Exhibitions

From 6 March, exhibition by artist and graphic designer Andrew Hill, titled “Scaled Views. Details from CCA Archive”, showcasing findings from the archive of Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art will be open at the library of Estonian Academy of Arts.

Influenced by his experience of working at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design library and archive, Andrew treated the CCA archive as material deposit and shaped his findings to be exhibited in various compositions of the A4 format. Therefore, the showcase focuses on rendering of scale and the indefinite potential of archival material and possible interpretation and not so much on reconstructing past events. In this exhibition, the focal point lies on the infrastructure of the exhibits, on the quotidien information carriers, which shape the material into a bureau aesthetic exposition.

Andrew Hill is an artist and graphic designer from Nova Scotia, Canada, currently based in Tallinn. He is a founder of the Halifax Art Book Fair and OTCHO, a periodical about fingerboarding. His work in public libraries and immigration archives informs his approach to publishing and organizing. He dreams of being illuminated by an Emeralite, next to a stack of yearbooks, sleeping in a banker’s box.

The exhibition is curated by Marika Agu from the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art.

The exhibition will be open until 6 May 2025.

Karl Joonas Alamaa’s solo exhibition “Daily Play and Bread”
EKA Gallery 7.–30.03.2025
Open Tue–Sat 12–6pm Sun 12–4pm, free entry
Opening: 6.03.2025 at 6pm

Artist and designer Karl Joonas Alamaa is interested in personal and collective power — how the strength of individuals can oppose authority and politics. The exhibition is based on interviews with people from different parts of the world who have been forced to leave their home countries for various reasons. Working with archival materials and collecting personal stories, their works highlight the power of seemingly small actions to unite people and create social change.

“The basis of the research is the story of my great-aunt Leili, who was deported to Siberia during the Stalinist purges,” explains Alamaa. “In Siberia, Leili was sent to work in a birch forests. On another day of work, she carved her name and family details into the bark of a birch tree. Unexpectedly, that log reached the workshop where her father worked, and he happened to see it after a long time of separation.” This notion of hope amidst extreme repression raises critical questions about the nature of hope, resilience, and resistance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. How can individuals find hope in the most desperate situations? How do small, personal acts of resistance challenge the carefully designed power structures and contribute to broader social change?

The title of the exhibition is derived from the aphorism of the ancient Roman poet Juvenal “Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.” This refers to bread as a cross-cultural symbol, representing everyday well-being and basic needs as well as their use as a tool of oppression. The exhibition brings together textile sculptures and other interactive and playful works that explore memory and society, delving into the themes of finding hope and purpose in a world that often feels suffocating and restrictive.

Karl Joonas Alamaa (2000) has studied fashion at the Estonian Academy of Arts and costume design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. In their practice, they often engage with the notion of the mundane, exploring the potential of everyday phenomena and small actions to create change, working with historical archival materials, personal memories, and experiences. The exhibition has grown out of their master’s project, for which they have received the Mathilde Horlait-Dapsens Prize, the JAT Prize and the Future Proef Award.

Cheerful trio: Karl Joonas Alamaa, Linda Mai Kari, Mikk Lahesalu

Language editor: Olivia Soans

Lighting designer: Mikk-Mait Kivi

Technician: Erik Hõim

Graphic designer: Fatima-Ezzahra Khammas

Special thanks: Myriam Van Gucth, Esther Severi, Vaast Colson, Helena Kask, Martin Lahesalu, Visa Nurmi, Andres Alamaa, Siiri Alamaa, Peeter Kari, Asmus Soodla, Jim Wockenfuß, Lisette Sivard, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum.

The exhibition is supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Mathilde Horlait-Dapsens Foundation and Tallinn City.

Opening drinks from Põhjala Brewery.

See photos of the opening here.

