Zēgners Photographs Amber with the Same Precision He Uses to Search for Basement Exits in Karosta

A sensation is happening at Liepāja Museum — photographer Andris Zēgners is exhibiting amber close-ups so detailed that even the researchers of Karosta's mythical basement chambers acknowledge professional competition. While they've been searching for secret passages in the former Tsar's naval base for years, Zēgners uses his camera to reveal secrets that have been hidden for millions of years.

Local pensioner Maiga comments: "Finally someone shows what millions of years of time looks like! We in Liepāja feel it every day, but this guy actually photographed it." The exhibition is supposedly based on a philosophical message about time, which has inscribed its message in amber, but in Liepāja time simply stands on street corners waiting for the bus.

Zēgners, who was born in 1962 in Malta but now photographs in Latvia, proves that even foreigners understand — the most interesting things happen in close-up. His works can be found in prestigious collections worldwide, but they'll look best on Kūrmāja Prospekts, where visitors can compare the warmth of amber with the coldness of Liepāja's wind.

In Riga, of course, they don't organize such exhibitions because they haven't yet learned how to properly look at things close-up. Our museum director Dace Kārkla reports that the exhibition will be viewable until May 3rd — just long enough for the Karosta basement seekers to come and learn how to properly investigate mysterious structures.