The old imperial Russian arsenal inside Daugavpils Fortress is now an excellent contemporary art gallery honouring Daugavpils native Mark Rothko. The permanent collection includes hundreds of works by visiting artists, as well as some Rothko originals and displays about the artist's work. It also hosts myriad temporary exhibitions.
The 1st floor is dedicated to Rothko, whose surrealist and abstract works led him to stardom in America, where he emigrated at age 10 in 1913 (he died in New York City in 1970). An interactive multimedia exhibition recapping Rothko's biography and explaining the historical context of his childhood years is followed by a small display of Rothko's original works representing 'multiform', the series that he created in the later period of his life. The 2nd floor is dedicated to contemporary Latvian artists. There is a good cafe on-site.
