Each painting in my collection has a story behind it and I cannot and would not pick out any single one: all of them are part of my life, a part of myself. With this site, I would like to open up to you a bit and to share with you things that interested and fascinated me for the last ten years, to make you aware of my exciting experience, my territory of joy and freedom.
RZ Collection
Ideas, visions, dreams, remarkable occasions, experiences, and hopes for what the future holds — these are the impulses through which time leaves its mark on art. They find expression in the works of artists whom Raivis Zabis met, connected with, and gathered throughout his life. This exhibition invites the viewer into ways of seeing that reach beyond the artworks, towards the largely private space between collector, artist, and the spirit of their time.
For Zabis, becoming a collector was at one a conscious choice and an idealistic leap of faith befitting a romantic. Although he steered his business life with pragmatism, in art, his way was more imaginative and intuitive — almost artistic in itself. The RZ Collection grew organically, untouched by market logic, rigid criteria, and framing. Zabis was happy to admit that intuition and emotion were the guiding forces behind his choices, each rooted in a deeply personal response. From early on, he gravitated towards contemporary art, believing it to be the clearest mirror of its time:
“It wasn’t a conscious choice. At times, I would ask myself the same question: why? It’s impossible to answer that in just a few words — you have to look inward. I knew straight away that I would only collect contemporary art. I live in the present, so I am naturally drawn to my contemporaries.”
(from Anda Kļaviņa’s interview with Raivis Zabis, “RZ Collection”)
Importantly, for Zabis, the artwork was inseparable from everything that lay behind it: the artist’s personality, experiences, and perspective. Creative friendships, exhibitions, conversations, and encounters — including memorable residencies in Saraiķi — were all integral to his collecting. This approach shaped the collection as a living dialogue. The artists who walked alongside Zabis on his collector’s journey now carry their own memories, lived realities, and stories of this shared adventure whose traces still resonate within the works.
Zabis believed that art belongs out in the open rather than in storage. The exhibition’s title, Ways of Seeing, echoes this belief. Art truly breathes and comes alive when someone stops to look. Essentially, one does not have to wield the paintbrush to bear witness to one’s epoch. In his collector’s role, Zabis preserved and championed the voices and artistic visions of his generation. In doing so, he had a hand in painting the larger portrait of his time.
Presenting select pieces from the RZ Collection chosen specifically for the Rothko Museum, this exhibition celebrates patronage while revealing the subtle beauty and fulfilment found in a collector’s path. Above all else, it is an exhibition about ways of seeing — art, time, and our shared humanity.
Featuring: Adonis Muiño Romero, Alexandra Gschiel, Aldis Dobenbergs, Anna Zholud, Atis Jākobsons, Daiga Krūze, Edvarts Logins, Ieva Caruka, Ilgvars Zalāns, Ítalo René Expósito, José Gabriel Capaz Suárez, Kaspars Perskis, Klāvs Loris, Lauris Ozols, Līga Ķempe, Marcus Wilfling, Orlando Hernández Yanes, Pippa el-Kadhi Brown, Sandra Strēle, Sigita Daugule, Tigran Malkhasyan, Yudel Francisco Cruz, and Yuniel Delgado Castillo.
Curators of the exhibition: Dace Dēliņa-Lipska, Māris Čačka, and Pāvels Terentjevs
