Read more: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/architecture-and-urban-design/research/conference-2024-building-systems/
Read more: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/architecture-and-urban-design/research/conference-2024-building-systems/
On 1 July at 11:00 Gregor Taul will defend his thesis “Monumentality Trouble. Monumental-Decorative Art in Late Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania” (“Sekeldused monumentaalsusega. Monumentaal-dekoratiivkunst hilisnõukogude Eestis, Lätis ja Leedus”)
The public defence will be held in EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.
The defense will be broadcast on EKA TV.
The defence is in English.
Supervisor: Dr. Anu Allas (Estonian Academy of Arts)
External reviewers: Dr. Lolita Jablonskienė (Vilnius Academy of Arts), Dr. Liisa Kaljula (Art Museum of Estonia)
Opponent: Dr. Lolita Jablonskienė
The thesis examines the theme of public art in late Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. From its early days, the Soviet Union considered monumental art to be an important part of its ideological propaganda and, more broadly, of the modernisation of society. The concept of monumental-decorative art became commonplace in the Thaw era when Nikita Khrushchev deplored the excesses of Stalinist neoclassical architecture and paved the way for the construction of industrially produced apartment buildings. In the process of mechanising the construction of micro-neighbourhoods, Soviet urban planners and architects developed a methodology for synthesising the arts in new neighbourhoods: standard-design apartment buildings created a backdrop against which public buildings of more unique architecture stood out. These landmark buildings were embellished by a synthesis of the arts in the form of monumental-decorative art – using mural painting, ceramics, textiles, stained glass and metalwork.
To a certain extent, monumental decorative art embodied the authoritarian position of state power, linked to top officials who had the power to semioticise reality. On the other hand, monumental decorative art also offered artists the opportunity to distance themselves from ideological messages and focus on aesthetic and architectural details. Several were associated with the more critical practitioners of the art field, and some artists succeeded in conveying messages directly critical of power in their monumental works. In most cases, however, it was commissioning officials who succeeded in freeing art from direct ideological demands and giving artists access to the wide range of possibilities offered by monumental art. Thus, monumental-decorative art is an interesting phenomenon against the background of which to discuss the blurred boundaries between the official politics of the late Soviets and a somewhat transgressive artistic culture.
In the thesis, the author discusses how monumental-decorative art contributed to the creation of a period-specific socialist spatial atmosphere. To what extent did this aesthetic phenomenon express the ideals and realities of socialism? What visual and spatial aspirations did artists invest in this monumental urge? The thesis concludes that the Baltic artists’ contacts with the rest of the Soviet Union were stronger than previously thought. In addition to opening up the institutional background, the dissertation speaks about the artists’ choices and individual practices of adaptation during the Soviet period. The final chapter of the thesis focuses on the question of the agency of works of art in their valorisation and preservation. Taul seeks answers to the questions of what aspects have contributed to the preservation and conservation of Soviet-era public artworks, what is the meaning of this heritage, and how do these works contribute to making sense of the Soviet period in the Baltic States.
The thesis is available HERE.
Defence Committee: Prof. Andres Kurg (Head of the Committee), Prof. Virve Sarapik, Dr. Anneli Randla, Prof. Krista Kodres, Prof. Marek Tamm, Prof. Eneken Laanes
On 1 July at 11:00 Gregor Taul will defend his thesis “Monumentality Trouble. Monumental-Decorative Art in Late Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania” (“Sekeldused monumentaalsusega. Monumentaal-dekoratiivkunst hilisnõukogude Eestis, Lätis ja Leedus”)
The public defence will be held in EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.
The defense will be broadcast on EKA TV.
The defence is in English.
Supervisor: Dr. Anu Allas (Estonian Academy of Arts)
External reviewers: Dr. Lolita Jablonskienė (Vilnius Academy of Arts), Dr. Liisa Kaljula (Art Museum of Estonia)
Opponent: Dr. Lolita Jablonskienė
The thesis examines the theme of public art in late Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. From its early days, the Soviet Union considered monumental art to be an important part of its ideological propaganda and, more broadly, of the modernisation of society. The concept of monumental-decorative art became commonplace in the Thaw era when Nikita Khrushchev deplored the excesses of Stalinist neoclassical architecture and paved the way for the construction of industrially produced apartment buildings. In the process of mechanising the construction of micro-neighbourhoods, Soviet urban planners and architects developed a methodology for synthesising the arts in new neighbourhoods: standard-design apartment buildings created a backdrop against which public buildings of more unique architecture stood out. These landmark buildings were embellished by a synthesis of the arts in the form of monumental-decorative art – using mural painting, ceramics, textiles, stained glass and metalwork.
To a certain extent, monumental decorative art embodied the authoritarian position of state power, linked to top officials who had the power to semioticise reality. On the other hand, monumental decorative art also offered artists the opportunity to distance themselves from ideological messages and focus on aesthetic and architectural details. Several were associated with the more critical practitioners of the art field, and some artists succeeded in conveying messages directly critical of power in their monumental works. In most cases, however, it was commissioning officials who succeeded in freeing art from direct ideological demands and giving artists access to the wide range of possibilities offered by monumental art. Thus, monumental-decorative art is an interesting phenomenon against the background of which to discuss the blurred boundaries between the official politics of the late Soviets and a somewhat transgressive artistic culture.
In the thesis, the author discusses how monumental-decorative art contributed to the creation of a period-specific socialist spatial atmosphere. To what extent did this aesthetic phenomenon express the ideals and realities of socialism? What visual and spatial aspirations did artists invest in this monumental urge? The thesis concludes that the Baltic artists’ contacts with the rest of the Soviet Union were stronger than previously thought. In addition to opening up the institutional background, the dissertation speaks about the artists’ choices and individual practices of adaptation during the Soviet period. The final chapter of the thesis focuses on the question of the agency of works of art in their valorisation and preservation. Taul seeks answers to the questions of what aspects have contributed to the preservation and conservation of Soviet-era public artworks, what is the meaning of this heritage, and how do these works contribute to making sense of the Soviet period in the Baltic States.
