Project Dossier & Chronicle
DIVINE COMEDY — A MIRROR OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Inferno · Purgatory · Paradise — A Visual Sociology of Contemporary Civilisation
A large-format oil painting cycle (configured in 15-, 30-, or 50-work museum modules drawn from the 350-work lifetime cycle) interpreting Dante's three symbolic realms as structural mechanisms of contemporary power, civic dialogue, and empathy. Presented across 3 public museum exhibitions and 10 art fairs and urban cultural venues.
1. Project Abstract — A Visual Sociology of Contemporary Civilisation
Dags Vidulejs: “I conceived the Divine Comedy cycle as a visual sociology of the twenty-first century. Combining large-scale oil painting, sociological inquiry, and philosophical reflection, I approach Dante's three realms as structural models of contemporary human and social existence. Anthropomorphic forms dissolve into rhythmic architectures, revealing the hidden mechanisms through which power, identity, cooperation, and conscience operate in society. The exhibition invites viewers not merely to contemplate paintings, but to read the ethical anatomy of modern civilisation.”
Created by artist and sociologist Dags Vidulejs, “Divine Comedy by Dags & Dante” is one of the rare 21st-century large-scale painting cycles that reads Dante Alighieri's Comedy as a social anatomy of contemporary civilisation. The curated museum touring selection comprises up to 50 large-scale oil canvases (ranging from 200 × 200 cm and 300 × 200 cm to 6.3-meter triptychs, drawn from a planned lifetime cycle of 350 works; exact studio inventory count of completed large-format canvases: TODO) structured across Dante's three cantiche: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
Curatorial Clarification on the Three Realms: Throughout the cycle, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso do not depict fixed or stigmatised categories of people; rather, they represent structural mechanisms of social organisation and states of human existence. Inferno examines systems dominated by coercion, fear, and the pursuit of power; Purgatorio explores the civic sphere of self-reflection, responsibility, and dialogue; while Paradiso envisions communities grounded in empathy, mutual trust, and the common good.
Stylistically, Dags Vidulejs combines homogeneous colour masses with structural anthropomorphic contours painted alla prima on raw linen with gold and silver leaf accents. For host museums and Kunsthallen, the exhibition scales across three modular configurations: a focused 15-painting chamber selection, the core 30-painting museum installation (10 Inferno + 10 Purgatorio + 10 Paradiso), or the full 50-painting retrospective.
2. Exhibition Chronicle: 3 Public Museums, 10 Art Fairs/Urban Venues & 8 Earlier International Series
The exhibition record is organised into three transparent categories: A) Public Museum & Institutional Presentations, B) Art Fairs, Biennales, Corporate Halls & the Self-Organised 'Divine Comedy Riga' Urban Route (2020–2026), and C) Earlier Socio-Philosophical Cycles at International Art Fairs (2013–2019). Click any card to view archival documentation:
A. Institutional Invitations & Public Museums (3)
Solo and flagship presentations hosted in accredited public museum halls.
Jūrmala City Museum
“PRIMUM MOBILE” — Dante's Divine Comedy in 21st Century Civilisation
Institutional museum premiere of the unified Divine Comedy cycle, accompanied by a live musical-literary performance with pianist Evelīne Jēkabsone as Beatrice, philosophical lectures by Dr. Andrejs Mūrnieks, and an opening address by Jūrmala City Mayor Rita Sproģe.
Latvian Railway History Museum
“SAVING BODIES OR MONEY?” (2021–2022) & 1st International Surrealism Biennale (2026)
The vast 19th-century industrial halls of the Latvian Railway History Museum hosted the first monumental solo rollout of the Divine Comedy paintings ('Saving Bodies or Money?', 2021–2022), ART RIGA FAIR 2023, and the 1st International Contemporary Surrealism Biennale in May 2026.
