Category: Doctoral School

On 1–2 February 2024, a workshop to support the supervisors of artistic doctoral theses will be held in cooperation with the Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM).
The workshop will be conducted by Prof. Leena Rouhiainen (University of the Arts Helsinki)
The workshop will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts (room A501)

Please register by 30 January HERE.

February 1, 2024
10.15–10.30 Welcome coffee
10.30–12.00 The degree requirements of the Doctoral Programme of Artistic Research in Performing Arts, Theatre Academy, Uniarts Helsinki

• Theatre Academy’s definition of artistic research
• The examination and publishing process of the artistic doctoral research
• How to structure and expose the artistic doctoral research (artistic components, publishing opportunities)

12.00–12.45 Lunch break

12.45–14.00 The curriculum of the Theatre Academy’s doctoral programme

• How the doctoral programme and curriculum supports the transition from artist into artist-researcher and the engagement of the doctoral candidate with the doctoral and research community of the Theatre Academy and wider Uniarts
• 1st year mentoring/contact teacher, orientation ABCD/EFGH/XYZ, annual teaching weeks focusing on the first two years of study

14.00–14.30 Coffee break

14.30–16/16.30 Formal parameters of supervision at the Theatre Academy’s doctoral programme

• The instructions, supervisor agreement, responsibilities, ethical guidelines and review, supervision process and supervision training

17.30 Premiere of “Creative Science” series of short films introducing Estonian artist-researchers
SuperNova Cinema, NOVA Building of BFM (Narva mnt 27), 4th floor, room N406
Before the films Prof. Leena Rouhiainen’s short lecture “Notes on Artistic Research”.

February 2, 2024

09.00–11.00 Practical considerations in supervision

• Individual aspects of supervision – the supervisor doctoral student relationship, ethical review and research ethics.

11.00–12.00 Lunch break

12.00–13.30 Practical considerations in supervision

• Supporting doctoral candidates in the final phase, other items on best practices and challenges

13.30–14.00 Coffee break
14.00–15.30 Conclusions and future steps

Contact:
Irene Hütsi
Coordinator of Doctoral School
irene.hutsi@artun.ee

Workshop is co-financed by European Union, activity “Cooperation between universities to promote doctoral studies”.

EKA Doctoral School will be hosting an online info session about doctoral studies at EKA on February 7, 2024, at 13:00-14:30 EET (local Estonian time) . 

Info session provides a good opportunity to hear more about doctoral studies at EKA, available programmes, admission requirements and procedure, etc; also meet and ask questions directly from people behind the Doctoral School and the programmes. The info session will be hosted online over Zoom.

REGISTER HERE

The Estonian Academy of Arts offers following PhD level programmes for international applicants:

• Architecture and Urban Planning
• Art and Design
• Art History and Visual Culture
• Cultural Heritage and Conservation

Admission period for international PhD applicants for 2024/2025 starts on February 1st, 2024. Deadline for submitting application is March 31st, 2024.

Admission requirements for PhD programmes can be found HERE.

More information:
Irene Hütsi
Doctoral School coordinator
irene.hutsi@artun.ee

A preparatory course for those interested in pursuing doctoral studies in practice-based and/or artistic research in EKA will take place 19.02–18.03.
The course will take place on-site at the EKA, there is no possibility to participate online.

The course focuses on planning and composing a creative research proposal, introduces doctoral studies at EKA, completed and ongoing doctoral theses, and helps clarify how to interconnect research problems, methods, and creative practice.

The course consists of four seminars and a consultation where you can get individual feedback on your project. The course will be led by Dr. Jaana Päeva, Head of the PhD Programme in Art and Design, and Dr. Liina Unt. Dr. Kristi Kuusk will join them for consultations.

The course is supported by Fine Arts faculty’s “PhD Vitamin”, which will bring together experts from artistic and practice-based research and prospective doctoral candidates.

Timetable

To participate, please send a short introduction (max 1.5 pages) to irene.hutsi@artun.ee by 12.02. The text should address your motivation, previous experience and the potential topic of your research. The number of places is limited, the acceptance will be confirmed by 14.02. The course will be held in English.

