Festival, Rome, Italy, 22.-24.11.2024
kuš! is part of Baba Jaga Europe and will be at Baba Jaga Fest 2024. Latvian artist Jurijs Tatarkins will also be there, he is part of the Casa Baba exhibition, which is part of a residency exchange we were co-organizing. The festival promises a lot to discover, don't miss it!
Illustration: Jurijs Tatarkins
Support: Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Festival, De Studio, Antwerpen, Belgium, 22.-24.11.2024
kuš! is very happy to be part of the of Grafixx 2024! Latvian artist Oskars Pavlovskis will have a stand selling all our newest books and he'll also have his own books and prints on offer. We'll also be representing Baba Jaga Europe and bring the publications of this special project!
Support: Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Festival, Prague, Czech Republic 30.11.-01.12.2024
Kuš! takes part in FRAME! Next to kuš! editor David Schilter, we'll also bring along a special guest! Our regular contributor König Lü. Q. from Switzerland is joining the fun and will also have some of his zines on offer! Don't miss!!!! We'll be representing the Latvian side of Baba Jaga Europe and bring the publications of this special project! We'll also be part of the FRAME Baba Jaga Market and meeting with local and international publishers and artists.
Support: Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Art Market, Paviljonas, Pylimo g. 21B, Vilnius, Lithuania, 09.12.2024
kuš! is tabling at LILU Christmas Art Market in Vilnius. A great little market with lot of different artists and creators offering their goods - illustrators, ceramicists, clothing, small press.... We'll of course bring our good books! Don't miss, get some presents early!
FB event: clicketyclick
Exhibition, Kalnciema galerija,Kalnciema iela 35, Riga, 17.10. - 02.11.2024
The Czech Republic is world-famous for its illustrators, so it's no surprise that Czechs also excel in comics! In this exhibition, you'll experience a wide range of styles, as carefully selected artists present a diverse array of comics, spanning from reportage and autobiographical works to fantasy and even horror.
Artists: Jakub Bachorík, Julie Černá, Jindřich Janíček, Nikola Hoření,
Jakub Hrdlička, Barbora Kicovová, Michaela Kukovičová, Nikola Logosová, Lucie Lučanská, Barbora Müllerová, Sára Paldánová, Lívia Suchá, Tereza Šiklová, Chrudoš Valoušek, Klára Zahrádková.
Curator: Barbora Müllerová
Opening: Thursday, 17.10.2024, 18:00
The exhibition is open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00-18:00 and Saturdays from 10:00-16:00
Free entry
LUSTR is the largest Czech festival of illustration and comics, held in the heart of Prague. For over ten years, LUSTR has been bringing together creators from the Czech Republic and beyond, exploring the most beautiful books and sharing knowledge through workshops and lectures. https://lustrfestival.cz/en
Support: With the financial support of the European Union, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Czech Recovery Plan
Zine Festival, Städtische Galerie Bremen (Messe), Bremen, Germany, 25.10-27.10.2024
Kuš! is a guest at Bremer Zine Festival! Latvian artist Zane Zlemeša is representing us there and will have a very big selection of our books on offer along her own publications and prints!
On Sunday at 2 PM Zane Zlemeša will have a comics reading of 'Searching for Sappe'!
Presentation, Pop-up exhibition, Bolderāja, Avotu iela 29, Riga, 16.10.2024, 19:00
Introduction and artist talk by Charlotte Eta Mumm, guest editor of š! #52 'Elastic Spaces,' which extends her artwork ‘What Would Not Have Been,’ exploring the isolating nature of creative work in the context of recent sociopolitical events. The project came to live for Sculpture Quadrennial Riga and was made possible with the support of the Mondriaan Fund, the Netherlands.
Barbora Müllerová, an illustrator and curator of the LUSTR Illustration Festival in Prague, will discuss her artistic practice, provide insights into the LUSTR festival, and present a short comic reading on how to set up a camera trap.
Festival, Holešovická tržnice, Prague, Czech Republic, 20.09-28.09.2024
Kuš! is taking part in the International Festival of Comics and Illustration LUSTR in Prague! With Barbora Müllerová, David Schilter co-curated the Show Out of the Stream, featuring artists like Anna Haifisch, Ana Margarida Matos, Zhena Oliinyk, Bohdana Zaiats, Tereza Šiklová, Chrudoš Valoušek, and many more! Kuš! editor David Schilter will have a presentation, and on Sunday a special š! anthology dedicated to Czech comics will be launched! Don't miss!
