Art center Zuzeum — Attraction in Riga

Interesting, but a bit disappointing. Let me explain in details, please.

I’ve been there with my partner, we are both contemporary art lovers. So the anticipation of the visit was quite exciting.

The employee on the reception wasn’t welcoming, polite or nice. She just said: “10 Eur per person” that’s (literally) it. You know, after Tate Modern or MUCA in Munich or KW in Berlin we were expecting a passionate person who is aspire to explain a bit what is the current exhibition about (you know, just a basic hospitality). Nothing was said. We were desperately trying to find some kind of brochure or information about exhibition to dive in deeper to the context of the artworks. (It needs to be said, we were the only guests in the museum, it was a late Sunday afternoon), However, the personnel saw our confusion, but no help was offered.

The main hall is impressive, trully. An uniqe material was used to create a transparent walls, good lighting as well, but NO CONTEXT/basic explanation for any single piece of art was given.We can't get it. Like, how the contemporary art could exsist without the point of view of the artist who created the object? Every piece of the exhibition had a qr code with link directed to the page about the artist or their social media, no reasonable explanation of why precisely this artwork is part of the exibition or a brief story about it. No information. We were trying to search the pages of the certain artists, trying to understand their perspective on used topic/materials etc. Dead end. Such a shame and dissapointment. A few artworks were obvious, so it was easy to comprehend, but I think, the most important thing for any museum is providing food for thoughts for their guests. So most of the artworks remained just plain pieces of canvas, rather than thoughtful messages to their guests.

The exhibition is an act of art. Art needed to be viewed, understanded, it shoud convey something othervise it's meaningless. A book is becoming a book while a reader is reading it, othervise it's just a pile of papers.

Dear Sirs, responsible for the Zuzeum ehibition hall, Please, have mercy, provide your viewers materials/information about the art objects. (It might be in any form/visual on the walls/printed/link).

Shamefull the fact, that you've already jumped over 95%, but you fell because of the 5%. You've created an amazing space and gathered an impressive collection, but it's almost meaningless for now. Because the magic is not working. Nothing clicked without basic explanation. I don't mean to have 1000 words essay for every piece, but just a key to open the door of knowlege. 1-3 sentences will make a difference! Professional staff as well:) but it's manageble afterwords.

Dear Zuzeum, Good luck on your jorney! We do believe, You have a poteintial to became a worldwide level gallery.

For the dear visitors, please try to plan to have as much time as possible to have time to looking for an additional information in the internet to understand the...

I’ve visited Zuzeum many times before (both for the art gallery, and for the lovely store/coffee & pastries). Today, I’ve decided to give try to their flat white and Cielaviņa. I enjoyed the flat white (although, I feel like there might be a bit too much of milk for this cup’s size), and Cielaviņa was delicious: not huge, but yet fulfilling. I also appreciated the barista’s consideration of asking which milk option I’d prefer for my coffee.

I’ve also bought myself a Ukrainian Sunflower pin from Zuzeum’s store. It was a bit expensive, but you can see that the quality of it is great, considering it’s an enamel pin, the price is fair. I was a bit disappointed not seeing many options of male-oriented jewelry; it seemed the store is mostly oriented towards the female or female-identifying group. I’d love to see more of unisex/male jewelry options in the future.

Also, even though Zuzeum Store has Instagram, the information about what they are selling is pretty limited online. It’s tricky to make a premeditated decision on what to buy with the information provided on their page (it mostly covers books, not anything else).

The art exhibition Ārpus Rāmjiem is a must-see. The paintings of women that are demonstrating their struggles to the public during the soviet occupation is an amazing representation of what might be if the history repeats itself. The exhibition is until the 18th of May, so I’d highly suggest visiting it.

Overall, as always, Zuzeum continues to be a great place for a visit. The staff is friendly, polite, and nice - which adds up to the general experience and mood. I’m giving Zuzeum 4 stars only because of the lack of info provided online, and due to the limited stock options in the stores.

Otherwise -...

Visited in April 2023 while a porcelain collection of factories from all across Latvia was on display. The level of detail and artistry in these works is truly remarkable, showcasing the skill and expertise of the artists who created them. The museum is located next to Riga Porcelain Factory, that is one of the oldest factories in Latvia. Riga Porcelain Factory has been known for its exquisite tableware, figurines, and decorative objects, and its products have been highly sought after both in Latvia and internationally.

Could also see porcelain figurines from Kuznetsov Porcelain Factory or Ludza Porcelain Factory. Latvian porcelain is known for its fine craftsmanship, attention to detail, and artistic flair, and the porcelain items produced by these factories are highly regarded for their quality and beauty.

Was great to admire and learn more but in the same time 10 EUR entrance fee for only one room museum is overpriced unless you are a (while the Riga National Museum...