Additional info:

Online info session: doctoral studies at EKA

Conditions for admission to doctoral studies

Estonian Artistic Research Framework Agreement

On 21 December Mariann Raisma, a PhD candidate at Estonian Academy of Arts, curriculum of Cultural Heritage and Conservation, will defend the thesis „The Power of the Museum. Shaping Collective Memory in Estonia during the Turning Points of the 20th Century“ („Muuseumi võim. Muuseum kollektiivse mälu kujundajana Eestis 20. sajandi murranguperioodidel“).

Public defence will be held on 21st of December 2023 at 11.00 at EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A101.

Supervisors: Prof. Linda Kaljundi (Estonian Academy of Arts), Dr. Anneli Randla (Estonian Academy of Arts)

External reviewers: Dr. Anu Kannike (Estonian National Museum), Dr. Marleen Metslaid (Estonian National Museum)

Opponent: Dr. Anu Kannike (Estonian National Museum)

The defense will be held in Estonian.

Over the past two centuries, museums have played a pivotal role in shaping societies’ understanding of the past. They guide our perceptions of history, determine the delicate balance between forgetting and remembering, and influence the hierarchy of values associated with heritage.

This dissertation critically examines the power and influence of museums as mediums of cultural memory, with a focus on the Estonian museum field. Given that our identity is intricately tied to what we remember and what we choose to forget, it is crucial to understand the reasons and processes behind the shaping and shifting of collective memory throughout historical periods. This research focuses on the history of the Estonian museum in the 20th century, examining three periods which saw significant historical turning points: 1919–1925, 1940–1941/1944–1953 and 1987–1994.

The history of Estonian museums offers insights into how the core principles, values and canons for constructing cultural memory changed during these periods of social and political upheaval. These changes encompassed the nature and interpretation of ideologies, themes and how they were represented, museums as institutions, their hierarchy and nomenclature, the dynamics of the relationship between power and the institution, and the capacity, intent and ability of museums to shape society’s collective memory.

The identity and institutions of the Estonian museum field underwent significant changes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Beginning with self-definition rooted in European culture, museums transitioned to embracing ‘Heimat’ before evolving to value ethnicity. This evolution culminated in ideas for large national museums, which eventually diversified into various specialised museums during the 20th century. The regional discourse of the early 20th century gave way to a national narrative, followed by a Soviet-Marxist perspective. In the final decade of the century, national cultural memory underwent a revival. This sequence of ideas was also reflected in history-themed permanent exhibitions: the 1920s witnessed the legitimisation of popular culture as elite; the 1940s established a normative approach to historical materialism; and from the late 1980s, nationalism triumphed once again, ushering in new museological approaches. While analysing all these changes, this dissertation emphasises the hybridity of Estonian museum history and its interweaving with different cultural spaces and paradigms.

Throughout the three periods of upheaval discussed, museums were at the forefront of the shaping of a new cultural memory canon. Correspondingly, these turning points have contributed to the formation of Estonia’s own unique museum field.

The thesis is available HERE.

Members of the Defence Committee: Prof. Krista Kodres (Head of the Committee), Dr. Anu Allas, Prof. Hilkka Hiiop, Prof. Juhan Maiste, Prof. Kurmo Konsa

On 19 December Arife Dila Demir, a PhD candidate of the Estonian Academy of Arts, curriculum of Art and Design, will defend her practice-based thesis “Extended [Textile] Soma: Somaesthetics of Bodily Discomforts” („(Tekstiilist) laiendatud soma: kehalise ebamugavuse somaesteetika“).

Public defence will be held on 19th of December 2023 at 11.00 at EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.