The thesis is available HERE.
Defence Committee: Prof. Andres Kurg (Head of the Committee), Prof. Virve Sarapik, Dr. Anneli Randla, Prof. Krista Kodres, Prof. Marek Tamm, Prof. Eneken Laanes
The peer-review of Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams” will take place on June 3 12.00-13.30 in EKA, room A502. This exhibition is the second event of Kapajeva’s practice-based doctoral studies.
The thesis is supervised by Dr. Redi Koobak (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow) and Prof. Annika Elisabeth von Hausswolff (University of Gothenburg). The peer-reviewers of the exhibition are Dr. Ingrid Ruudi (EKA) and Dr. Britta Benno (EKA).
The exhibition was open 17.04.—11.05.2024 at Draakoni Gallery in Tallinn.
Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition, “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams,” is profoundly influenced by Draakon Gallery’s location directly across from the Russian Embassy in Tallinn’s Old Town. Positioned in this manner, Kapajeva aims to foster a more nuanced dialogue regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has led to a continual exposure to harrowing imagery. Consequently, a process of desensitization has transpired, rendering us less able to empathize with the enduring violence faced by real individuals still fighting for their lives in Ukraine. The intricate details, nuances, and personal narratives have been reduced to easily shareable content that briefly crosses our screens before fading into obscurity.
The artworks selected and created for this exhibition stem from the necessity to provide a platform for the personal accounts of those who have fled Ukraine, as well as the artist’s own imperative to express and scrutinize her suppressed anger regarding the ongoing conflict. In this exhibition, there are no images of war; instead, viewers are presented with works that demand time to engage with— to be read, listened to, and truly heard. These artworks compel us to scrutinize the language of the oppressor, where imperialist ambitions lurk behind ostensibly positive rhetoric. We encounter intimate tales of despair and devastation, yet also of hope and compassion. We are invited into a tumult of emotions, ultimately finding catharsis in releasing the anger buried deep within us.
The peer-review of Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams” will take place on June 3 12.00-13.30 in EKA, room A502. This exhibition is the second event of Kapajeva’s practice-based doctoral studies.
The thesis is supervised by Dr. Redi Koobak (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow) and Prof. Annika Elisabeth von Hausswolff (University of Gothenburg). The peer-reviewers of the exhibition are Dr. Ingrid Ruudi (EKA) and Dr. Britta Benno (EKA).
The exhibition was open 17.04.—11.05.2024 at Draakoni Gallery in Tallinn.
Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition, “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams,” is profoundly influenced by Draakon Gallery’s location directly across from the Russian Embassy in Tallinn’s Old Town. Positioned in this manner, Kapajeva aims to foster a more nuanced dialogue regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has led to a continual exposure to harrowing imagery. Consequently, a process of desensitization has transpired, rendering us less able to empathize with the enduring violence faced by real individuals still fighting for their lives in Ukraine. The intricate details, nuances, and personal narratives have been reduced to easily shareable content that briefly crosses our screens before fading into obscurity.
The artworks selected and created for this exhibition stem from the necessity to provide a platform for the personal accounts of those who have fled Ukraine, as well as the artist’s own imperative to express and scrutinize her suppressed anger regarding the ongoing conflict. In this exhibition, there are no images of war; instead, viewers are presented with works that demand time to engage with— to be read, listened to, and truly heard. These artworks compel us to scrutinize the language of the oppressor, where imperialist ambitions lurk behind ostensibly positive rhetoric. We encounter intimate tales of despair and devastation, yet also of hope and compassion. We are invited into a tumult of emotions, ultimately finding catharsis in releasing the anger buried deep within us.
On 17th June Nina Stener Jørgensen, a PhD candidate of the Estonian Academy of Arts, curriculum of Architecture and Urban Planning, will defend her thesis “Participation as Data? Architecture and Cybernetics in Europe around 1968” (Osalus kui andmed? Arhitektuur ja küberneetika Euroopas 1968. aasta paiku).
A public defence will be held on 17th June 2024 at 11.00 at EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.
Defense will be broadcast on EKA TV.
Supervisor: Prof. Maroš Krivy (Estonian Academy of Arts)
External Reviwers: Dr. Tahl Kaminer (Cardiff University), Dr. Ingrid Halland (University of Oslo)
Opponent: Dr. Tahl Kaminer
This dissertation unpacks histories of participation and computer technology, through the analysis of the intersection of adaptable space and cybernetics in architectural practice around 1968, focusing in particular on the role of participation in this convergence.
The main body of the thesis comprises three articles studying projects spanning from 1965 to the time around the oil crisis in 1973. From a moment in European architectural history, where the political East-West divide was particularly tangible, the cases represent and cover a broad sample of attitudes towards participation and cybernetics from a Western-European perspective. From Paris, which in many ways is the ‘locus of 1968’, from London which at the time fostered a rapid development of new computer technologies and business models, as well as from Copenhagen, which at the height of architectural modernism witnessed the first critiques of the so-called Scandinavian welfare model.
With its focus on archival material and historic case studies, “Participation as Data? Architecture and Cybernetics in Europe around 1968” aims to show how the urban and its city dwellers were accessed through the practice of participation and how this extraction was framed and conceived by architectural and cybernetic means. Throughout the articles, the main research question ‘Participation as data?’ has served as a recurring method of analysis, aimed at comprehending how exactly the architects made use of cybernetics and participation, and how they aimed to intersect the two concepts in an architectural practice, looking at how cybernetic participation cut across multiple scales, from the singular room to the city, all potentially expanding to a global and networked infrastructure. Through the analysis of British architect Cedric Price’s feasibility study for Oxford Corner House (1965–1966), Franco-Hungarian spatial artist Nicolas Schöffer’s proposal Tour Lumière Cybernétique (1961–1973) as well as Danish architects Susanne Ussing and Carsten Hoff’s practice as Atelier Cyberspace (1968–1970), the thesis proposes the term ‘Cybernetic participation’ to encompass their programmatic similarity; mainly the treatment of participation as an information collection process, but also how the projects subsequently sidestepped a direct interaction with its users.