LNMM Arsenāls & Gallery Māksla XO
“HUMANITY, CIVILIZATION & SOCIETY” & “ETHEREAL ENERGY” (Curator Ilze Žeivate)
Early foundational exhibitions at the Latvian National Museum of Art Exhibition Hall 'Arsenāls' and Gallery 'Māksla XO' (curated by Ilze Žeivate), where Dags Vidulejs established his dual artistic axis: ethereal, virtuoso figuration ('Ethereal Energy') and monumental sociological structures ('Humanity, Civilization, Society').
B. Art Fairs, Biennales, Corporate Halls & Self-Organised 'Divine Comedy Riga' Urban Route (10)
2020–2026 presentations at Art Riga Fair, the International Surrealism Biennale, Rietumu Bank Exhibition Hall, VEF Culture Palace, and partner cultural venues across Riga and the Adriatic.
MC2 Galleria · Happy Art Museum
“DIVINE COMEDY II / PRIMUM MOBILE 2” — Permanent Public Exposition
Following the Jūrmala City Museum premiere, the monumental Divine Comedy cycle established a permanent two-year showroom and solo exhibition space at MC2 Galleria in Riga, hosting regular curatorial tours, Art Embassy auctions, and collector viewings.
Rietumu Bank Exhibition Hall
“DIVINE COMEDY VI / GREEN SKY & BLUE GRASS” — Rietumu Capital Centre
Continuing a two-decade tradition of exhibitions at Rietumu Bank (2006, 2012, 2016, 2024, 2025), Dags Vidulejs presented the sixth chapter of the Divine Comedy cycle in the monumental modernist atrium of Rietumu Capital Centre on Vesetas Street 7.
Bazar't Contemporary Art Gallery
“FAMILY DAY / ĢIMENES DIENA” — Divine Comedy: Purgatorio & Paradiso
Curated with Inese Drone at Bazar't Contemporary Art Gallery, 'Family Day' spotlighted the Purgatorio and Paradiso realms of the Divine Comedy collection — examining family bonds, social subcultures, and the triumph of human warmth over urban alienation.
Digital Art House Riga
“PEOPLE TRAFFIC / CILVĒKU SATIKSME” — Inferno & Globalisation Cycle
Staged at Digital Art House in central Riga (Skolas iela 2), the solo exhibition 'People Traffic' established the signature dark-room theatrical lighting format of the Divine Comedy cycle — where spot-lit monumental oil paintings compete directly with digital projection media.
VEF Culture Palace · Future Man 2125
“BIRTH OF FUTURE MAN / NĀKOTNES CILVĒKU DZIMŠANA” — 10 Divine Comedy Masterpieces
Displayed for two months in the neoclassical halls of the VEF Culture Palace during the 2025 'Future Man 2125' Art & Science Festival, a curated selection of 10 monumental Divine Comedy canvases examined artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the spiritual survival of humanity.
ART RIGA FAIR (Vernisāža & Main Halls)
Annual Premiere of 10–15 New Large-Format Divine Comedy Works (2022–2026)
Each year from 2022 to 2026, ART RIGA FAIR has served as the international testing ground where 10 to 15 newly completed monumental Divine Comedy paintings are unveiled alongside galleries from Europe and Asia — beginning with the landmark 15-artwork showcase at the historic Vernisāža building (Tērbatas iela 2).
Zunda Towers · Happy Art Museum
“MOVING CLOSER TO THE SUN / TUVĀK SAULEI. JAUNLATVIEŠI” — 3-Year Ground Floor Residency
For three consecutive years, Happy Art Museum leased the glass-walled ground floor halls of Riga's iconic Zunda Towers skyscraper complex, presenting Dags Vidulejs's solo exhibition 'Moving Closer to the Sun' — a monumental celebration of spiritual ascent and cultural dynasty.
Montenegro · Herceg Novi & Budva
“INTERNAL GULAG / EVERYTHING IS ART” (2023) & “TWO SHORES – ONE INSPIRATION” (2026)
Taking the Divine Comedy themes to the Mediterranean coast across opposite shores of Europe, Dags Vidulejs staged the provocative solo exhibition 'Internal Gulag / Everything Is Art' in Herceg Novi (2023) and returned to Budva in July 2026 for 'The Artist and His Muse: Two Shores – One Inspiration'.