Supervisors: Prof. Nithikul Nimkulrat (OCAD University), Dr. Kristi Kuusk (Estonian Academy of Arts)
External reviewers: Prof. Kristina Höök (KTH Royal Institute of Technology), Dr. Vasiliki Tsaknaki (IT University of Copenhagen)
Opponent: Dr. Claudia Núñez-Pacheco (Umeå University)

Human existence in the world is an embodied one; it is through our moving and sensing bodies – our somas – that we live and be in the world. Our somas, through the sensory capacities, are in constant engagement with internal and external stimuli that shape our understanding of our environment and ourselves. These stimuli may appear as pleasant or discomforting or beyond. For some unfortunate ones, internal discomforting sensations become persistent inhabitants of their bodies defining their embodied existence. This dissertation refers to these persistent discomforting events ‘bodily discomfort’ that disrupt the everyday flow of the body such as migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, chronic pain, etc.
Extended [Textile] Soma: Somaesthetics of Bodily Discomforts specifically focuses on chronic musculoskeletal pain acknowledging the hardship of removal of this phenomenon. It discusses that such a phenomenon requires a more-than-symptom-relieving approach that focuses on enhancing the lived experience of bodily discomfort. Thus, it focuses on supporting transformative becomings with our bodies in discomfort to learn new ways of living and being that is the somaesthetics of bodily discomforts.
Respectively, the main research question of this practice-based dissertation is: how may movement-based interactive textile wearables as soma extensions be designed to facilitate somaesthetic awareness of chronic musculoskeletal pain? In other words, this dissertation explores the ways of designing with/for/through discomfort aiming to facilitate somaesthetics awareness through breaking the habitual ways of engaging with discomfort. It uses soma extensions that mediate movement-based interactions and externalize the felt qualities of chronic pain to provide unhabitual engagements of it. The main research question is explored through three creative case studies that provide methodological and theoretical insights on how to design with/for/through discomfort and form the design program called designing with discomfort.
Designing with discomfort is the main contribution of this dissertation which is exemplified by three case studies. In offering this design programme, this dissertation calls on designer researchers to imagine other ways of being with discomforting experiences and provide a space to closely engage with such sensations to become anew.

The thesis is available HERE.

Members of the Defence Committee: dr Jaana Päeva (Head of the Committee), Dr. Anu Allas, Prof. Kirke Kangro, Dr. Kärt Ojavee, Dr. Liina Unt, Dr. Kristina Jõekalda, Prof. Danielle Wilde, Prof. Indrek Ibrus.

NB! Viewing/listening to festival installations during the day is free, tickets are available only for evening concerts.

Video games

The Estonian Academy of Arts and Videogames in Arts Lab presents:
Experimental Art Landscapes

Discover the experimental world envisioned by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts — an immersive blend of visual and sound art that offers a unique interactive experience. The Showcase is a new project from EKA that experiments with video games as a medium for artistic expression. It is a unique opportunity to see how the next wave of artists blurs the lines between game design and art.

Course supervisors:
Taavi Varm, Camille Laurelli and Sten Saarits

Students:
Anette Jaaniso, Caroline Pajusaar, Daria Luchinina Gregor Ojaveer, Hans Ermast, Kadi Rebane, Kirke Mari Päll, Léo Mourey, Mariia Koloskova, Ramas Ramales, Sander Klein

Video Mapping 

The Estonian Academy of Arts and “Spatial Motion Design” course presents: 

EKA’s fourth-year Visual Communication students are creating a unique video mapping installation in the basement of the Vene Theater. A unique feature of the installation is that the architectural details of the room – be it wall ornaments or window arches – have become part of the artwork’s narrative. The video is not simply projected onto the surface, but it follows and interacts with the specific features of the space, giving the viewer the impression that the moving video image and the physical space merge seamlessly. This guides and inspires the students’ creative process and provides an extraordinary experience for the audience.