Artist Karl Joonas Alamaa and curator Mikk Lahesalu will lead three guided tours at the exhibition “Daily Play and Bread” at EKA Gallery:
– on Thursday, March 13 at 4 pm, in Estonian
– on Wednesday, March 19 at 4 pm, in English
– on Wednesday, March 19 at 5 pm, in Estonian

Participation in the tours is free of charge.

POSSIBLE WORLDS
EKA Billboard Gallery 3.03.–2.04.2025
Open 24/7, free

An exhibition by III year graphic design students displaing fragments of their graduation thesis projects.

Participants: Andres Alliksaar, Rasmus Einman, Anete Ots, Mette Mari Kaljas, Kätriin Reinart, Nelli Viisimaa, Filipp Rodtšenkov, Diana Tammets, Kasper Korsen, Hanna Marnat, Markus Laanisto, Lola Pärna, Ines Uudam, Martin Merirand, Rasmus Lukas, Marlene Schwindt

Supervisors: Ott Kagovere, Kert Viiart

Japanese Happiness. In search of the happiness of inner peace through aesthetic experiences

ARS Project Space
7-23 March 2025

Opening ceremony (by invitations only): 6 March 18:00 at Studio 98

Guided tours and workshops by appointment: Mon–Fri

Exhibition opening hours: Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00

If there is one universal desire that connects humanity, it is the pursuit of happiness. Despite the challenges we face, our determination to seek joy never wanes. Around the globe, individuals explore various avenues in their quests for greater happiness, and there is much we can learn from one another. The exhibition Japanese Happiness – In search of the happiness of inner peace through aesthetic experiences invites visitors to discover new and often overlooked inspirations that enrich our lives. It highlights the profound relationship between aesthetics and happiness, a bond deeply embedded in Japanese culture. This immersive and sensory exhibition illuminates the connections between happiness and Japanese aesthetics through a curated selection of everyday items, design pieces, and works of art – raging from metal tools created with extreme attention to detail, as well as the uniform of the Tokyo public toilet cleaners made famous in Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days.

The objects on display at the exhibition were selected 20 representatives of the fields of art, design, philosophy, cooking, Japanese studies, music, fiction, fashion, photography and typography from both Europe and Japan who are inspired by Japanese culture. The initiators of the exhibition are the Identity Foundation, which develops philosophical culture in Düsseldorf, and Philipp Teufel, professor emeritus of exhibition design at the Peter Behrens School of Art (PBSA). It is a traveling exhibition that first opened in the spring of 2024 at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Cologne. The design of the exhibition was completed in collaboration with the PBSA exhibition design and the interior architecture master’s students of the Estonian Academy of Arts. The exhibition design is both experimental and playful, radiates calmness and simplicity and evokes a wide variety of sensory impressions.

The exhibition in the ARS Project Space (Pärnu mnt 154) is open to the public on weekends: 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 March from 12:00 to 18:00. On all other days, visits to the exhibition take place with pre-registered guided tours. The exhibition is accompanied by a daily programme of workshops, film evenings, lectures and discussion groups at ARS Project Space and EKA in cooperation with TTK University of Applied Sciences, the Japanese Cultural Society in Estonia and the Japanese Embassy in Estonia.

Information and registration: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/interior-architecture/japanese-happiness/side-programme/

Curator: Philipp Teufel

Exhibition team: Masayo Ave, Annika Kaldoja, Jüri Kermik, Veiko Liis, Ranvir Singh Sandhu, Rainer Zimmermann, Gregor Taul

Organisation: Department of Interior Architecture of the Estonian Academy of Arts in cooperation with TTK University of Applied Sciences, the Japanese Cultural Society in Estonia and the Japanese Embassy in Estonia

Supporters:

Identity Foundation, Estonian Artists’ Association, ARS Art Factory, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Academy of Arts, Erasmus+ Program

Text by Gregor Taul

Additional information:

Gregor Taul
Guest lecturer, EKA Interior Architecture Department
gregor.taul@artun.ee
+37255690456