Comics Festival, Columbus, USA, 26.-29.09.2024
Kuš! is tabling at CXC!!! We'll be represented by our US rep Christopher Sperandio! He'll also bring a bunch of his own zines, books and posters. Don't miss!
Exhibition, SQR 2024, NOASS, Riga, 15.08-23.08.2024
In the context of Sculpture Quadrennial Riga 2024, together with the artist Charlotte Eta Mumm, we've invited international artists to react to Mumm's theme ‘Sliding Doors’ for a specieal kuš! issue, and, through that, the idea of the plasticity of space. The artists present varied perspectives on the theme of this special edition, which will be published for SQR. Through the format of the pocket-size magazine, it acts as a public hybrid sculpture which interacts with the observer. It can be taken home and form an invisible network from public space via hands to private homes. Participating artists are Ana Margarida Matos (Portugal), Anna Malicka (Latvia), Bohdana Zaiats (Ukraine), Ceel Mogami de Haas (Botswana) / Simone Jarvis (Canada), Charlotte Eta Mumm (Germany), Christine Moldrickx (Germany), Elio J Carranza (Argentina/Germany), Holger Bunk (Germany), Jeroen Funke (The Netherlands), José Quintanar (Spain), König Lü. Q. (Switzerland), Lai Tat Tat Wing (Hong Kong), Letizia Calori (Italy), Madara Krēziņa (Latvia), Müge Yilmaz (Turkey), Othman Selmi (Tunisia), Pam Virada (Thailand), Petra Feriancová (Slovakia), Samplerman (France), Stephan Blumenschein (Austria).
Made possible with the support of the Mondriaan Fund, the Netherlands, and Culture Moves Europe
Opening: 15 August, 19.00 at NOASS Art Centre. FB event
Comic Festival, Kölibri, Hein-Köllisch-Platz 12, Hamburg, Germany, 04.10-06.10.2024
Kuš! is a guest at Comicfestival Hamburg! Latvian artist Zane Zlemeša is representing us there and will have a very big selection of our books on offer along her own publications and prints!
Festival, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, USA, 24.08.-25.08.2024
Kuš! is tabling at Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE)! We'll be represented by our US rep Christopher Sperandio! He'll also bring a bunch of his own zines, books and posters. Don't miss!
Kuš! is part of Helsinki Zine Fest! Come, meet kuš! ediotr David Schilter, who will bring along the newest kuš! publications and also presents the project Baba Jaga Europe!
Support: Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Workshop, MIKC DDMV Saules Skola, Daugavpils, 06.08.-0.8.08.2024
Free three day comic workshop for youngsters in the age of around 15. Workshop led by Finnish comic artist Jyrki Nissinen.
If a group of people would be shrunken and sent for a tour to your brain, what would they see? They colud be scientists, mechanics, cleaners or just a regular tourist group. How would your mind appear to them: your interests, thoughts, enjoyments, fears and the interior in general? In this workshop you can introduce your thoughts and have fun with it by creating 2-5 pages of comics.
Find more details and apply here: FB Event
Organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia in cooperation with kuš!
Performance, Kalnciema iela 35, Riga, 01.08.2024, 21:00
Poncili Creación will be stopping in Riga on their world tour with their new performance, “Dirty Laughing Molecules.” You definitely mustn’t miss this beautiful nightmare featuring giant puppets and crazy sounds.
The show will take place on the first of August at 21:00 at Kalnciema Kvartāls and will mark the finale of ŠĀBRS Festival 2024. The performance will be accompanied by live music from Nils Valkiainens and Dāvis Ludvigs Bikšus. Free entry.
Before, at 20:00 there will be the Mexican mariachi band Sol Y Sombra playing.
Poncili Creación, a performance duo based in Puerto Rico, uses large-scale transformative sculptures, raw magic, and visceral energy to plunge audiences into a whimsical nightmare with unpredictable outcomes. They create flexible sculptures out of found materials, animated and brought to life by the human body or its parts, transforming primitive puppetry and idol-making into a shape-shifting art form that brings impossible ideas to reality.
Over the past 10 years, their tours have taken them to Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Their work has been featured in MoMA PS1, Hauser & Wirth LA, Aspen Art Museum, the Center for Puppetry Arts, NADA (NY, Miami), Material Art Fair, the Institute of Contemporary Arts Los Angeles (ICALA), and RISING, among others.
