The inaugural Barnsley Photo Festival in the UK has prominently featured a Latvian landscape exhibition, delighting visitors with twelve depictions of Latvia's countryside. This exhibition, curated by photographer Lāsma Poiša, who has been living in the UK for two decades, serves to celebrate both the beauty of Latvian landscapes and the personal stories behind migration. Poiša's works aim to communicate the intricate socio-cultural experiences of individuals who live between two homes.

During this exhibition, Poiša expressed that migration transcends being just a political or economic matter. Each individual who migrates carries a rich personal history and cultural narrative, which her work seeks to represent. Her experiences in the UK, where she completed her undergraduate degree in artistic photography and a master's in socially engaged photography at the University of Salford, inform her creative vision. Visitors resonated with Poiša's portrayal of freedom and Latvian family identity, acknowledging the emotional bonds embedded within the visual stories presented.

Audience reactions highlighted the relatability between Barnsley and Latvia, as viewers recognized familiarities between the two locations through the captured imagery. This exhibition not only allows for a visual appreciation of Latvian landscapes but also fosters cross-cultural understanding and dialogue around the themes of identity and belonging, bridging the gap between cultures in a shared space of artistic expression.