The thesis is available HERE.
Defence Committee: Dr. Siim Tuksam (Head of the Committee), Dr. Anu Allas, Dr. Renee Puusepp, Prof. Andres Kurg, Prof. Panu Lehtovuori, Prof. Klaske Havik, Prof. Helena Mattsson.
On 17th June Nina Stener Jørgensen, a PhD candidate of the Estonian Academy of Arts, curriculum of Architecture and Urban Planning, will defend her thesis “Participation as Data? Architecture and Cybernetics in Europe around 1968” (Osalus kui andmed? Arhitektuur ja küberneetika Euroopas 1968. aasta paiku).
A public defence will be held on 17th June 2024 at 11.00 at EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.
Defense will be broadcast on EKA TV.
Supervisor: Prof. Maroš Krivy (Estonian Academy of Arts)
External Reviwers: Dr. Tahl Kaminer (Cardiff University), Dr. Ingrid Halland (University of Oslo)
Opponent: Dr. Tahl Kaminer
This dissertation unpacks histories of participation and computer technology, through the analysis of the intersection of adaptable space and cybernetics in architectural practice around 1968, focusing in particular on the role of participation in this convergence.
The main body of the thesis comprises three articles studying projects spanning from 1965 to the time around the oil crisis in 1973. From a moment in European architectural history, where the political East-West divide was particularly tangible, the cases represent and cover a broad sample of attitudes towards participation and cybernetics from a Western-European perspective. From Paris, which in many ways is the ‘locus of 1968’, from London which at the time fostered a rapid development of new computer technologies and business models, as well as from Copenhagen, which at the height of architectural modernism witnessed the first critiques of the so-called Scandinavian welfare model.
With its focus on archival material and historic case studies, “Participation as Data? Architecture and Cybernetics in Europe around 1968” aims to show how the urban and its city dwellers were accessed through the practice of participation and how this extraction was framed and conceived by architectural and cybernetic means. Throughout the articles, the main research question ‘Participation as data?’ has served as a recurring method of analysis, aimed at comprehending how exactly the architects made use of cybernetics and participation, and how they aimed to intersect the two concepts in an architectural practice, looking at how cybernetic participation cut across multiple scales, from the singular room to the city, all potentially expanding to a global and networked infrastructure. Through the analysis of British architect Cedric Price’s feasibility study for Oxford Corner House (1965–1966), Franco-Hungarian spatial artist Nicolas Schöffer’s proposal Tour Lumière Cybernétique (1961–1973) as well as Danish architects Susanne Ussing and Carsten Hoff’s practice as Atelier Cyberspace (1968–1970), the thesis proposes the term ‘Cybernetic participation’ to encompass their programmatic similarity; mainly the treatment of participation as an information collection process, but also how the projects subsequently sidestepped a direct interaction with its users.
The thesis is available HERE.
Defence Committee: Dr. Siim Tuksam (Head of the Committee), Dr. Anu Allas, Dr. Renee Puusepp, Prof. Andres Kurg, Prof. Panu Lehtovuori, Prof. Klaske Havik, Prof. Helena Mattsson.
Under the leadership of TalTech, the second career conference will be held, where all Estonian doctoral candidates and those interested in doctoral studies are invited. This year’s conference will be held in cooperation with all Estonian universities under the Estonian Doctoral School.
The purpose of the conference is to highlight the value of a PhD degree and introduce endless career opportunities for those with a passion for new knowledge and excellence. The skills, knowledge and a wide horizon acquired during the doctoral studies, opens up new career opportunities.
From academia to industry, government to business, this conference will help you understand the prospects of Ph.D. on the way to an impactful and rewarding career. Join us and discover how a Ph.D. can shape not only your career, but all of our future!
Doctors and current doctoral students will give inspiring presentations at the conference. There are discussions about how the skills and knowledge acquired during doctoral studies are useful in different areas of life and in various fields, including the advantages in the labour market.
Panel discussions provide participants with practical knowledge and experience related to the Ph.D. about career opportunities in the public sector, business or elsewhere.
The exact program of the conference and the speakers will be revealed in the near future, but the registration for the conference is already started.
Please register for the event by May 10 at the latest!
NB! We invite all doctoral students to actively participate in the conference! Present your research work with a popular science poster presentation or create a short cartoon on the topic “My everyday life as a doctoral candidate”.
At the end of the conference day, the best presentations and comics will be determined and are also deservedly rewarded. The number of poster presentations is limited, so hurry to announce your wish separately on the registration form no later than May 10.
Under the leadership of TalTech, the second career conference will be held, where all Estonian doctoral candidates and those interested in doctoral studies are invited. This year’s conference will be held in cooperation with all Estonian universities under the Estonian Doctoral School.
The purpose of the conference is to highlight the value of a PhD degree and introduce endless career opportunities for those with a passion for new knowledge and excellence. The skills, knowledge and a wide horizon acquired during the doctoral studies, opens up new career opportunities.
From academia to industry, government to business, this conference will help you understand the prospects of Ph.D. on the way to an impactful and rewarding career. Join us and discover how a Ph.D. can shape not only your career, but all of our future!
Doctors and current doctoral students will give inspiring presentations at the conference. There are discussions about how the skills and knowledge acquired during doctoral studies are useful in different areas of life and in various fields, including the advantages in the labour market.
Panel discussions provide participants with practical knowledge and experience related to the Ph.D. about career opportunities in the public sector, business or elsewhere.
The exact program of the conference and the speakers will be revealed in the near future, but the registration for the conference is already started.
Please register for the event by May 10 at the latest!
NB! We invite all doctoral students to actively participate in the conference! Present your research work with a popular science poster presentation or create a short cartoon on the topic “My everyday life as a doctoral candidate”.
At the end of the conference day, the best presentations and comics will be determined and are also deservedly rewarded. The number of poster presentations is limited, so hurry to announce your wish separately on the registration form no later than May 10.
