Elīna Vītola (1986) and Ieva Kraule-Kūna (1987) are Latvian artists who came together to realise their project Artist Crisis Center first in the LOW gallery, Riga and then in PAKT art space in Amsterdam.

The “Tact Gear” is the second project of the Artist Crisis Center exhibited in 2020 in PAKT. Under the title “Tact Gear” you will find a portable version of Artist Crisis Center – a physical manifestation of metaphysical space for discussing as well as creating, transporting and exhibiting art. This modestly sized, collapsible backpack includes 21 features that help the artist in any situation on their way: A) a portable table; B) Artist Crisis Center user manual + a sketchbook; C) an endless blues pencil, D) a medium-size primed canvas ready for painting; E) an extra-large primed canvas ready for painting (can be used as a yoga mat or temporary bed); F) a necktie to bring some class to any outfit; G) a functional bag; H) a paintbrush with extra long handle to maintain/cover distance; I) a compartment with built-in answers to all the big questions (cannot be opened by any physical means); J) an opportunity to reach for those unattainable answers; K) an easy to prepare meal; L) a waterproof coat; M) a room to grasp, hold and in which to be touched by something; N) a studio with a skylight; O) an art gallery that can be expanded by joining in union with fellow backpack owners + a temporary housing solution; P) a flag to declare your ideals to the world; Q) an outfit for a special occasion; R) an extension for yourself; S) contemporary art.

 The first project of the Artist Crisis Center by Vitola and Kraule-Kuna took place in the LOW gallery in Riga, Latvia, in 2019. Accompanied by a shelter for unwanted art and an around-the-clock help centre, it provided refuge and assistance for those in need, all while surrounded by a soothing atmosphere to ease agitated minds and restless souls. In this stand, we want to marry these two project approaches in one imagined incubator. In many ways, this is an ironic comment on the contemporary art built world and rules, a think tank to reflect on it all.

Elina Vitola (1986) is an artist based in Riga. Her conceptual, visually vibrant work varies from paintings to complex communal installations involving several other artists and creative practitioners. Classically trained as a painter at the Art Academy of Latvia, Vitola has taken up this medium as a companion in her artistic journey to both disentangle some issues that are connected with her own identity as an artist and the art world in general, and to build new platforms for other artists.

Ieva Kraule-Kuna (1987) is an artist based in Riga. She has an MA in Fine Arts from Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam. Artist mostly produces sculptural objects using various materials (ceramics, stone, metal, etc.), accompanying them with short stories, where absurd adventures of fictive characters mix with skewed interpretations of historical facts. In her works, Ieva Kraule-Kuna refers to Soviet architecture, artisanship and fetishism.