Course supervisor:
Taavi Varm

Students:
Mariliis Haljasorg, Anita Juga, Hedy Lehtmets, Kristin Made, Eva Pogoretski, Annaliisa Roots, Rait Sohkin, Anna Maria Toss, Silver Tõnisson, Artjom Šõšov, Karolina Kapinus

Music:
Stonefromthesky albumilt Zero Origin – Ground Zero (Ukraine)

Varm & Correia “Natural Frequencies: A Sonic Symbiosis” conceet at festival Composter on November 24 at Vene Teater

Varm & Correia are a duo composed of Taavi Varm (Estonia) and Nuno Correia (Portugal). They aim to combine natural and synthetic sounds into a coherent sonic ambience, evoking places and their stories. Additionally, they aim to stimulate a reflection on the relationship between humans, technology and nature. Their music style can be classified as ambient, in the tradition of artists such as Brian Eno, Alva Noto and The KLF.

In their performance at Composter festival, they will premiere new material alongside tracks from their recent debut EP, “Live at Purekkari Cape”. The new tracks were composed last Summer in Hiiumaa, taking as starting point field recordings from the island. These new compositions will take the audience on a journey through selected locations, atmospheres and stories of Hiiumaa.

Taavi Varm is a media artist and researcher from Tallinn (Estonian Academy of Arts), with a background in performing arts and video art. Nuno Correia is an academic in the field of interaction design (Tallinn University), and a media artist specialising in audiovisual performance.

“Why should artificially generated sounds, created with the help of human technology, be in conflict with nature? According to Varm and Correia, they shouldn’t – they can coexist in harmony. Not synthesis, but symbiosis.” – Sirp review of Varm & Correia performance at Biotoopia 2022 by Valdek Laur.

Varm & Correia: https://varmandcorreia.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-purekkari-cape

Taavi Varm: http://www.varmstudio.com/

Nuno Correia: https://nunocorreia.com/

On 14 December Britta Benno, a PhD candidate of the Estonian Academy of Arts, curriculum of Art and Design, will defend her thesis “Thinking in Layers, Worlding in Layers: Posthuman Landscapes in Expanded Field of Printmaking and Drawing” (“Mõtlemine kihtides, kujutlemine kihtides. Posthumanistlikud maastikud laiendatud joonistus- ja graafikaväljal”).

Public defence will be held on 14th of December 2023 at 15.00 at EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501.

Supervisor: Dr. Elnara Taidre

External reviewers: Dr. Elo-Hanna Seljamaa (University of Tartu), Prof. Linda Kaljundi (Estonian Academy of Arts).
Opponent: Dr. Elo-Hanna Seljamaa

The defense will be held in Estonian.

The goal of my creative research “Thinking in Layers, Worlding in Layers: Posthuman Landscapes in Expanded Field of Printmaking and Drawing” is, first of all, to search for new art forms; to develop the fields of drawing and printmaking – by embracing the expansion of their vocabulary, exhaustively describing the work methods and conceptualising various activities.
Printmaking is doing very well today, especially due to the vast possibilities of such expansions and working methods, in all kinds of forms and concepts, whether as a posthumanist or nostalgic resistance. What is needed in my opinion, however, is a broader and more meaningful interpretation and opening up of the exact printing technologies chosen, not only the technical accomplishment – one could even say that there is a demand for a revelation of inherent tacit knowledge. I find this openness to be conceptually very characteristic of drawing. I can place all of my creative activity under the expanded drawing field, because everything starts with a simple drawing and continues depending on the conceptual and formal decisions in subsequent layers of materials and art media. The openness, permeability and permissiveness of drawing has been an essential part of all my creative research, on top of which the following layers of media, thoughts and materials have grown: animation, installation, etc.
This research is based on my three solo exhibitions – “Dystopic Tallinn” (Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, 2019), “Ruinenlust: Lasnamägi” (Hobusepea Gallery, 2020) and “Of Becoming a Land(Scape)” (Tartu Art House, 2022) – on the discussions that accompanied the creation of their concepts and artworks, exemplifying my approach to layered thinking and worlding, and to the expanded media in different variations. The thesis could be read as a travelogue in the layers of the concepts of the exhibited works.
The creative research allows me to conclude that the expanded fields of printmaking and drawing are areas full of potential, which function as subjects and methods of creative research, when used in tandem with other media – either as independent art forms, or together, as a hybrid. My exhibition practice demonstrates that prints and drawings are able to relate to new discourses and address current issues. These processes provide for endless techniques and qualities to constantly explore and disassemble.
More broadly, the dissertation contributes to the internal observation and treatment of creative processes from the artist’s position.The written part is primarily intended for other artists to conceptualise and discuss their own creative processes, including in processes of teaching and learning.

