LETONICA's special issue "German Philosophy and Science Tradition in the Baltics: History and Actuality of a Creative Constellation"
We are pleased to announce an open call for papers for the special issue of LETONICA – a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to studying society and culture in Latvia and the Baltic region. The topic of the special issue GERMAN PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE TRADITION IN BALTIC: HISTORY AND ACTUALITY OF A CREATIVE CONSTELLATION is linked to the theme discussed in conferences in Riga (2024, 2025) and Eutin, Germany (2024) organized in the framework of the Project “Forgotten Philosophers. Erica Sehl and Kurt Stavenhagen at the Herder Institute in Riga and in the World” (LZP FLPP) by the Faculty of Humanities of University of Latvia, but is not limited to scope with topics and papers presented in the conferences.
Prof. Dr. Raivis Bičevskis (University of Latvia) and Dr. Kaspar Renner (University of Potsdam) are the guest editors of the special issue.
Read more...Letonica issues 55th and 56th
The latest issues of Letonica, the interdisciplinary scholarly journal of the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (ILFA UL), compile research in the humanities and social sciences in both Latvian and English.
The journal issues are available online here: https://lulfmi.lv/zurnals-letonica-numuri
In issue 55 of Letonica, Arnolds Klotiņš (ILFA UL) examines the development of modernism in 20th-century music in the Baltic states and its role in overcoming Soviet normative aesthetics (1940–1990). Benedikts Kalnačs (ILFA UL), in an article in English, discusses local identity and comparative aspects in 19th-century Latvian literature, while Sanita Duka (Art Academy of Latvia) has published an article titled "The Political Stage for Women’s Rights: Productions by the Riga Workers’ Theatre and Debates on Changes to the Abortion Paragraph in Latvia’s Criminal Law in 1930–1932."
Contributions from foreign researchers in English include:
- Alfie Howard (University of Leeds, UK), with an article on colonialism, resistance, and (anti)nationalism in the novel The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Estonian author Andrus Kivirähk;
- Vitalija Truskauskaitė (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), with a study on Lithuanian writer Balys Sruoga's vision of theatre’s future from the Nazi concentration camp in Stutthof;
- Roma Bončkutė (Klaipėda University, Lithuania), with research on Herder’s Frieden Frau and the concept of the “Lithuanian wife” in Simonas Daukantas’ work;
- Panagiotis G. Krimpas (Democritus University of Thrace, Greece), with an article titled “Mother Asks Her Little Son”: Translating Latvian War Folk Songs into Contemporary Greek in the context of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution;
- Gonzalo Preciado-Azanza (University of Zaragoza, Spain), with the article “Spanish Influence in Latvian Ballet (1923–1941): Exoticism, Identity, and Propaganda.”
Vita Zelče (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Latvia) has dedicated an extensive in memoriam article to the historian Andrejs Plakans (1940–2024).
Read more...Call for Contributions: Special Issue “Talking to Non-human Strangers”
Interaction with non-human entities, especially through conversational technologies like chatbots and other artificial intelligences, has increasingly become part of everyday human experience. These encounters raise profound questions about communication, identity, empathy, ethics, and the nature of human interaction itself. This special issue of “Letonica” invites interdisciplinary scholarly contributions that explore various dimensions of human interactions with non-human entities, whether technological, biological, cultural, or symbolic.
We encourage articles addressing a broad range of topics, including but not limited to:
- The philosophical and ethical dimensions of human-non-human communication.
- Sociological insights into the integration of chatbots and AI into public and private spaces.
- Empirical studies on how human interactions with conversational AI shape social practices and user experiences.
- Linguistic and semiotic perspectives on language use and meaning-making in non-human interactions.
- Phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches to understanding the experience of communicating with non-human entities.
- Critical discourse studies examining narratives around humanisation and dehumanisation within AI interactions.
- Historical perspectives on how societies conceptualize and relate to non-human interlocutors.
- Analysis of cultural representations of communication with artificial or symbolic non-human beings.