Maria Kapajeva’s solo exhibition “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams” at Draakon Gallery
Opening on Wednesday, April 17th at 18:00. The exhibition will be open until May 11, 2024.
Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition, “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams,” is profoundly influenced by Draakon Gallery’s location directly across from the Russian Embassy in Tallinn’s Old Town. Positioned in this manner, Kapajeva aims to foster a more nuanced dialogue regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has led to a continual exposure to harrowing imagery. Consequently, a process of desensitization has transpired, rendering us less able to empathize with the enduring violence faced by real individuals still fighting for their lives in Ukraine. The intricate details, nuances, and personal narratives have been reduced to easily shareable content that briefly crosses our screens before fading into obscurity.
The artworks selected and created for this exhibition stem from the necessity to provide a platform for the personal accounts of those who have fled Ukraine, as well as the artist’s own imperative to express and scrutinize her suppressed anger regarding the ongoing conflict. In this exhibition, there are no images of war; instead, viewers are presented with works that demand time to engage with— to be read, listened to, and truly heard. These artworks compel us to scrutinize the language of the oppressor, where imperialist ambitions lurk behind ostensibly positive rhetoric. We encounter intimate tales of despair and devastation, yet also of hope and compassion. We are invited into a tumult of emotions, ultimately finding catharsis in releasing the anger buried deep within us.
Born in the Soviet Union, raised in independent Estonia, and educated in the UK, Maria Kapajeva has found herself in an involuntary position of ‘the other’. This position, which she has embraced and incorporated as a cornerstone of her artistic practice, propels her to investigate a diverse spectrum of cultural identity and gender issues within historical and contemporary contexts. Utilizing various mediums—including video, photography, textiles, and installations—she brings to the forefront elements that are frequently overlooked or relegated to the periphery of our vision. www.mariakapajeva.com
Designer: Kersti Heile
Installation: Hans-Otto Ojaste and Valge Kuup
The artist expresses her gratitude to Lena, Sasha and the whole their family, Polina Kuznietsova, Alena Kapajeva, Inese Strupule, Kateryna Popkova, Hilda Vaike, Gulya Sultanova, Nastassia, Alia, Elizaveta Klepikova, Aditi S Sharma, Jacobina de Rivera, Annika von Hausswolff, Redi Koobak, Irina Andrushko, Aljona Tubaleva, Mari Volens, Valge Kuup and Aksel Haagensen, Kersit Heile, Jake Sheperd and the team of Draakoni gallery
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
Exhibitions in Draakon gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture and AS Liviko.
Maria Kapajeva’s solo exhibition “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams” at Draakon Gallery
Opening on Wednesday, April 17th at 18:00. The exhibition will be open until May 11, 2024.
Maria Kapajeva’s exhibition, “Listen To My Scream, Hear Their Dreams,” is profoundly influenced by Draakon Gallery’s location directly across from the Russian Embassy in Tallinn’s Old Town. Positioned in this manner, Kapajeva aims to foster a more nuanced dialogue regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has led to a continual exposure to harrowing imagery. Consequently, a process of desensitization has transpired, rendering us less able to empathize with the enduring violence faced by real individuals still fighting for their lives in Ukraine. The intricate details, nuances, and personal narratives have been reduced to easily shareable content that briefly crosses our screens before fading into obscurity.
The artworks selected and created for this exhibition stem from the necessity to provide a platform for the personal accounts of those who have fled Ukraine, as well as the artist’s own imperative to express and scrutinize her suppressed anger regarding the ongoing conflict. In this exhibition, there are no images of war; instead, viewers are presented with works that demand time to engage with— to be read, listened to, and truly heard. These artworks compel us to scrutinize the language of the oppressor, where imperialist ambitions lurk behind ostensibly positive rhetoric. We encounter intimate tales of despair and devastation, yet also of hope and compassion. We are invited into a tumult of emotions, ultimately finding catharsis in releasing the anger buried deep within us.
Born in the Soviet Union, raised in independent Estonia, and educated in the UK, Maria Kapajeva has found herself in an involuntary position of ‘the other’. This position, which she has embraced and incorporated as a cornerstone of her artistic practice, propels her to investigate a diverse spectrum of cultural identity and gender issues within historical and contemporary contexts. Utilizing various mediums—including video, photography, textiles, and installations—she brings to the forefront elements that are frequently overlooked or relegated to the periphery of our vision. www.mariakapajeva.com
Designer: Kersti Heile
Installation: Hans-Otto Ojaste and Valge Kuup
The artist expresses her gratitude to Lena, Sasha and the whole their family, Polina Kuznietsova, Alena Kapajeva, Inese Strupule, Kateryna Popkova, Hilda Vaike, Gulya Sultanova, Nastassia, Alia, Elizaveta Klepikova, Aditi S Sharma, Jacobina de Rivera, Annika von Hausswolff, Redi Koobak, Irina Andrushko, Aljona Tubaleva, Mari Volens, Valge Kuup and Aksel Haagensen, Kersit Heile, Jake Sheperd and the team of Draakoni gallery
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
Exhibitions in Draakon gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture and AS Liviko.
We invite you to a panel discussion inspired by the article “From Past to Present: The Journey of Technological Theatre” by R. Kelomees, T. Jansen, and P. Hoppu. The article discusses how technological innovation has been essential in developing theater and the visual arts since the “beginning of time.” Moderated by digital theater researcher Katie Hawthorne, the event promises to be an engaging discussion about the potential and shortcomings of digital technologies in the contemporary world and how this might affect theater and contemporary art more extensively. A moderated panel discussion will follow short presentations by Raivo Kelomees, Taavet Jansen and Liina Keevallik.
This mini-conference is part of the project Acute, Culture Testbeds for Performing Arts and New Technology, which focuses on the development of performing arts and new technologies and is also part of the satellite program of the New European Bauhaus Festival. Together, we will rethink the role of theater and art in our shared space, discuss how technology and art can connect people in these challenging times, and question the important issues that surround us.
