Arnis Balčus is a Latvia photographer and editor
Episode 402: Arnis Balčus is a Latvia photographer whose new book Scena or the Scene looks at the burgeoning Latvian punk and metal subculture in the nation’s capital, Riga. He is also the managing editor of FK Magazine.
His book is a chaotic but masterfully produced tome that sheds light on the scene and the motivations behind how they find each other in such an environment. Subcultures, by definition, exist outside of the normative excess of society. The people involved in such culture find the mainstream challenging to acclimate to and sometimes, but only sometimes, seek out others who share their position in the world, however tenuous it might be. Arnis captures the spirit of these individuals and celebrates a different path for young people to take.
Throughout the conversation, we discussed the process of photographing youth culture in the local scene, the socio-political dynamics of the work, and Arnis’s biography. Please tune in!
