National Museum Solo & Biennale Venue2021–2022 & 2026DIVINE COMEDY BY DAGS & DANTE · PROJECT HISTORY (2020–2026)

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.

INSTITUTION / VENUE
Latvian Railway History Museum (Uzvaras bulvāris 2A, Riga)
CITY / COUNTRY
Riga, Latvia
EXHIBITED SCALE
25+ Monumental Paintings across Parallel Halls
CURATORIAL DIRECTION
Dags Vidulejs / WXYZ Curatorial Group (Canada, 2026 Biennale)
Solo exhibition 'Saving Bodies or Money?' at the Latvian Railway History Museum

Solo exhibition 'Saving Bodies or Money?' at the Latvian Railway History Museum

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INSTITUTIONAL CHAPTER 03 · 2021–2022 & 2026

Curatorial Essay & Exhibition Provenance

During the global restrictions of 2020–2021, when international travel was suspended, Dags Vidulejs worked in intense solitude in his studio, accumulating 40 new monumental canvases that formed the backbone of the Divine Comedy collection.

Because no single standard gallery could contain all 40 large-format works simultaneously, they were unveiled in two parallel solo exhibitions from November 2021 to January 2022: at the Latvian Railway History Museum in Riga ('Saving Bodies or Money? / Fly of Valkyries') and at Gallery ZEIT in Līgatne.

In May 2026, the Divine Comedy collection returned to the Latvian Railway History Museum as a centerpiece of the 1st Riga International Contemporary Surrealism Biennale, organized in partnership with the Canadian curatorial collective WXYZ.

PROVENANCE & IMPACT

Institutional Highlights

  • ✓First museum presentation of the 40-painting pandemic-era monumental cycle (2021–2022)
  • ✓Host venue of ART RIGA FAIR 2023 & 1st International Contemporary Surrealism Biennale (2026)
  • ✓Iconic works debuted: 'Fly of Valkyries', 'Pharmageddon', 'Rainbow Children / Indigo'
FOR MUSEUM DIRECTORS & CURATORS (2026–2028 TOUR)

The 'Divine Comedy by Dags & Dante' collection (50 monumental oil canvases, configurable in 15 / 30 / 50 work modules) is available for international museum touring with EU, US & national grant co-financing.

PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE · 2021–2022 & 2026

Archival Exhibition Documentation

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Solo exhibition 'Saving Bodies or Money?' at the Latvian Railway History Museum
03.1
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Solo exhibition 'Saving Bodies or Money?' at the Latvian Railway History Museum
'Fly of Valkyries' and Purgatorio works in the museum's industrial hall
03.2
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'Fly of Valkyries' and Purgatorio works in the museum's industrial hall
Socio-philosophical canvases examining 21st-century power and conscience
03.3
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Socio-philosophical canvases examining 21st-century power and conscience
Exhibition view with QR-linked interactive commentary at the Railway Museum
03.4
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Exhibition view with QR-linked interactive commentary at the Railway Museum
DIVINE COMEDY BY DAGS & DANTE

Explore All 12 Institutional Exhibitions (2020–2026)

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DAGS © VIDULEJS · DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM & ARCHIVES

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