The event take place at Estonian Academy of Arts on April 19th at 4pm(EET), room A101 and will be livestreamed in EKA Youtube.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYJ93CEUaw
SPEAKERS
Taavet Jansen is an artist and researcher at the intersection of performing arts and technology. He has a rich background in theatre, creative coding, digital arts, and teaching. Taavet studied at Tallinn University and completed a Master’s in Choreography and New Media at the Theater School in Amsterdam. He is a doctoral student at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Art and Design and a multimedia lecturer at the University of Tartu Viljandi Cultural Academy. In recent years, Taavet has focused on digitally mediated performance art as a researcher and creator. He is one of the founders of the interdisciplinary art platform e⁻lektron and the technological art network MIMproject. As a researcher, he has been involved as PI in research projects such as “INDEX—Reconnecting the digital audience with the creative team in the online events” and “Online theatre as a research tool,” both of which focus on online theatre through the development of interaction tools that allow real-time audience feedback. His creative work spans a range of theatrical performances, installations, and media design projects where he has been blending his artistic expression with technological innovations. Recent works include “Held in Human,” “Memento,” and “Wolves,” all of which explore interactive digital performances. Taavet’s academic publications explore the confluence of technology and the performing arts, underscoring his commitment to advancing the field through research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Taavet Jansen’s career embodies a dedication to enhancing the performing arts through technological innovation and research to understand and improve audience engagement in digital spaces.
Raivo Kelomees, PhD (art history), is an artist, art historian and new media researcher. He
studied psychology, art history and design in Tartu University and the Academy of Arts in
Tallinn. He is senior researcher at the Fine Arts Faculty at the Estonian Academy of Arts and
professor at the Pallas University of Applied Sciences. Kelomees is author of Surrealism
(Kunst Publishers, 1993) and article collections Screen as a Membrane (Tartu Art College
proceedings, 2007) and Social Games in Art Space (EAA, 2013). His doctoral thesis is
Postmateriality in Art. Indeterministic Art Practices and Non-Material Art (Dissertationes
Academiae Artium Estoniae 3, 2009). Together with Chris Hales he edited the collection of
articles Constructing Narrative in Interactive Documentaries (Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, 2014). In collaboration with Varvara Guljajeva and Oliver Laas he edited the
collection of articles The Meaning of Creativity in the Age of AI (EKA Press, 2022).
Katie Hawthorne is a researcher based in Scotland. She is an alumna of the Academy for Theatre and Digitality’s fellowship programme and became a member of staff at the Academy in 2022, with a role focussed on the documentation and dissemination of research. Katie is the author of the first cross-European study Digital Theatre: Digital Strategies and Business Models in European Theatre (2023), commissioned by the European Theatre Convention and first presented at the European Theatre Forum in Opole, Poland. The study drew on her Ph.D research, completed at the University of Edinburgh in 2022, which explored how ‘liveness’ in theatre and performance is evolving through the use of digital tools and technologies. She has given papers at a host of international conferences and institutions, including the IFTR in Shanghai and TaPRA in Exeter, and authored a chapter on the Berliner Theatertreffen in the Edinburgh German Yearbook in 2021. Katie is also an accomplished freelance journalist, and regularly contributes to publications including The Guardian and The Scotsman.
Liina Keevallik, PhD, has studied scenography at Estonian Academy of Arts and holds a PhD from the University Paris 8. She has done set and costume designs in Estonian theatres as well as abroad (France, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Lithuania), her works ranging from big operas to underground avant-garde. She has also written and directed visual performances. Her latest creations merging art and scientific research are Cloud Opera (2019), juxtaposing data clouds and atmospheric clouds; and It’s Time to Fight Reality Once More. Sentimental Education for Robots (2021), a play written by AI, performed and improvised by robots. She has also designed feature and puppet films and directed short films and documentaries; written texts for theatre, song lyrics and film scripts. She currently works as a freelance scenographer in Paris and Tallinn, pursues her research at BFM (University of Tallinn) and teaches scenography at Estonian Academy of Arts. She has participated in the international media archaeological research project Deceptive Arts (Les Arts Trompeurs); an artistic research project collaborating with AI Machine Acts and she has created the pre-cinema department of the Estonian Film Museum.
We invite you to a panel discussion inspired by the article “From Past to Present: The Journey of Technological Theatre” by R. Kelomees, T. Jansen, and P. Hoppu. The article discusses how technological innovation has been essential in developing theater and the visual arts since the “beginning of time.” Moderated by digital theater researcher Katie Hawthorne, the event promises to be an engaging discussion about the potential and shortcomings of digital technologies in the contemporary world and how this might affect theater and contemporary art more extensively. A moderated panel discussion will follow short presentations by Raivo Kelomees, Taavet Jansen and Liina Keevallik.
This mini-conference is part of the project Acute, Culture Testbeds for Performing Arts and New Technology, which focuses on the development of performing arts and new technologies and is also part of the satellite program of the New European Bauhaus Festival. Together, we will rethink the role of theater and art in our shared space, discuss how technology and art can connect people in these challenging times, and question the important issues that surround us.
The event take place at Estonian Academy of Arts on April 19th at 4pm(EET), room A101 and will be livestreamed in EKA Youtube.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYJ93CEUaw
SPEAKERS
Taavet Jansen is an artist and researcher at the intersection of performing arts and technology. He has a rich background in theatre, creative coding, digital arts, and teaching. Taavet studied at Tallinn University and completed a Master’s in Choreography and New Media at the Theater School in Amsterdam. He is a doctoral student at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Art and Design and a multimedia lecturer at the University of Tartu Viljandi Cultural Academy. In recent years, Taavet has focused on digitally mediated performance art as a researcher and creator. He is one of the founders of the interdisciplinary art platform e⁻lektron and the technological art network MIMproject. As a researcher, he has been involved as PI in research projects such as “INDEX—Reconnecting the digital audience with the creative team in the online events” and “Online theatre as a research tool,” both of which focus on online theatre through the development of interaction tools that allow real-time audience feedback. His creative work spans a range of theatrical performances, installations, and media design projects where he has been blending his artistic expression with technological innovations. Recent works include “Held in Human,” “Memento,” and “Wolves,” all of which explore interactive digital performances. Taavet’s academic publications explore the confluence of technology and the performing arts, underscoring his commitment to advancing the field through research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Taavet Jansen’s career embodies a dedication to enhancing the performing arts through technological innovation and research to understand and improve audience engagement in digital spaces.
