A scholarly conference, “The Testament of Growth. Imants Ziedonis 90,” will take place at Durbe Palace

The Ziedoņa muzejs, the LU Literatūras, folkloras un mākslas institūts (Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia), and the Tukuma muzejs invite you to a scholarly conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Imants Ziedonis. The conference will take place on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at Durbes pils (Durbe Palace).

The conference will bring together leading scholars in literary studies, folklore, philosophy, and art history, as well as representatives of memory institutions and contemporaries of Imants Ziedonis, to reflect on various aspects of the poet’s work and legacy. Presentations will explore the intersections between Ziedonis and philosophy, nature, spirituality, and Latvian folklore; analyse his public activities and his role as a translator of poetry; examine the heritage preserved in museum collections; and highlight the continued relevance of his ideas today. The title chosen for the conference — “The Testament of Growth” — reflects this ongoing intellectual and cultural legacy.

The conference will open with a discussion moderated by Lolita Tomsone, Director of the Žanis Lipke Memorial, featuring entrepreneur Baiba Rubesa, fashion artist Asnāte Smeltere, poet Edvīns Raups, historian Gustavs Strenga, and musician Jānis Holšteins-Upmanis.

The session “Ziedonis and Interdisciplinarity” will include presentations by Arnolds Klotiņš, Dace Bula, Kitija Balcare, Jānis Oga and Ivars Šteinbergs (LU LFMI), Valdis Muktupāvels (Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia), Artis Svece and Toms Zariņš (Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia), Rita Broka (Art Academy of Latvia), and Anda Baklāne (National Library of Latvia).

In the session “Ziedonis and Public Resonance,” speakers will include Agrita Ozola (Tukums Museum), Ruta Kurpniece (Museum of Literature and Music), Vita Aišpure (Academic Library of the University of Latvia), and publicist Arnis Šablovskis. In the section “Ziedonis and His Contemporaries,” writer Ēriks Hānbergs, literary historian Andra Konste, Ieva Ķīse (Ojārs Vācietis Museum), and Žanete Grende (Ziedoņa Museum) will share their memories and reflections. The conference will conclude with a musical performance by Goran Gora.

The organising committee: Rūta Šmite (Ziedoņa Museum), Žanete Grende (Ziedoņa Museum), Eva Eglāja-Kristsone (LU LFMI), Jānis Oga (LU LFMI), and Agrita Ozola (Tukums Museum). The conference is held within the framework of the National Research Programme project “NOVEL: Narrative, Form and Voice: Literature’s Embeddedness in Culture and Society” (No. VPP-LETONIKA-2022/3-0003), with support from Tukums Museum and the Ministry of Culture.

The conference will be livestreamed on the YouTube and Facebook social media accounts of the Ziedoņa Museum and LU LFMI.