Latvian television about the performance (click!)
Workshop, Klusā iela 2, Riga, 24.07.24, 19:00
Our current resident Yina Kim invites for a picnic! Enjoy the summer, relax, and draw with friends! In this fun workshop, you will learn to enjoy drawing from life. We will head to the park to draw nature, people, and buildings around us. No drawing skills are necessary; we will embrace our lines, forms, and mistakes to create a series of drawings.
Bring your picnic blanket, snacks to share, drawing tools, paper, and a hat! Let's draw together! It's free! Featured guest at the picnic: Giovanna Fabi
Kuš! takes part in Fanzines ? Festival! Next to kuš! editor David Schilter, we'll also bring along two special guests! Our regular contributor König Lü. Q. from Switzerland is joining the fun and also our June kuš! resident Caroline Cash! Don't miss!!!!
Exhibition, Sēļu muiža, Valmieras novada, 20.05.-19.07.2024
In the framework of the project “With a Little Help from My Friends”, kuš!, in collaboration with Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia, hosted a three-day workshop with artists from Ukraine and Latvia - Anna Sarvira, Bohdana Zaiats, Zhenya Oliinyk, Zlata Novykova, Jana Ribkina, and Rebeka Lukošus – as well as young local artists who participated. In the workshop, the artists exchanged experiences and idea regarding illustration and comics, showing off some of their skills and even getting to experiment with new techniques. The physical result of this collaboration between Ukrainian and Latvian artists are 17 illustrations and comics printed on banners. The artists of the banners are the above mentioned workshop leaders and the participants: Anna Vaivare, Betija Jakaite, Herta Balode, Hoder, Inga Ziemele, Jurijs Tatarkins, Katrīna Sadovnikova, Ksenya Tarasova, Madara Krēziņa and Xozusia.
'With a Little Help from My Friends' was organized by kuš! in collaboration with Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia. Supported by The Nordic House — Reykjavik.
Illustration by Anna Sarvira
In March 2024, German artist Michael Jordan held a comic workshop in Riga with the theme 'All Means All'. Under his guidance, the participants discussed what this means for them and created comic posters inspired by the talks. In the end, all the comics got copied and distributed, and the participants cut them up to create new comic collages all together.
The results of this workshop by artists from Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Italy and USA will be exhibited at Kalnciema Galerija from 2 May – 31 May. Opening 2 May 18:00.
The artists participating are Alberta Ziemele, Amanda Jēkabsone, Austėja Bukauskytė, Betija Jakaite, Carlo Carnevale, Dagnis Stikāns, Hadeer Ali, Jana Ribkina, Jonas Fischer, Jurijs Tatarkins, Karlīna Marta Zvirbule, Katrīna Sadovņikova, Katrīna Kovaļuka, Ksenija Tarasova, Lauma Lejēja, Madara Krēziņa, Ona Kvašytė, and Michael Jordan.
The exhibition is organised by Goethe Institut Riga in cooperation with kuš! comics
Workshop, Virtakas Klase, National Library of Latvia, Riga, 25.05.2024, 12:00-16:00
Comics workshop with Italian cartoonist Giulia Cellino, who is currently working at the kuš! / Baba Jaga residency in Riga.
The workshop will focus on how to experiment using sounds and their transcription as a narrative tool in comics, and will result in the creation of a short story. Sounds are limitless in terms of creative potential and in 4 hours participants can enjoy the power and freedom of syllables. As well as enjoying, creating, and reading comics as an inter-sensory experience.
Participants are invited from the age of 16 and up. Basic English skills are required and drawing skills are helpful to take part. Participants should bring their favourite drawing tools, paper will be provided. No participation fee. UPDATE: THE WORKSHOP IS FULLY BOOKED!
The workshop takes place in VIRTAKAS KLASE on the first floor. We'll meet at the registration desk.
Support: Giulia Cellino's residency is part of Baba Jaga Europe. Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Zine Festival, Közmű Közös műhely, Orczy út, Budapest, Hungary, 25.-26.05.2024
Kuš! megszállja Magyarországot. Very happy to finally take part in the legendary Ukmukfukk Zinefeszt! Kuš! will be presenting and selling a wide array of our comic books. Latvian artist Jana Ribkina will be representing us there. Of course she'll also bring her own zines and prints, and if you ask her nicely, maybe she'll also tattoo some comic figures on your skin!
