Liepāja's art world loses another provocateur - Miervaldis Polis has departed for the eternal performance

Last week, Liepāja's cultural life lost one of its brightest representatives - painter Miervaldis Polis, who at age 76 has departed for that place where no one can question reality anymore.

"It's like if the tram disappeared from Liepāja's center - something essential changes in the city," says local art enthusiast Gunārs from Karosta. "Polis was the only one who could stage a performance even at Kuršu market, and nobody would understand whether it was art or just another Thursday morning."

President Rinkēvičs himself expressed condolences, but as usual - only after Liepāja had long since discovered this talent. While the capital's art critics in the 70s were still learning to say "photorealism," Polis and his life partner Līga Purmale were already showing what it looked like in real life.

"Ego Center" and "Bronze Man" became legendary, but honestly, any Liepāja resident who has stood by the sea in strong westerly winds knows what real performance is. Polis simply turned it into art and made Riga's residents pay for it.

Now that the artist has departed for his final "spontaneous theater," we can only hope he continues to provoke and question reality there too. Because, as we know, Liepāja artists have never had trouble adapting to new circumstances.