"Glass and Skateboarding 2020" Within the framework of the "Voice of Glass" exhibition
During the autumn of 2020, the glass skateboarding collaboration took place in Riga, Latvia.
With a sharp eye to what is relevant for representing local skateboarding grounds, the involved documentation was carried out by Latvia’s leading skateboarding photographers and videographers. Interactions with the glass installations were performed by the most talented skateboarders in our region. A glass segment was created by an artist Kārlis Bogustovs, who is also a skateboarder. This segment was made from recycled float glass that has been layered and cast together in a kiln at high temperatures.
Latvia’s skateboarding culture is developing rapidly, all the participants of this event know how different our surroundings are compared to ones from the early days. The urban infrastructure has changed starting from the shape of our pavement to the way society sees skateboarding in general. The understanding of this culture is growing positively, but still, it can be steered into a more harmonious way.
There are ways skateboarding does minor damage to public and private property, but it is small compared to the vibrance it gives to the environment. The problematic part of this can be solved by understanding the situation. There are many ways to improve any area and make it sort of “skateboarding proof”. Skateboarding can be regarded as a sport of high precision and creativity because new shapes of maneuvers emerge unconditionally. With an approximate history of 70 years, the level of overall skateboarding skill is still growing and doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
The presented videos and photographs were made in multiple locations using the same glass module. Locations for implementing the glass were a spontaneous choice made by each participant of the project, which led to new achievements. The glass module disintegrated into 4 pieces from a few frivolous installations. The glass held the toughest pressures of skateboarding and lived up to its expectations.
By researching and introducing glass as an aesthetic medium within the context of the vibrant skateboarding culture it is possible to emphasize the outcome of the interaction with the skateboarding environment. An experienced skateboarder, consciously or unconsciously knows and feels the material, its texture, and density, of his/her choice. Glass is rarely used by skateboarders, and the idea of purposely creating objects of glass for skateboarding is something new for everyone. It’s an adventure, entering the unknown, which is the best part of both forms of expression - glass art and skateboarding.
Glass: Kārlis Bogustovs
Photo: Artūrs Pavlovs
Video: Rūdolfs Henčels, Edvards Gabarajevs and Dimitrijs Čļenovs.