- Ethical and practical challenges in the humanisation of conversational agents.
Call for papers LETONICA's special issue "Freedom and/or security?"
We are pleased to announce an open call for papers for the special issue of LETONICA ̶ a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to studying society and culture in Latvia and the Baltic region. The topic of the special issue FREEDOM AND/OR SECURITY? is linked to the theme discussed in this year's PLACES conference organized in the framework of the Research Week 2025 by the Faculty of Social Sciences of Riga Stradins University, but is not limited to scope with topics and papers presented in the conference.
The guest editors of the special issue are Michał Głowacki (University of Warsaw) and Ilva Skulte (Riga Stradins University)
We believe the balance between perceived and exercised freedom and security as a necessity for human life and welfare is the basis of contemporary social, political, and legal debate. After more than a decade marked by the continuous rapid transformation of all sectors of life based on digitization and by the sequence of crises (including global warming, the financial crisis of 2008, the migration crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine), security is a growing concern both on social and political agenda. At the same time, measures taken to ensure safety and security in society shrink the limits of freedom. At the beginning of the 21st century, Zygmunt Bauman wrote the following in his book Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World (2001:4): "Security and freedom are two equally precious and coveted values which could be better or worse balanced, but hardly ever fully reconciled and without friction."
Read more...6-7 May Jan Hajič, PhD, will give lectures and workshops on Digital Musicology and Computer Analysis of Gregorian Chants in Riga
On 6-7 May, Jan Hajič, PhD will give a hands-on introduction to musicology in the digital domain for the intrepid musicologists at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (K. Barona street 1). The program is intended for musicologists (and musicians) at all levels of seniority, from undergrads thinking about their theses to senior researchers thinking about their grants. In two lectures and two workshops, the series will introduce digital musicology and showcase its strengths and limitations. No computing background necessary, though musically inclined computer scientists are most welcome to join as well.
Tuesday, May 6
Lecture I : 10:00–11:30 What is digital musicology?
Lecture II : 12:30–13:30 The state of Optical Music Recognition
Wednesday, May 7
Workshop I : 9:30–11:00 Exploring the digital chant ecosystem
Workshop II : 11:45–13:15 Experimenting with mode and lost chants
Registration
Lectures and workshops are free, but registration is required. Please register by filling in the application form by 30 April: https://forms.gle/rL2h1DogqwEnYGAfA
Please bring your own computer to the workshops.
Working language: English.
Venue
Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, Rīga, room 102 (06.05.), room 120 (07.05.)
Specific information and contacts: dh@lulfmi.lv
Read more...Data4UA multiplier event “War, Cultural Heritage, and Higher Education”
Join us for the Data4UA multiplier event “War, Cultural Heritage, and Higher Education” on 29 April at 10.00 CEST (11.00 EEST) on Zoom. In this closing event of the project “Data4UA. Capacity Building for Data-Driven Cultural Heritage Management in Ukraine”, we will take a look back at the results and learn about the future plans of the project partners.
The programme includes a lecture by Associate Professor Jonathan Westin and Professor Gunnar Almevik (University of Gothenburg) “Saint Sophia’s Inscriptions: Participatory and research grounded approaches to data collection during war”. Associate Professor Sanita Reinsone (University of Latvia) and initiator of the NGO #ScienceForUkraine will speak about the vital role of international cooperation and active support in protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage, sustaining research, and strengthening professional communities under war conditions. There will also be an opportunity to hear the experiences of the project partners – Space4CC, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, University of Ljubljana and Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Read more...Focus of the Policy Roundtable in Riga: Interaction between Climate Change and Living Heritage
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In the face of climate change, alongside strengthening long-term cooperation between intangible cultural heritage communities, scientists and policy makers, it is important to raise public awareness of the risks and adaptation options. This was the message of the GreenHeritage “Climate and Culture Negotiations”, held in Riga on 6 and 7 March, 2025 and hosted by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia.