Līgatne Gallery ZEIT
“DIVINE COMEDY: STRUCTURAL BIG FORM ARTPIECES” — Parallel Solo Exhibition
Opened on Latvia's Independence Day (November 18, 2021) in parallel with the Latvian Railway Museum show, the Līgatne Gallery ZEIT exhibition presented 20 large-format structural canvases from the early Divine Comedy cycle in a revitalized historic industrial space.
1st International Surrealism Biennale
“SURREALISM & TRANSCENDENCE” — Curated with Canadian WXYZ Group at Latvian Railway History Museum
Organized in 2026 at the Latvian Railway History Museum in collaboration with the Canadian surrealist collective WXYZ, the 1st International Contemporary Surrealism Biennale positioned Dags Vidulejs's structural Divine Comedy works within a transatlantic dialogue on the subconscious and metaphysical imagination.
C. Earlier Painting Cycles & International Art Fairs (2013–2019 — Pre-Divine Comedy) (8)
Earlier socio-philosophical cycles ('End of Democracy' at Art Moscow, 'Pharmageddon' in Bruges, 'Butterflies & Spiders' in Hong Kong, 'Propaganda Train' in Tel Aviv, 'Globalisation' at Art Helsinki, Art Vilnius, Kutaisi National Gallery, and Frankfurt).
Art Hong Kong · Asia Contemporary Art Show
“BUTTERFLIES DANCE & SPIDERS” — Structural Triptychs in Hong Kong
Bringing Baltic socio-philosophical painting to one of Asia's capitals of finance and art, Dags Vidulejs and Happy Art Museum presented the 'Butterflies & Spiders' collection at the Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hong Kong.
ART VILNIUS · Lithuania
Happy Art Museum Annual Pavilion & Monumental Triptychs in Vilnius
Participating consecutively from 2016 to 2019 at ART VILNIUS — the largest contemporary art fair in the Baltic region — Happy Art Museum and Dags Vidulejs built strong institutional bridges with Lithuanian museums, curators, and collectors.
ART MOSCOW International Art Fair
“END OF DEMOCRACY / DEMOKRĀTIJAS BEIGAS” — Socio-Political Triptychs
At the 2013 ART MOSCOW International Art Fair in the Central House of Artists, Dags Vidulejs boldly exhibited his prophetic socio-political cycle 'End of Democracy' — examining power structures, oligarchy, and civic manipulation.
Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center (TAPAC)
“PROPAGANDA TRAIN” & “ETERNALLY ARMY” — Monumental Exhibition in Tel Aviv
Staged in the prestigious Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center (home to the Israeli Opera and Cameri Theatre), Dags Vidulejs presented two powerful socio-historical cycles: 'Propaganda Train' and 'Eternally Army'.
ART HELSINKI · Finland
“GLOBALISATION / AMERICA IS GREAT AGAIN” — Monumental Triptychs in Finland
At ART HELSINKI in Finland's premier Messukeskus exposition center, Dags Vidulejs presented his monumental 6.3-meter triptych 'Globalisation' alongside large-format works examining Nordic-Baltic cultural identity and global consumerism.
Kutaisi URBAN Art Forum · Georgia
Baltic-Caucasus Cultural Exchange & Plein-Air / Gallery Exhibition
Continuing a longstanding artistic bond with Georgia (begun with the 2008 Railway Museum exhibition 'I Am Georgian'), Dags Vidulejs led a Latvian artistic delegation to the 2015 URBAN Art Forum in Kutaisi, Georgia.
Frankfurt am Main · Ira Kitzki Gallery
“THREE GRACES / TRĪS GRĀCIJAS” — Classical Archetypes in Contemporary Painting
In Germany's financial capital Frankfurt am Main, Dags Vidulejs collaborated with Art Gallery Ira Kitzki to present the 'Three Graces' cycle — reinterpreting classical European mythology through expressive alla prima brushwork.