Raivo Kelomees, PhD (art history), is an artist, art historian and new media researcher. He
studied psychology, art history and design in Tartu University and the Academy of Arts in
Tallinn. He is senior researcher at the Fine Arts Faculty at the Estonian Academy of Arts and
professor at the Pallas University of Applied Sciences. Kelomees is author of Surrealism
(Kunst Publishers, 1993) and article collections Screen as a Membrane (Tartu Art College
proceedings, 2007) and Social Games in Art Space (EAA, 2013). His doctoral thesis is
Postmateriality in Art. Indeterministic Art Practices and Non-Material Art (Dissertationes
Academiae Artium Estoniae 3, 2009). Together with Chris Hales he edited the collection of
articles Constructing Narrative in Interactive Documentaries (Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, 2014). In collaboration with Varvara Guljajeva and Oliver Laas he edited the
collection of articles The Meaning of Creativity in the Age of AI (EKA Press, 2022).
Katie Hawthorne is a researcher based in Scotland. She is an alumna of the Academy for Theatre and Digitality’s fellowship programme and became a member of staff at the Academy in 2022, with a role focussed on the documentation and dissemination of research. Katie is the author of the first cross-European study Digital Theatre: Digital Strategies and Business Models in European Theatre (2023), commissioned by the European Theatre Convention and first presented at the European Theatre Forum in Opole, Poland. The study drew on her Ph.D research, completed at the University of Edinburgh in 2022, which explored how ‘liveness’ in theatre and performance is evolving through the use of digital tools and technologies. She has given papers at a host of international conferences and institutions, including the IFTR in Shanghai and TaPRA in Exeter, and authored a chapter on the Berliner Theatertreffen in the Edinburgh German Yearbook in 2021. Katie is also an accomplished freelance journalist, and regularly contributes to publications including The Guardian and The Scotsman.
Liina Keevallik, PhD, has studied scenography at Estonian Academy of Arts and holds a PhD from the University Paris 8. She has done set and costume designs in Estonian theatres as well as abroad (France, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Lithuania), her works ranging from big operas to underground avant-garde. She has also written and directed visual performances. Her latest creations merging art and scientific research are Cloud Opera (2019), juxtaposing data clouds and atmospheric clouds; and It’s Time to Fight Reality Once More. Sentimental Education for Robots (2021), a play written by AI, performed and improvised by robots. She has also designed feature and puppet films and directed short films and documentaries; written texts for theatre, song lyrics and film scripts. She currently works as a freelance scenographer in Paris and Tallinn, pursues her research at BFM (University of Tallinn) and teaches scenography at Estonian Academy of Arts. She has participated in the international media archaeological research project Deceptive Arts (Les Arts Trompeurs); an artistic research project collaborating with AI Machine Acts and she has created the pre-cinema department of the Estonian Film Museum.
The annual Conference of EKA Doctoral School will take place on April 5th, 2024.
Please register by 01.04.
TIMETABLE
09:50 Registration
10:00 Introduction: Dr. Kristina Jõekalda
Guest Speaker
Moderator: Dr. Kristina Jõekalda
10:10 Prof. Danielle Wilde (Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University)
„Food(Design) as a Force for Change“
Art & Design
Moderator: Dr. Jaana Päeva
11:00 Marta Põldma (Konovalov), „Designer, the Resilient Gardener“ (supervised by Dr. Kristi Kuusk, Dr. Julia Valle Noronha). Discussant Paco-Ernest Ulman.
11:40 Jane Remm, „Interspecies Social Sculpture as a Platform for Multi-Perspective Co-Creation“ (supervised by Dr. Urve Sinijärv). Discussant Triin Metsla.
12:20 Lunch break
Architecture & Urban Planning
Moderator: Dr. Siim Tuksam
13:40 Paco-Ernest Ulman, „A Fixed View: Connection Between Architecture and Image“ (supervised by Dr. Jüri Soolep). Discussant Maija Rudovska.
14:20 Discussion: Danielle Wilde, Siim Tuksam, Jaana Päeva
14:50 Coffee break
Art History & Visual Culture
Moderator: Prof. Andres Kurg
15:10 Triin Metsla, „The Need for Decanonization and a Polyphonic Canon: Towards a More Horizontal Approach to Art History“ (supervised by Prof. Krista Kodres). Discussant Regne Soosalu.
15:50 Maija Rudovska, „The Fluctuations: Where Does an Artist as Curator Stand During the Transition Period of Late 1980s and Early 1990s in Latvia?“ (supervised Dr. Mari Laanemets). Discussant Marta Põldma (Konovalov).
16:30 Ragne Soosalu, „This is a Man’s World: on Humor, Women and Preservation of Art During the Interwar Era in Estonia“ (supervised by Dr. Katrin Kivimaa, Dr. Kristina Jõekalda). Discussant Hasso Krull.
17:10 Coffee Break
17:30 Hasso Krull, „Trickster on the Mythical Landscape“ (supervised by Prof. Virve Sarapik, Dr. Margus Ott). Discussant Jane Remm.
18:10 Discussion: Kristina Jõekalda, Andres Kurg, Anneli Randla
For more information: rahel.eslas@artun.ee
The annual Conference of EKA Doctoral School will take place on April 5th, 2024.
Please register by 01.04.
TIMETABLE
09:50 Registration
10:00 Introduction: Dr. Kristina Jõekalda
Guest Speaker
Moderator: Dr. Kristina Jõekalda
10:10 Prof. Danielle Wilde (Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University)
„Food(Design) as a Force for Change“
Art & Design
Moderator: Dr. Jaana Päeva
11:00 Marta Põldma (Konovalov), „Designer, the Resilient Gardener“ (supervised by Dr. Kristi Kuusk, Dr. Julia Valle Noronha). Discussant Paco-Ernest Ulman.
