The Latvian Museum of Literature and Music’s mission is to inspire a contemporary understanding of Latvia's national heritage of writing and music. It aims to promote the idea of the museum as a space for new experiences and meaningful conversations. This exhibition, SongSpace, is another national treasure that will inspire curiosity and a desire to explore the tradition while fostering an intellectual and emotional need to preserve it. The exhibition serves as a platform to celebrate and educate about this long-established tradition, offering a modern and innovative space for discussion, conversation, and envisioning cultural heritage.
The exhibition spans two floors. The first floor features four essential exhibits: an interactive treasure wall titled River of Time, a multimedia installation called The Biggest Choir in the World, chairs for listening to choral music, and the symbol of the song festival, the Līgo flag. The second floor is dedicated to the educational program and will be accessible to all visitors. Besides exhibition visits, it will be a place to study the history of the song festival tradition and to engage in conversations, discussions, and events.
The interactive wall of treasures is traversed by an active, illuminated timeline summarizing the history of the tradition from the festival's inception in the 19th century to the present day. Augmented with artifacts, audio-visual materials, and texts, it reveals a unified message about the tradition through special highlights of each festival as well as the nation's history.
The multimedia installation The Greatest Choir in the World offers a central emotional experience, where visitors can relive the song festival story through 128 screens. This journey begins with the sounds of Latvian nature and culminates in the massed choir of 16,000 voices singing in perfect harmony, featuring Mārtiņš Braun's emblematic song Sun, Thunder, Daugava.
The five meditation-like areas offer each visitor a chance to sit in comfortable chairs and listen to 24 recordings of 12 Latvian folk songs and 12 original choral works by Latvian composers.
Due to its fragile nature, the original Līgo flag is kept in the Riga Museum of History and Navigation. The exhibition showcases an exact replica of the Līgo flag, created by craftsmen under the guidance of artists Inese Mailīte and Ivars Mailītis.
The second floor's "Community Room" is dedicated to activities where participants, organizers, spectators, and anyone interested in learning, remembering, and researching the tradition of the Song Celebration are invited to come together. It is an environment that encourages the exploration of the Song and Dance Celebration tradition, focuses on accessibility of information, and provides both physical and digital access to materials.
The permanent exhibition is easily accessible from the city center. We provide passes and free parking for entry to the Mežaparks territory. For those who prefer alternative transportation methods, such as public transport or bicycle, you can enjoy the scenic route through Mežaparks on your way to the exhibition.