EKA Department of Photography invites everybody to the screening of the film “Failed Emptiness” on March 5th at 18.00.
Duration: 66”
Location: A-101
A discussion with the film’s director Mika Taanila will follow after the screening.
______

“Failed emptiness” (2024) describes a three-week vacation in the middle of a heatwave. The protagonist prepares reports that begin to bother her more. The deeper she sinks into the report, the deeper she gets into herself.
______

Mika Taanila (1965) is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Helsinki. Taanila’s works have been shown at major international group shows, such as La Biennale di Venezia (2017), Aichi Triennale (2013), Documenta (2012), Shanghai Biennale (2006), Berlin Biennale (2004), Manifesta (2002) and Istanbul Biennial (2001). Solo shows include Padiglione de l’Esprit Nouveau in Bologna (2020), EMMA Espoo (2018), Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki (2013–14), Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2013), TENT, Rotterdam (2013), Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe (2008), Dazibao, Montréal (2007) and Migrosmuseum, Zurich (2005).

Taanila’s films have been screened at several international film festivals and special events including TIFF Toronto International Film Festival, IFFR Rotterdam, International Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand, Karlovy-Vary Film Festival, Midnight Sun Film Festival, CPH:DOX, IDFA Amsterdam, Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage, Austrian Filmmuseum, Cork Film Festival, ICA and Whitechapel Gallery in London. Ars Fennica Award 2015 was presented to Mika Taanila.

Facebook event

The annual Young Sculptor Award Exhibition 2025 of the EKA Sculpture and Installation Department, at the Estonian Museum of Contemporary Art (EKKM).

Participating artists: Yvette Bathgate, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Aurelia Grace Talmon, Liisa-Lota Jõeleht, Uku Jürgenson, Denis Kudrjašov, Nele Kurvits, Katariin Mudist, Daniil Musesovs, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Kati Saarits, Jake Shepherd, Sonja Sutt, Lea Joakim Svendby, Lume Tuum and Elo Vahtrik.

The aim of the Young Sculptor Award and the accompanying exhibition, which has been awarded since 2012, is to highlight and recognize the professional work of young artists working in sculpture and installation.

The laureates of the Young Sculptor Award 2025 are Kati Saarits, a master’s student of the EKA Craft Studies, and Katariin Mudist, a master’s student of EKA Contemporary Art, as well as Jake Shepherd and Yvette Bathgate, master’s students of EKa Contemporary Art.

Previous recipients of the Young Sculptor Award include Hanna Piksarv, Sten Saarits, Anna Mari Liivrand, Johannes Valdma, Rosa Violetta Grötsch, Johannes Luik, Siim Elmers, Sarah Nõmm, Junny Yeung and Mara Kirchberg and Sandra Ernits.

The exhibition is open until March 9.

Supported by the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Opening 3rd March 2025, 6-9pm
Open from 4th – 6th March 2025, 3-9pm
The Monk’s Bunk Hostel, Lai 22, Tallinn

Artists: Bob Bicknell-Knight, Giulio Cusinato, Anastasiia Krapivina, Tonya Kroplya, Denis Kudrjasov, Olev Kuma, Fausta Norekaitė, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Anumai Raska, Nora Schmelter and Aidan Timmer

Organised by: Bob Bicknell-Knight and Fausta Norekaitė

Responding to its unusual location, Mapping Time is a group exhibition featuring new and previous works by local and international artists, all of which are currently studying on the Master of Contemporary Art program at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn. Hosted in the distinctive setting of The Monk’s Bunk Hostel, located in Tallinn’s Old Town, the exhibition explores themes related to ideas of the home, time, travelling and identity.

