The name Laidi derives from the Latvian verb laist, meaning to let go, release, or allow movement. While Laidi itself is a place-name rather than a direct contemporary word, its linguistic root carries associations of release, descent, and transition. In the Kurzeme region, related dialect forms such as laidies suggest movement away, departure, or letting oneself go. This resonance between place and action has become a conceptual foundation for the residency’s ongoing artistic processes.
Let Go Journal is the residency’s periodical and living archive. It gathers works, processes, and reflections developed during residencies, extending the artistic experience of Laidi into an online space. Here, letting go becomes part of artistic exchange — a method for questioning fixed identities, opening narrative structures, and negotiating the complexities of contemporary life through creation.
Daina Šteinerte — Sarkane : A Myth of BoundariesLaidi Light Stories Residency, 2025
Drawing on Laidi’s legend of the Red Cow and the imagery of the manor’s lost Empire-style chandelier, Sarkane: A Myth of Boundaries explores independence, transformation and the boundaries that both protect and constrain us.
Through stop-motion, cut-out animation, drawing and erasure, the film weaves together local mythology, childhood memories and reflections on freedom. Sarkane shifts from a dancing, two-dimensional cow into a six-legged form inspired by the chandelier, connecting the manor’s past with a new, personal mythology.
Experimental short film, 6 min 40 sec.
Sound collaboration: Marianna Zvaigzne