Presentation, Bolderāja, Avotu iela 29, Riga, 22.05.2024, 19:00
Our current artist in residence Giulia Cellino will talk about her experience in comics and selfpublishing. As she's also working for AM-Book, she will give some insight into the work of a comic agent. Don't miss!
Giulia Cellino studied comics and illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. She began self-publishing her projects in 2015, and has been participating in exhibitions and festivals in Italy and abroad ever since. She draws and writes, mostly inspired by everyday life experiences. Since 2022, she has been the author of the comics collective project Povere Puttane. Her short stories and illustrations are published in magazines such as Linus, D-la Repubblica, and Domani Editoriale. One of her stories, Ha senso, was published in 2020 in the anthology volume Sporchi e Subito, edited by Fumettibrutti and published by Feltrinelli Comics. She currently lives in Torino and works in the publishing industry.
Support: Giulia Cellino's residency is part of Baba Jaga Europe. Baba Jaga Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Art Book Fair, Niine 8, Tallinn, Estonia, 18.-19.05.2024
Tere! Kuš! will be attending the very first edition of Fair Enough! We'll be there presenting our comics, and we'll also take along our Italian artist in residence Giulia Cellino, who will present a selection of her own comics zines. Don't miss!
Comics Fair, Museum of Communication, Berlin, Germany, 11.-12.05.2024
Very happy to invade Comic Invasion Berlin again! Kuš! will be at the comics fair presenting and selling a wide array of our newest books. Latvian artist Līva Kandevica will be representing us there. Go, say čau!
Presentation, Bolderāja, Avotu iela 29, Riga, 25.04.2024, 19:00
Meet kuš! resident Luise Schaller and ISSP resident Beatrice Ventura. They will talk about their art and practices in the field of comics and photography.
Luise Schaller is a Berlin based artist, working in the realms of narrative drawing, comic, poetry and painting. During her studies of illustration and fine arts in Berlin and New York City, she immersed herself in the independent comic and zine making scene, working on and publishing comics with poetic and auto fictional content. Drawing inspiration from literature, art and cinematography, experimental approaches to the relationship between image, word and the potential for meaning and narration are central to her work. Her most recent graphic narration „I didn’t want any flowers“ will be published in April 2024 with SofortBooks.
Beatrice Ventura is an Italian photographer whose work develops from intimate themes and the relationship between man and the environment. She adopts a contemplative approach in which dreams, memories, and impressions merge. During her stay in Riga, Beatrice is working on her research project "Altered Green", which focuses on the dynamics of representing the plant world, using an experimental thermographic technique.
Artist Talk, Norden office, Berga Bazars, Riga, 16.04.2024, 18.00
Presentation, Bolderāja, Avotu iela 29, Riga, 20.03.2024, 19:00
This month we have three residents! Come and meet Jonas Fischer, Carlo Carnevale, and Hadeer Ali! They'll talk about their comics and art practice and present their books and zines.
Jonas Fischer has been drawing ever since he knew how to draw. Sometimes he draws for money, sometimes for himself, sometimes both. At Kuš he's drawing cityscapes and built environments and tries to piece them together into a narration of some sorts.
Carlo Carnevale is an Italian writer, illustrator, journalist, puppeteer and playwright. He is best unknown for his book "Con affetto, Onica", an essay on diversity, deep inarticulate yearning and missing your friends, which appeared in 2022 under sentimental circumstances. He's been collaborating with Ultravioletto since its outset and currently works on cultivating a disquieting online presence.
Hadeer Ali is a Brooklyn based illustrator and comic artist. Hadeer uses oil pastels and crayon to create intimate and nostalgic narratives.
Illustration: Hadeer Ali
Comic workshop with Michael Jordan, 01.-03 March 2024, Goethe-Institut Riga, Riga, Application deadline 23.02.2024
We are very happy to welcome Michael Jordan in Riga. From March 1-3, 2024 he'll hold a comic workshop themed "All Are All" at the Goethe-Institut.
The workshop is suitable for illustrators with an interest in graphic storytelling. As part of the workshop, we will develop the basics of comic drawing techniques and work intensively with the text and images. We learn about various aspects of sequential storytelling. The participants develop their own experimental 1-page comic using small interactive drawing exercises on the common theme “All Are All". The results will be printed and displayed as A3 riso posters after the workshop.