The roundtable participants stressed that awareness raising, a deeper understanding of the links, the presence of environmental issues in education at different levels, including outside formal education, the active involvement of local communities in strategic planning and public consultations, and the promotion of good practices are important for targeted action to protect intangible cultural heritage in the face of climate change.
Not only did the 25 participants see the current impacts of climate change on various living heritage practices in the Latvian cultural landscape, but they also saw traditional knowledge and skills as a source of incentives for a more climate-friendly way of life and the ability to adapt to new conditions. At European level, it would be important to consider targeted funding for intangible cultural heritage initiatives as an adaptation tactic to climate change. It is essential to develop multi-stage adaptation strategies for both existing and potential future risks, and to use existing climate change analysis tools to plan future models of action. The views of the panellists, experts in various fields, scientists and representatives of intangible cultural heritage communities will serve for further GreenHeritage project activities.
Read more...Call for applications for the 7th Baltic Summer School of Digital Humanities
Applications are now open for the 7th Baltic Summer School of Digital Humanities “Digital Methods for History Studies”, which will take place from 4 to 8 August at the University of Latvia (UL), House of Sciences, Riga. This year’s Summer School will focus on topics relevant to history researchers, students, and anyone interested in exploring history and humanities through digital methods. Lectures and workshops will cover subjects such as automated digitization of handwritten texts, network visualization, historical networks, spatial analysis and mapping (GIS), as well as a practical overview of the emerging AI technologies and their use in humanities research, by using chat prompting versions and also accessing LLM (large language models) with API. The full programme will be finalized during March.
All interested applicants are invited to apply by 20 March by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/NwLjaDRy36BrkPay5
More detailed information about the Summer School is available in English here: https://www.digitalhumanities.lv/bssdh/2025/
Read more...GreenHeritage Policy Roundtable in Riga: “Climate and Culture Negotiations”
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On 6 and 7 March, Riga will host the GreenHeritage Policy Roundtable “Climate and Culture Negotiations”, organised by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (ILFA), bringing together experts, scholars and representatives of intangible cultural heritage communities.
How is climate change affecting intangible cultural heritage in Latvia? How are folk traditions and traditional farming affected? What could be the strategies to adapt to climate change without losing the living heritage? These and other thematic issues will be discussed by the participants of policy roundtable.
The event is organised within the international research project "Green Heritage. The Impact of Climate Change on the Intangible Cultural Heritage", allowing experts from different fields to get to know each other and exchange their views in thematic-led talks. The views of the participants will be translated into policy recommendations at national and European level. The first day of the talks, which will bring together participants invited in advance, will take place on Thursday, 6 March, in the reading room of the Archives of Latvian Folklore of the ILFA.
Read more...CFP for the conference "Embodied Visions: Performativity, Visuality, Materiality (1960s–1980s)"
We invite you to apply for the international scientific conference "Embodied
Visions: Performativity, Visuality, Materiality (1960s–1980s)", which will take place from May 27 to 28 at the Riga Stradiņš Museum of the History of Medicine.
The conference is organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore, and Art of the University of Latvia as part of the project "Latvia’s Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for National Resilience and Sustainability / CERS (2023–2026)."
Application deadline: March 21
Accepted participants will be notified by March 28.
This interdisciplinary conference focuses on space, form, material, and movement in both visual and performing arts from the 1960s to the 1980s—a period marked by radical transformations in artistic practices. It explores performance art, conceptualism, experimental theater forms, kinetic art, site-specific interventions, and other experimental approaches. The era was also shaped by complex ideological, material, and institutional constraints.
The conference aims to examine how embodiment, materiality, and performativity manifested in artworks during the socialist period.
- How did artists navigate censorship while experimenting with form and process?
- What role did alternative spaces, unofficial networks, and pedagogical structures play in these artistic developments?
- How did these initiatives intersect with or diverge from artistic trends beyond the Iron Curtain?
Conference language: English.
For a more detailed call for papers, please click here.
