ABOUT US

“Culture and Arts Project NOASS” is a creative intelligence association that is in the fifteenth year of its operating existence and is one of the oldest non-governmental arts and culture organizations in Latvia. NOASS’ goal is to participate in the formation of the Latvian and European cultural environment.

In the main, we support the realization of contemporary arts projects in an urban environment, making art part of the daily lives of residents of Riga and visitors to the city. Furthermore, for several years now we have participated in the planning and programming of the contemporary arts forum, “White Night”, the annual “Riga City Festival” and the “International Museums Night”, as well as realizing a range of individual projects.

In recent years, the Culture and Arts Project NOASS actively are involved in international projects, one of our main tasks  is Latvian contemporary cultural promotion at the European level. NOASS is one of the most active Trans Europe Halles – TEH (European Network of Independent Cultural Centres) members, also we are active in ENCC – European Network of Cultural Centres. Actively involved in the volunteer work, regularly sending candidates from Latvia to gain experience in other countries.

NOASS first activities in Andrejsala were launched in 2006, when Naive Art Museum of Latvia was created. Museum’s main objective is to collect information about naive artists and naive art works, their conservation, research and promotion. The museums mission is to save Latvia’s naive art’s inheritance of cultural history for next generations and use it for educational work.

NOASS main activities:

• Floating Art Gallery NOASS and BETANOVUSS
• “Waterpieces” International Contemporary and Video Art Festival
• Noass Video Art Archive and Video Art Database
• Naive art museum of Latvia
• Artists in residence. A-residence
• International Cooperation
• The Association of Non-Governmental Contemporary Culture Organizations

Floating Art Gallery NOASS and BETANOVUSS

In 2008, NOASS celebrated the 10th anniversary of its launch. We marked this anniversary with the reconstruction of the BETANOVUSS floating gallery. With support from the construction company, “RE&RE” in 2008 NOASS has continued to establish a non-commercial contemporary culture centre whose centre of activity is based at two river boat platforms, “BETANOVUSS” and “NOASS”. “BETANOVUSS” is a 197 m2 large floating stage with a 57 m2 amphitheatre where residents of Riga can see “small form” theatre exhibitions and contemporary dance performances and where various art genres freely interact. more about premises >>

“Waterpieces” International Contemporary and Video Art Festival

The “Waterpieces” festival dates back to 2001. It’s an annual festival of contemporary and video art which consists of a competition for video works, as well as screenings of international programs thus providing a comprehensive insight into the latest works of contemporary art linked to the moving image. more about festival >

Noass Video Art Archive and Video Art Database

The Latvian Video Art Archive has been created as the only national video art database. It is available for free and covers the entire history of Latvian video art from the late 1980′s through to the present day. The platform for the Latvian Video Art Archive – Database is the videoteque which has been established and built up over a number of years by “Culture and Arts Project NOASS”.

During the course of 2008, we have introduced new database software which ensures the availability of information on the Internet. We continue the expansion of the database with new works (from the Waterpieces competition) and by inviting authors to add older works to the database which have been shown in exhibitions, but which not been included in the NOASS video archive database before now. more about archive >>

Naive art museum of Latvia

Thanks to the partnership between Noass and the New Riga Development Company, the Naive Art Museum of  Latvia opened at Andrejsala in the autumn of 2006. This year, the museum is having its 5th season.

The Naive Art Museum of Latvia has defined its operating goal as being the collection of works of naïve art, as well as their preservation, study and promotion. The Museum’s task is to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of naïve art for future generations and to use it to educate the general public. The Museum devotes particular attention to the identification and preservation of works by contemporary Latvian naïve artists including painters and sculptors and the establishment of core exposition of works at the Museum.

Based on the material that has been collected and researched, the Museum is implementing a wide ranging complex of educational measures. Since 2007, the Museum has focused on promoting works by Latvian naïve artists abroad (Fest Naïve 2007 – Moscow). In 2007, the Museum was awarded the status of a State accredited museum.  more about museum >>

Artists in residence. A-Residence

Since 2009 the association “Culture and Art Project NOASS” started artists in residence program. The resident house in Andrejsala (Andrejostas Street 4) in the former Customs building, which has now acquired a name – A.Rezidences. The main objective is to enable artists to get acquainted with Riga as one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltic States, it’s diverse cultural life, giving new impulses to new creation in the field of visual art, art criticism, writers. more about residence >>

International Cooperation

“Culture and Arts Project NOASS” has primarily focussed on supporting contemporary culture environment and experimental projects in Latvia, but since 2009, it has defined its goal as the integration of Latvian culture into the overall European cultural events cycle.

Since 2007, “Culture and Arts Project NOASS” has operated within the TEH- Trans Europe Halles – European Network of Independent Culture Centres. TEH supports a range of creative initiatives in the European Union and has a membership comprised of 49 culture and arts organizations from 25 countries. more about TEH and projects >>

The second largest European network where NOASS actively participates is European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC).

Since 2008, “Culture and Arts Project NOASS” has functioned as a EVS – European Volunteer Services sending and hosting organization, thus promoting the mobility of young people who are interested in cultural and arts events among various public organizations. Also, NOASS is registered in PADOR database which is managed by EuropeAid.  PADOR or “Potential Applicants Data Online Registration” is a recent applicant processing system introduced by European Commissions through EuropeAid to understand and maintain extensive information about NGOs requesting funds from it for collaboration projects with worldwide organizations.

In addition to the mobility and residency programmes and the opportunities for European volunteer work and its participation in TEH, “Culture and Arts Project NOASS” is continuing the partnerships it has begun with other foreign organizations, representing the Latvian Video Art Archive and selections of the very best works from the well-established contemporary arts and video festival, “Waterpieces”, as well as the Latvian contemporary art scene at international level.

The Association of Non-Governmental Contemporary Culture Organizations

The Association of Non-Governmental Contemporary Culture Organizations was established in 2007 in order to reach the goal of developing and activating the work of non-governmental organizations in the field of culture more successfully.

The founders of the Association of Non-Governmental Contemporary Culture Organizations are: “Culture and Arts Project NOASS”, the “New Latvian Theatre Institute”, the “Contemporary Arts Centre”, the “New Media Culture Centre RIX-C”, the “Development center of non commercial culture NEKAC” the “Inter-Sector Arts Group SERDE” and the “Culture and Information Centre K@2″. more about association >>