of self-invented craftsmanship, which, even if unnoticed by the spectator, is a vital component of the final piece. The work of Krišs Salmanis is the process of thinking and the way of passing one’s life.

In Paths Crossing residency the artist is working on an animation.