Cultural Heritage under Military Threat: Online Lectures
At the end of last year, six online lectures on preservation, research and restoration of cultural heritage under threat were held in the framework of the project “Capacity building for data-driven cultural heritage management in Ukraine” (Data4UA). They were led by researchers and professors from Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine), Space4CC (Greece/Norway), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Arts of the University of Latvia.
CFP for the conference "Local feminisms in the Baltic region"
You are invited to participate in the international scientific conference "Local Feminisms in the Baltic Region (the late XIX – 1st half of the XX century): Parallels, Differences and Influences", 24–25 October 2025 at the Lithuanian Institute of Literature and Folklore. The conference is co-organised by Eva Eglāja-Kristsone and Zita Kārkla, senior researchers at the ILFA.
Exhibitions on the history of the folklore movement in Latvia
Welcome to two exhibitions curated by LU LFMI researchers on the history of the folklore movement in Latvia.
1) The on-site exhibition “The Third Awakening and the Folklore Movement: Forces and Events" is on view at the National Library of Latvia’s Draugu Telpa (Friends Room) until 1 March this year. The exhibition was curated by Toms Ķencis and Aigars Lielbārdis and designed by Krišs Salmanis. The exhibition highlights the most significant events in the history of the folklore movement until 1990. There is also a display of artifacts from the personal archive of ethnomusicologist Valdis Muktupāvelis, a participant in the folklore movement.
2) The virtual exhibition "The folklore movement in Latvia" presents an extended version of the history of the folklore movement. Researchers’ texts, narratives by participants of the folklore movement, photographs, audio and video sources, documents of the era, and an animated map cover various topics: the origins of the folklore movement in the 1970s, the role of the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, the 1978 concert and the Daugava Festival, the chronology of the emergence of folklore ensembles, the formation of the movement's style, the revival of folk instruments, the visuality of the movement, institutionalization and review concerts, the Aizpute gathering, informal events, sources of folklore and education, the influence of the KGB, the monumental 150th anniversary of Krišjānis Barons, Latvian folklore ensembles in the West, the international folklore festival "Baltica" and the involvement of the movement's members in the political events of the Singing Revolution. The events of the folklore movement are paralleled by a news ticker with events in Latvia and the world at the time.
Read more...2024 at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia
This year has been vibrant, significant, and eventful at the Institute of Literature, Folklore, and Art of the University of Latvia. We are thrilled about what has been accomplished and planned, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who collaborated with us this year.
Read more...Defence of Digne Ūdre-Lielbārde doctoral thesis
On December 9th at 12:00 Digne Udre-Lielbarde will defend her doctoral thesis “Latvian Folk Ornament and Mythology Nexus as a Revival: Contested Historical Layers, Visualized Ideologies, and Commodified Creativity”.
The dissertation is theoretically grounded in folklore studies and explores the combination of folk ornament and mythology in Latvian culture. Besides exploring folk ornament in contemporary settings shaped by a neoliberal market economy, the dissertation analyzes the origins of the folk ornament and mythology nexus, showing it to be rooted in interwar Latvia (1918–1940) and the works of Latvian artist Ernests Brastiņš (1892–1942). As argued in the dissertation, the origins of folk ornament and mythology nexus and its further development is best approached as a folk revival characterized by a renewed, politically motivated interest in and appreciation of traditional cultural expressions, involving their rediscovery, reinterpretation, and popularization. Covering different periods in the history of Latvia, the dissertation explores the restrictions imposed on the interpretation of folk ornament by the Soviet occupation regime during the Stalinist period and how they played out in the intellectual biography of Latvian artist Jēkabs Bīne (1895–1955). Another period analyzed is the Singing Revolution (1986–1991) with the popularity of the eight-pointed star as one of the main visual symbols of the independence movement. Addressing contested topics, the dissertation explores the contemporary uses of ugunskrusts, the local variation of the swastika, and how they correlate with the interpretation of WWII in Latvian collective memory. Using ethnographic interviews, archival and media materials, the dissertation consists of four publications and an extensive introductory chapter, which contextualizes this research in the theory of visuality and social movement studies, Soviet postcolonial theory, and collective memory studies.