11:40 Jane Remm, „Interspecies Social Sculpture as a Platform for Multi-Perspective Co-Creation“ (supervised by Dr. Urve Sinijärv). Discussant Triin Metsla.
12:20 Lunch break
Architecture & Urban Planning
Moderator: Dr. Siim Tuksam
13:40 Paco-Ernest Ulman, „A Fixed View: Connection Between Architecture and Image“ (supervised by Dr. Jüri Soolep). Discussant Maija Rudovska.
14:20 Discussion: Danielle Wilde, Siim Tuksam, Jaana Päeva
14:50 Coffee break
Art History & Visual Culture
Moderator: Prof. Andres Kurg
15:10 Triin Metsla, „The Need for Decanonization and a Polyphonic Canon: Towards a More Horizontal Approach to Art History“ (supervised by Prof. Krista Kodres). Discussant Regne Soosalu.
15:50 Maija Rudovska, „The Fluctuations: Where Does an Artist as Curator Stand During the Transition Period of Late 1980s and Early 1990s in Latvia?“ (supervised Dr. Mari Laanemets). Discussant Marta Põldma (Konovalov).
16:30 Ragne Soosalu, „This is a Man’s World: on Humor, Women and Preservation of Art During the Interwar Era in Estonia“ (supervised by Dr. Katrin Kivimaa, Dr. Kristina Jõekalda). Discussant Hasso Krull.
17:10 Coffee Break
17:30 Hasso Krull, „Trickster on the Mythical Landscape“ (supervised by Prof. Virve Sarapik, Dr. Margus Ott). Discussant Jane Remm.
18:10 Discussion: Kristina Jõekalda, Andres Kurg, Anneli Randla
For more information: rahel.eslas@artun.ee
On March 15 at 14.30-15.30 the peer review event of Triin Reidla’s exhibition “Bold and Beautiful. Estonian private houses from the 1980s” will take place in Estonian Museum of Architecture (seminar room). Triin Reidla is a PhD student in cultural heritage and conservation. The exhibition is part of her doctoral thesis that investigates postmodern residential architecture.
Supervisors: Dr. Maris Mändel (EKA) and Dr. Ingrid Ruudi (EKA)
Reviewers: Prof. Andres Kurg (EKA) and Prof. Marija Dremaite (Vilnius University)
The exhibition is open at the Museum of Architecture (Ahtri 1, Tallinn) from November 29, 2023 to May 12, 2024.
The exhibition “Bold and Beautiful: Estonian private houses from the 1980s” offers insights into the stories of private houses from the 1980s. The exhibition seeks answers to the following questions:
● In which (architectural) historical context do these houses fit?
● Where were postmodern residential buildings planned?
● How did historical peculiarities influence the construction of these buildings?
● What does a postmodernist home look like? What are the floor plans of these houses?
● What has become of these houses today?
● What do architects and owners think of postmodernist houses in the present day?
Triin Reidla is a cultural heritage specialist, architectural historian, editor, and lector, currently pursuing her doctoral studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Her research focuses on architecture in the 1980s.
On March 15 at 14.30-15.30 the peer review event of Triin Reidla’s exhibition “Bold and Beautiful. Estonian private houses from the 1980s” will take place in Estonian Museum of Architecture (seminar room). Triin Reidla is a PhD student in cultural heritage and conservation. The exhibition is part of her doctoral thesis that investigates postmodern residential architecture.
Supervisors: Dr. Maris Mändel (EKA) and Dr. Ingrid Ruudi (EKA)
Reviewers: Prof. Andres Kurg (EKA) and Prof. Marija Dremaite (Vilnius University)
The exhibition is open at the Museum of Architecture (Ahtri 1, Tallinn) from November 29, 2023 to May 12, 2024.
The exhibition “Bold and Beautiful: Estonian private houses from the 1980s” offers insights into the stories of private houses from the 1980s. The exhibition seeks answers to the following questions:
● In which (architectural) historical context do these houses fit?
● Where were postmodern residential buildings planned?
● How did historical peculiarities influence the construction of these buildings?
● What does a postmodernist home look like? What are the floor plans of these houses?
● What has become of these houses today?
● What do architects and owners think of postmodernist houses in the present day?
Triin Reidla is a cultural heritage specialist, architectural historian, editor, and lector, currently pursuing her doctoral studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Her research focuses on architecture in the 1980s.
On March 4th and 5th, the PhD Vitamin event will once again be hosted at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
PhD Vitamin aims to support and pave the way – and inspire artists with a research approach on their way to doctoral studies. The goal is to introduce artistic research and advise potential candidates for postgraduate studies in planning a doctoral thesis project. In a program consisting of public lectures and one-on-one consultations, artists and experts discuss their approach to artistic research and share individual advice.
This year’s conference will focus on the problem of public space and its art. How can we decide what would be visible to all?
How do ethical challenges, the responsibility of the artist, historical and political issues and the authorship rights intertwine? What are the possibilities for artists to contribute to shaping past-present-future through the political aesthetics of public space? During the ongoing war in Ukraine, questions of what to do with the ‘red monuments’ left in the public space have come to the fore in Estonia. The debate is part of a global discourse that includes the Black Lives Matter movement. It touches on our social environment and tests our ability to ‘be good’.
Artists, designers, alumni of EKA and other creative universities, and graduate students interested in artistic research methods are invited to participate.
PROGRAMME
March 4th, Monday, room A501
10:00 -10:30 Coffee and welcome
10:30 -11:15 Victoria Fareld “Responsibility in a Polychronic Present”
11:15 -11:45 Kristina Norman “Looking Back at After-War (2009) During the War”
Lunch break
12:30-13:15 Esther Shalev-Gerz “From the Monument Against Fascism to The Shadow”
13:15-13:45 Gregor Taul “Monumental Trouble”
Coffee break
14.00-14:45 Moderated discussion: Victoria Fareld, Esther Shalev-Gerz, Gregor Taul, Kristina Norman, moderator Kirke Kangro.