Aside from being a place that offers affordable accommodation, hostels are social spaces. The essence of a hostel lies in its ability to unite diverse individuals in one space, making it a perfect base for travellers seeking comfort and connection. The Monk’s Bunk Hostel is a unique place, not only because of its function today, but also because of the distinctive history of the building itself. Tracing its origin back to the Middle Ages, the building has undergone numerous transformations over time. Before becoming the home of the National Scientific Medical Library, in the mid-20th century, it housed the “Pluto” lacquer factory, and later, repurposed itself into a Republican Dispensary for dermatological and venereal diseases. The remaining structures of the building stand as a testament to the many roles it played over time and engages those that visit the hostel with its historic past.

Mapping Time draws inspiration from the transient nature of hostels themselves, but also the history of the building that it resides within. It seeks to explore how these spaces – often temporary, but profoundly impactful – mirror our experiences of change, transition, and an ever changing sense of belonging. The works included in Mapping Time engage with the past, whilst simultaneously contending with the business that currently resides within it, inviting viewers to question what it means to “belong” in a world that is constantly shifting, both physically and emotionally. As visitors, you are invited to explore the space and discover artworks in various locations around the building, both with the help of the map and guidelines on the floors and doors of participating rooms.

You are invited to the opening of Karlotta Lainväe’s exhibition “Where do I go when I follow the thread?” on February 20th at 18:00 at Uus Rada Gallery.

In the exhibition “Where do I go when I follow the thread?” I invite you to join me on my journey to unravel the secrets of the place I call home. The sea, the forest, the fields and the rocks, they all hold mystery and knowledge deep within. What parts of my family and ancestors are woven into this place and what do I carry forward? The sense of security shining from there is always with me, yet it is fragile and comes with the weight of responsibility to protect it all.

Karlotta Lainväe is an artist studying photography in EKA, in her work she focuses on the human search for security and belonging. She also examines how connections to history, nature, and rituals create a sense of safety that protects us yet remains fragile and easily lost. To bring her ideas to life, she uses photography, handcrafts and installations to create a visual world where viewers can reflect on their own internal and external sense of security.

Opening: 20.02 at 18:00

Exhibition open: 21.02 – 27.02 at 16:00 – 19:00

Uus Rada Gallery

DANCING WITH THE STARS!
EKA Billboard Gallery 3.02.–2.03.2025
Open 24/7, free
Opening: 3.02.25 at 5 pm

Dancing with the Stars! exhibition showcases the designed letters and the process of the class Typography I. During 14 weeks several exercises and experimentations were carried out, drawing was done both by hand and on the computer, using toilet paper, towels, foam and even a metal engraver.

While the first seven weeks were dedicated to experimentation and playing, the last seven focused on creating an entire alphabet and going through the letter design process. Vectorised letters were created, several of which were also made into working font files.

Students:
Simon Janson, Ryan Kaabel, Anni Kangur, Riste Sofie Käär, Jan-Markus Maasepp, Alina Maškina, Elisabeth Mägi, Berit Raun, Mattias Erik Tiik, Rasmus Tikerpe, Katariina Tõnismäe, Mark Albert Villand, Artjom Ševtšenko, Kätriin Reinart, Eline Cremers, Mira Keygnaert, Dennis Vugts

Supervisor:
Agnes Isabelle Veevo

The fonts can be downloaded for free from the SUVA Type Foundry website: suvatypefoundry.ee

We warmly invite you to the opening of the exhibition “This time, my client is Nature” on February 7 at 18:00 at Uus Rada.

What if nature were not just an inspiration but a client—one we must listen to, understand, and collaborate with? This exhibition brings together three artists—Phoebe , Wen Lin Wang and Andrea Gudiño —who each explore the connection between humans and nature through illustration, printing, animation and so on.

Moving from silent observation to active engagement, the exhibition invites visitors to tune into nature’s presence and consider how art can translate their messages. Through their works, the artists create a space where landscapes, flowers, beetles and natural elements are not just subjects but voices in a larger conversation.

Opening 07.02 18:00

Exhibition open: 07.-14.02 14:00-18:00

We look forward to seeing you!