Etchells’ neon pieces often draw on his broader fascinations as an artist, writer and performance maker, exploring contradictory aspects of language – the speed, clarity and vividness with which it communicates narrative, image and ideas, and at the same time its amazing propensity to create a rich field of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Through simple phrases spelt out in neon and other media, Etchells strives to create miniature narratives, moments of confusion, awkwardness, reflection
and intimacy in various public settings. As often in Etchells’ work, in the neons the missing parts of the picture are as important as the elements that are present. Invoking a story, or projecting an idea out-of- context, the work invites us in, but into what exactly we can’t be sure.

The neon signs in Riga are created by Etchells and four local artists (Inta Balode, Santa Remere, Jānis Balodis, Kirils Ēcis) who participated in his workshop in June. One work by Tim Etchells dedicated to Riga has been made in collaboration with the festival’s former long- term artistic director Gundega Laiviņa. By the end of October, all neon signs will be located in 5 different places in Riga, and afterwards four of them will travel to other Latvian cities.