March 5th, Tuesday, room A501
10:00-12:00 Individual consultations with Victoria Fareld and Esther Shalev-Gerz
SPEAKERS
Esther Shalev-Gerz, based in Paris, is internationally recognized for her seminal contributions to the field of art in the public realm and her consistent investigation into the construction of memory, history, the natural world, democracy and cultural identities. Her works challenge the notion and practice of portraiture and consider how its qualities may contribute to contemporary discourse about the politics of representation. Her monuments, installations, photography, video and public sculpture are developed through active dialogue, consultation and negotiation with people whose participation provides an emphasis to their individual and collective memories, accounts, opinions and experiences which then become both represented and considered.
Victoria Fareld is professor of intellectual history at Stockholm university in Sweden. Her research revolves around questions of historical guilt, responsibility and historical temporalities.
Gregor Taul is a lecturer, critic and curator. He has studied semiotics at Tartu University and art history at the Estonian Academy of Arts and is about to defend his PhD thesis on art in public space in the Baltics. He is currently working as a lecturer at the General Theory and Interior Architecture departments at EKA.
Kristina Norman, based in Tallinn, is an artist whose interdisciplinary work includes video installations, sculpture, and projects in the city space, as well as documentaries and performance. She is interested in the issues of collective memory and forgetting, the memorial uses of the public space, but also the subtle sphere of the body politics that transgresses the boundaries between the public and the private. In 2009 she represented Estonia at the 53rd International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia with a solo project, a multilayered mixed media installation After-War. The project was a study of a conflict around the relocation of a Soviet monument in Tallinn. In 2022 Norman represented Estonia at the 59th Venice Biennial within an ecocritical exhibition Orchidelirium. An Appetite For Abundance. Norman’s experimental film trilogy commissioned for the Pavilion, offers multiple ways to reflect on the legacies of colonialism from a specific Eastern European perspective.
The event will be held in English.
Please registrate through following LINK.
To participate in individual consultation to discuss your PhD proposal, please fill out the FORM. A detailed consultation schedule will be sent to your email after registration. Be quick – the number of participants in consultations is limited!
Additional info: kati.saarits@artun.ee
On March 4th and 5th, the PhD Vitamin event will once again be hosted at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
PhD Vitamin aims to support and pave the way – and inspire artists with a research approach on their way to doctoral studies. The goal is to introduce artistic research and advise potential candidates for postgraduate studies in planning a doctoral thesis project. In a program consisting of public lectures and one-on-one consultations, artists and experts discuss their approach to artistic research and share individual advice.
This year’s conference will focus on the problem of public space and its art. How can we decide what would be visible to all?
How do ethical challenges, the responsibility of the artist, historical and political issues and the authorship rights intertwine? What are the possibilities for artists to contribute to shaping past-present-future through the political aesthetics of public space? During the ongoing war in Ukraine, questions of what to do with the ‘red monuments’ left in the public space have come to the fore in Estonia. The debate is part of a global discourse that includes the Black Lives Matter movement. It touches on our social environment and tests our ability to ‘be good’.
Artists, designers, alumni of EKA and other creative universities, and graduate students interested in artistic research methods are invited to participate.
PROGRAMME
March 4th, Monday, room A501
10:00 -10:30 Coffee and welcome
10:30 -11:15 Victoria Fareld “Responsibility in a Polychronic Present”
11:15 -11:45 Kristina Norman “Looking Back at After-War (2009) During the War”
Lunch break
12:30-13:15 Esther Shalev-Gerz “From the Monument Against Fascism to The Shadow”
13:15-13:45 Gregor Taul “Monumental Trouble”
Coffee break
14.00-14:45 Moderated discussion: Victoria Fareld, Esther Shalev-Gerz, Gregor Taul, Kristina Norman, moderator Kirke Kangro.
March 5th, Tuesday, room A501
10:00-12:00 Individual consultations with Victoria Fareld and Esther Shalev-Gerz
SPEAKERS
Esther Shalev-Gerz, based in Paris, is internationally recognized for her seminal contributions to the field of art in the public realm and her consistent investigation into the construction of memory, history, the natural world, democracy and cultural identities. Her works challenge the notion and practice of portraiture and consider how its qualities may contribute to contemporary discourse about the politics of representation. Her monuments, installations, photography, video and public sculpture are developed through active dialogue, consultation and negotiation with people whose participation provides an emphasis to their individual and collective memories, accounts, opinions and experiences which then become both represented and considered.
Victoria Fareld is professor of intellectual history at Stockholm university in Sweden. Her research revolves around questions of historical guilt, responsibility and historical temporalities.
Gregor Taul is a lecturer, critic and curator. He has studied semiotics at Tartu University and art history at the Estonian Academy of Arts and is about to defend his PhD thesis on art in public space in the Baltics. He is currently working as a lecturer at the General Theory and Interior Architecture departments at EKA.
Kristina Norman, based in Tallinn, is an artist whose interdisciplinary work includes video installations, sculpture, and projects in the city space, as well as documentaries and performance. She is interested in the issues of collective memory and forgetting, the memorial uses of the public space, but also the subtle sphere of the body politics that transgresses the boundaries between the public and the private. In 2009 she represented Estonia at the 53rd International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia with a solo project, a multilayered mixed media installation After-War. The project was a study of a conflict around the relocation of a Soviet monument in Tallinn. In 2022 Norman represented Estonia at the 59th Venice Biennial within an ecocritical exhibition Orchidelirium. An Appetite For Abundance. Norman’s experimental film trilogy commissioned for the Pavilion, offers multiple ways to reflect on the legacies of colonialism from a specific Eastern European perspective.
The event will be held in English.
Please registrate through following LINK.
To participate in individual consultation to discuss your PhD proposal, please fill out the FORM. A detailed consultation schedule will be sent to your email after registration. Be quick – the number of participants in consultations is limited!
Additional info: kati.saarits@artun.ee