Bruges · DEVE Art Gallery (Belgium)
“PHARMAGEDDON & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE” / “ART COCKTAIL”
In the medieval Flemish art capital of Bruges, Belgium, Dags Vidulejs exhibited at DEVE Art Gallery, unveiling works addressing biopolitics ('Pharmageddon') and the dawn of Artificial Intelligence — themes situated at the heart of Western European painting tradition.
Opening Performance: Beatrice & Dante
Watch the live opening performance: Beatrice (played by pianist Evelīne Jēkabsone) performing Mozart on the piano while the artist Dags Vidulejs recites Dante's verses.
3. Project Team & Collaborators
Graduate of the National Film and Television School (London), director of the feature film “Homo Novus”, and lead curator of the Jūrmala City Museum “Primum Mobile” exhibition.
Dramaturgy and directing specialist from the Latvian Academy of Culture, managing international institutional relations and catalogue texts.
Architect of the dags.lv digital museum platform, AI curatorial systems, and international institutional outreach.
Performs the role of Beatrice and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart piano programmes during museum opening performances.
Doctor of Philosophy and cultural sociologist; keynote lecturer leading public symposia on Dante Alighieri's cosmology and the value transformations of 21st-century civilization.
4. Technical Specifications
5. Curatorial Requirements
Hosting the exhibition requires a spacious public museum or contemporary art center with high ceilings (minimum 3.8–4.0 meters recommended). Because the paintings form a continuous narrative sequence and visual counterpoint, works are installed across three thematic zones matching the cantiche (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso), adaptable to 15-, 30-, or 50–60-painting configurations.
Focused Selection / Initial Partnership
5 Inferno · 5 Purgatorio · 5 Paradiso. Ideal for university galleries, Kunsthalle project spaces, and initial museum collaborations.
Core Museum Exhibition
10 Inferno · 10 Purgatorio · 10 Paradiso. Complete tri-zonal dramaturgy across Contemporary Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise.
Extended Retrospective & Cultural Event
Monumental full-scale survey including 6.3m triptychs, preparatory works, philosophical symposium, and live concert.
5.1. Format & Presentation
The paintings are made for a darkened room: black ground, each canvas lit on its own. This is not a matter of taste but part of the work, and it is the same condition reproduced online in museum mode. The three cantiche form a sequence of three distinct light and sound environments, so a host institution can use its own architecture as part of the narrative.
The opening at the Jūrmala City Museum showed that the cycle holds a live programme in the same room as the paintings: the artist, trained as an actor, read passages from Dante aloud, pianist Evelīne Jēkabsone performed the part of Beatrice, and the opening programme was curated by Anna Viduleja.
- Spoken word. Passages from Dante performed live in Latvian, English, Italian, or the host country's language.
- Music. A classical piano programme as the voice of Beatrice: performed live at the opening, or scored as a loop for the Paradiso section.
- Projection & Digital extension. Video on Dante as a historical figure and the online museum mode for schools and remote audiences.
5.2. International Touring & Grant Co-Financing Model (Letter of Intent)
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is non-binding; it enables joint applications for cultural foundation grants. Building on the institutional model established with the Jūrmala City Museum, Happy Art Museum proposes a transparent two-step co-financing framework for the 2026–2028 exhibition calendar:
- Non-Binding Letter of Intent (LOI): The host museum signs a 1-page Letter of Intent confirming curatorial interest and provisional exhibition dates (2026–2028) without incurring financial commitments prior to grant confirmation.
- Targeted Grant Co-Financing: Using the signed LOI, the curatorial office and host partner submit applications matched to each fund's eligibility rules: the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF) and Baltic Culture Fund (covering crated art transport, transit insurance, and bilingual catalogue production), Culture Moves Europe and the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme (specifically for artist and curator travel/residency mobility), and bilateral foundations or Creative Europe Cooperation Projects (for consortia of at least 3 partner organisations across 3 eligible countries).
6. Curator's Pack Downloads
7. Exhibition Video Documentation, Curatorial Essays & Official Profiles
Selected official resources for curators and researchers: exhibition video documentation (YouTube PinakotekaLatvija & Vimeo), international portfolio (Saatchi Art), and curatorial essays & author profiles (Substack, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook).