Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art project presented in Berlin

On 8 February within the framework of the Baltic states - Germany Cultural Year Essentia Baltica 2008 an exhibition Schone neue Welt (Beautiful New World) will open at the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations in Berlin (Institut fuer Auslandsbeziehungen, IFA). The exhibition includes the design project for the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art created by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

The IFA is the leading institute of foreign cultural relations in Germany. It is active throughout the world, developing international experience in cultural exchange, popularising German contemporary art in the world and promoting recognition of contemporary art, architecture and design of other countries in Germany.

The exhibition Schone neue Welt is part of the project Stadtan Sichten (City Scenes), which the IFA began in 1993, arranging expositions in its galleries in Berlin and Stuttgart. Previous exhibitions under the project were dedicated to Asian and African cities, but Schone neue Welt focuses on the most striking examples of urban planning, architecture and social change in Central and Eastern European cities.

The Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art is to be constructed in Andrejsala, Riga, converting and adapting a former thermoelectric station for the needs of a museum.

At the exhibition opening the Latvian Minister of Culture, Helena Demakova will address the gathering.

The exhibition will be open from 8 February to 4 May.

More information on the exhibition is available on www.ifa.de

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