Michael Jordan (*1972) lives as an illustrator, printmaker and curator in Erlangen. He studied media illustration in Hamburg, then printmaking at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In 1999 he won first prize at the Fumetto International Comic Competition in Lucerne. In 2002 he was a UNESCO scholarship holder at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Since 2003 he has been a member of the artist group Tonto from Graz. From 2008 to 2010 he taught illustration at the HfG Offenbach and from 2013 to 2014 and in 2020 he taught drawing and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. In 2017 he was Styria Artist-in-Residence in Graz. In 2022 he was awarded the City of Erlangen's Culture Prize. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in Stockholm, Vienna and Berlin, among others. His comic “Why We Are Tired” (Avant Verlag, 2020) was published in French by Editions Fremok in 2023.
Take Part:
Participation is free! Places for the workshop are allocated through a selection process. Please apply by email to kushmens(at)gmail(dot)com with the following info:
- Name, surname, age (18+), place of residence
- Link to your own portfolio/blog/insta (alternatively three comic pages or drawings in low resolution)
- Short letter of motivation (2-3 sentences)
Application deadline: 23.02.2024, 12.00 (noon)
Baltic Travel Grants:
Two participants each from Lithuania and Estonia can apply for a travel grant of 50 euros to take part in the workshop in Riga. The same selection procedure applies as above.
Dates and Place:
01.03.2024 (18.00- 20.00), 02.03.2024 (11.00-18.00), 03.03.2024 (11.00-17.00). Place: Goethe-Institut Riga, Berga bazars, Marijas iela 13 k-1, Riga, Latvia
Organizers:
The workshop is organized by kuš! in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Riga.
Small Press Market, Fumetto Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland, 09.03/10.03.2024, 16.03/17.03.2024
Let's meet at Fumetto once again! kuš! will have a table at both weekends at the International Comics Arts Festival Fumetto in Lucerne. kuš! will be represented by it's editor David Schilter and by it's regular contributor König Lü.Q.
Exhibition, National Library of Latvia, Riga, 27.10.2023-20.01.2024
This exhibition explores the work of Mexican comic artist Julio Camarena Peréz, whose drawings were distinguished by their lyrical quality and volumetric style, setting them apart from the sometimes crude work of his contemporaries in 1970's Mexico. Original drawings, books (Micro Leyendas), and other paraphernalia make up this exclusive show of this long forgotten artist. There is also the chance to watch the acclained documentary short about Camarena, 'The Grotto of Death'.
Curators: Christopher Sperandio, David Schilter
Support: Produced with support from the Dean of the School of Humanities at Rice University, National Library of Latvia
News coverage: La Jornada (MX)
Presentation, Bolderāja, Avotu iela 29, Riga, 03.01.2024, 19:00
Starting 2024 with a bang! Meet Marcel Ruijters (NL) and Eric Kostiuk Williams (CA). They'll talk about their comics and art practice and present their books. After the artist talks, we plan to have also a comic jam.
Eric Kostiuk Williams is an illustrator and cartoonist based in Toronto, Canada. His new book '2am eternal: a decade of queer nightlife posters + comics' was recently published by Secret Acres. He has contributed comics to NOW magazine, Dazed & Confused, and the Believer. He has also created murals, nightlife flyers, harm reduction campaigns, editorial illustrations, and music videos. Eric is an Eisner, Lambda Literary, and Doug Wright award finalist. http://www.kostiukwilliams.com/Eric Kostiuk Williams is an illustrator and cartoonist based in Toronto, Canada. His new book '2am eternal: a decade of queer nightlife posters + comics' was recently published by Secret Acres. He has contributed comics to NOW magazine, Dazed & Confused, and the Believer. He has also created murals, nightlife flyers, harm reduction campaigns, editorial illustrations, and music videos. Eric is an Eisner, Lambda Literary, and Doug Wright award finalist.
Marcel Ruijters is the creator of more than 30 comics books, translated into numerous languages. His instantly recognizable ‘woodcut’ style is distinguished by flirting with the medieval visual tradition. He works also as an illustrator, translator, writer and editor at the Dutch magazine Zone 5300. His comics were exhibited in many exhibitions and festivals around the world, winning him numerous prizes and awards, among others the respectable ‘Best young artist’ award in Haarlems Stripdagen in 1992 and the Stripschapprijs in 2014.
Illustration: Marcel Ruijters
© kuš!