NEXT 2025: presentation of Triin Kerge’s book ‘Scenes From a Lost Family Album’

Riga Photography Biennial—NEXT 2025 ‘Seeking the Latest in Photography!’ Award / NoRoutine Books Prize – Presentation of Triin Kerge’s book Scenes From a Lost Family Album

In 2025, the Riga Photography Biennial ‘Seeking the Latest in Photography!’ Award was presented for the sixth time. The goal of the award is to discover and support young artists who demonstrate the power of the image in their work — offering an original point of view and conceptual depth reflective of our time. It highlights emerging talents from the Baltic States whose practice already shows these qualities. Since 2019, the award has been presented as part of the Biennial’s NEXT programme in cooperation with the ISSP Gallery.

An international jury of experts evaluates submissions and selects one young Baltic artist to receive the main prize — an exhibition at ISSP Gallery. In addition, the Lithuanian publishing house NoRoutine Books annually awards one of the shortlisted artists the opportunity to publish a photobook.

This year, NoRoutine Books selected Estonian artist Triin Kerge for her project Birth Day, offering her the opportunity to publish her work in book format. The publishers noted that Birth Day lends itself particularly well to the photobook form, where photography draws the personal, intimate, and tactile closer than ever.

Triin Kerge (EE) is an artist working between Tallinn and Venice. She holds a BA in Documentary Photography from Newport University, Wales, and an MA in Contemporary Art from the Estonian Academy of Arts. Kerge’s practice combines photography — both archival images and family photographs — with embroidery, resulting in layered works that explore materiality, memory, and identity. Her work investigates the intersections of collective and personal histories, often returning to the theme of home. In recent years, her practice has been strongly shaped by reflections on her family’s past and its influence on present-day notions of place and belonging.

NoRoutine Books was established in 2014 by Lithuanian artists Gytis Skudžinskas and Vilma Samulionytė as an independent publisher. Their mission is to produce unique, hand-finished art books — with editions of no more than 99 copies — each individually refined in the studio after printing. NoRoutine Books editions have been exhibited in leading art centres and international exhibitions.

About the Riga Photography Biennial

The Riga Photography Biennial (RPB) is an international contemporary art event focused on the analysis of visual culture and artistic representation. The term “photography” in the biennial’s title is understood in its broadest sense — encompassing diverse image-making practices that continue to shape the language of contemporary art in the 21st century.

The Riga Photography Biennial—NEXT offers a platform and increased visibility for emerging artists and curators, helping them to introduce their practice to a wider audience and international context. RPB—NEXT 2025 runs from 24 April to 6 July, featuring a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions and educational events. More information: www.rpbiennial.com

‍