The thesis is available HERE.

Members of the Defence Committee: dr Jaana Päeva (Head of the Committee), Dr. Anu Allas, Prof. Kirke Kangro, Dr. Kärt Ojavee, Dr. Liina Unt, Dr. Kristina Jõekalda, Prof. Indrek Ibrus.

Exhibition ”Narratives from Prolonged Engagements”
Marta Konovalov

The exhibition ”Narratives from Prolonged Engagements” investigates our relationships with clothing and textiles from the perspective of mending with the aim to widen the boundaries of a garment’s use time and aesthetics.
Here the creative practice of Marta Konovalov is being displayed alongside narratives embodied in wear and repair. This act of repair contributes to a system for the clothes to live their own life in the hands of the user or multiple users, each adding up a new layer. There is more than sustaining the physical form – repairing something is also an act of love, care and personal healing.
This exhibition explores how layers of repair can increase the emotional durability of fashion and textiles. It is a part of doctoral research on the topic of “Repair and Regenerative textile Design” at Estonian Academy of Art.

Marta Konovalov is a designer, researcher and an educator in the field of regenerative design. She is a PhD student at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She currently makes mending visible in her creative practice with the aim to remind repair as a philosophy and inspire others towards the act of repair for prolonging the use phase of textile artefacts.

The exhibition takes place at the At Trash to Trend Stuudio, Müürivahe 17, Tallinn, Estonia from 14.11.-12.12.2023
A public textile repair workshop is being held with the exhibition on 9.12.2023
Peer review event: 20.11.2023 Info HERE.

Reviewers: Louise Ravnløkke PhD, Marium Durrani DA
Supervisors: Kristi Kuusk PhD, Julia Valle Noronha DA

Photo: Kärt Petser / Aurelia Minev
Exhibition design: Maarja Viiding & Marta Konovalov

On 20 November at 13.00 the peer review event of Marta Konovalov’s  exhibition “Narratives from Prolonged Engagements” will take place. Marta is a third year PhD student in Art and Design, exhibition is part of her artistic doctoral thesis.

Peer review event will be held in zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98954931902?pwd=K0RZWm1YcFhaR2tUcG50UHRuMFZvQT09

Meeting ID: 989 5493 1902 Passcode: 389968

Reviewers: Dr. Louise Ravnløkke (Kolding Design School), Dr. Marium Durrani
Supervisors: Dr. Kristi Kuusk (EKA), Dr. Julia Valle Noronha (Aalto University)

Exhibition design: Maarja Viiding & Marta Konovalov

The exhibition takes place at the At Trash to Trend Stuudio, Müürivahe 17, Tallinn, Estonia
from 14.11.-12.12.2023
A public textile repair workshop is being held with the exhibition on 9.12.2023

The exhibition ”Narratives from Prolonged Engagements” investigates our relationships with clothing and textiles from the perspective of mending with the aim to widen the boundaries of a garment’s use time and aesthetics.
Here the creative practice of Marta Konovalov is being displayed alongside narratives embodied in wear and repair. This act of repair contributes to a system for the clothes to live their own life in the hands of the user or multiple users, each adding up a new layer. There is more than sustaining the physical form – repairing something is also an act of love, care and personal healing.
This exhibition explores how layers of repair can increase the emotional durability of fashion and textiles. It is a part of doctoral research on the topic of “Repair and Regenerative textile Design” at Estonian Academy of Art.

Marta Konovalov is a designer, researcher and an educator in the field of regenerative design. She is a PhD student at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She currently makes mending visible in her creative practice with the aim to remind repair as a philosophy and inspire others towards the act of repair for prolonging the use phase of textile artefacts.