Category: Support Units

“Under the Iron Rain”

Exhibition of Ukrainian art students in the library of the Estonian Academy of Arts

28.07.-31.08.2024

Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00
The library is closed from 22.07 to 4.08.2024

Artists: Dariia Silchuk, Sonia Kharkovets,Kseniia Romaschenko, Alina Zadvirna

Graphic design: Daria Titova (UKR)

To provide students with the opportunity to emerge as visible artists, an exhibition will be held at the EKA Library Gallery featuring works by Ukrainian students mentored by EKA. The exhibition will showcase graphics, illustrations, and drawings created during their studies, reflecting the teachings and approaches of Ukrainian universities.

The work of students living and working across Ukraine is heavily influenced by the war situation – mental coping, freedom of movement, and survival. Under the iron rain, students have continued their studies in their chosen fields, pouring their skills, anxiety, fears, and dreams into their creations. The EKA Library offers a small glimpse into their world. We can support these young creators by recognizing their aspirations. We extend our gratitude to all individuals and institutions who have donated to the EKA Ukrainian Student Scholarship Fund.

ELIA UAx Platform

At the ELIA leadership symposium held at EKA (Estonian Academy of Arts) and EMTA (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) in June 2022, leaders of higher arts education in Ukraine emphasized their primary priority: stopping the “institutional destruction” of the arts. They believe it is crucial to support students so they can continue their education in their homeland and to remind the world of the importance of their artistic practice for the preservation of Ukrainian cultural life.

On November 15, 2022, the Abakanowicz Arts and Culture Charitable Foundation (AACCF), in collaboration with ELIA, announced a funding measure to support art students and higher arts education institutions in Ukraine. This led to the creation of the ELIA UAx Platform. The UAx Platform embodies the spirit and values of Magdalena Abakanowicz. This initiative is aimed at artists affected by the war, enabling them to fulfill one of their most important tasks – creating art despite oppression.

The supervisors of the EKA UAx platform for Ukrainian students in the 2023/24 academic year are Britta Benno and Anne Pikkov.

All works are for sale. By purchasing, you support artists in Ukraine.

More information:
https://sihtasutus.artun.ee/ukraina2022
https://elia-artschools.org/general/custom.asp?page=UAx
https://www.artun.ee/et/ukraine/

Léan Hötzel, Nils Geffre, Louisa Seidl, Tomasz Jarosz, Anna Broučková, Lucille Gonzalez, Katariina Kesküla, Halyna Yaroshenko, Clara-Marlen Wilke, Charlotte Gisèle Chapuis, Martí Castillo, Marína Gerða Bjarnadóttir, Asmus Soodla

Opening: 14.05.2024 18:00

Open: 15.05–16.05.2024 10:00 – 18:00

That old village, the sun in August, a European desert. A flock of birds moving South. Nobody’s around, except the warm noise of bugs, sunshine, and water, pool water, pool water really far away.

Splashes, wetting the sandstone. The warm limestone of the house, the coldness of the granite kitchen countertop. Splashes of memories come from time to time. I guess it’s part of running away, or just running. Poor Doe is still afraid.

The train was still at high speed when it suddenly stopped. You can go by train from Beijing to Madrid. Doe was just going back home. Europe is a good place to be a nomad, like the Tartars that helped Beuys in Crimea. Doe wished to be buried, like Beuys, at least for a few days.

Doe looked through the window. It was dark outside, train rails, the horizon really far, and the first green traces in the wheat fields. Doe thought about the suburbs, the small window in the bedroom, blocks as far as the eye can see. Why did the train stop?  Doe woke up from the seat, and the train was empty. Almost, not really, but Doe remembers the train being empty.  The doors opened when Doe started to walk. A cold breeze entered the train. Some pages of the book Doe left behind on the seat started to move. Doe remembers it was a green-covered book. Doe couldn’t give me more details.

Involved:

Curators: Léan Hötzel, Clio Pavlidis Andersson

Exhibition manager: Katariina Kesküla, Joost Jansohn

Exhibition writer: Martí Castillo; translation into Estonian by Triinu Ojala + Emma Johanson

Exhibition designer: Lin Puype, Martí Castillo, Emma Johansohn, Asmus Soodla

Communication: Emilia Santaella, Lucille Gonzalez 

Internal communication: Louisa Seidl

Photodocumentation Exhibition: Clio Pavlidis Andersson, Diána Rakonczai, Tomasz Jarosz

Graphic designer: Charlotte Gisèle Chapuis, Joost Jansohn

Venue liaison: Laura De Jaeger

Publics: Clara

Co-producers: Tobias Laborie

We’d like to thank everybody who took part in realising this exhibition. Without their help this wonderful event would not have been possible. Special thanks to Laura De Jaeger, who initiated this whole project. She energised us with her weekly input and helped everyone find their specific role. We also want to thank our guest artists, Alex Webber and Siebert Mispelon, for their fun and interesting exercises. Moreover we want to thank the international department of EKA and Erasmus+ for their financial support. We are grateful to Krulli for supporting us with this space. And last but not least we want to thank everyone who came to our exhibition.

The exhibition is supported by Erasmus+ and the International office of the Estonian Academy of Arts.

May brings an opportunity to experience, in an exhibition format, works produced by students in the Faculty of Fine Arts as their term projects: every day there will be a fresh crop of university students’ works on display in the gallery.

Works in animation, contemporary art, installation and sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, scenography curricula will be on display. On each evening of the marathon, a new exhibition will be installed and in the evening the exhibit will give way to the next one. Hopefully, viewers will be able to keep up with the pace of the young artists.

On the day of the evaluation, the exhibition is open from 3 to 6 pm, exhibitions held over several days are open from 12 to 6 pm on the following day.

SCHEDULE:

Mon 29.04. Drawing, supervisors Maiu Rõõmus, Matti Pärk
Tue 30.04. Drawing, supervisors Eero Alev, Britta Benno
Wed 1.05. the gallery is closed
Thu 2.05. Drawing, supervisor Ulvi Haagensen
Fri 3.05. Drawing and painting, supervisors Britta Benno, Brenda Purtstak
Sat 4.05. – Sun 5.05. Abstract drawing, supervisor Lembe Ruben-Kangur

Mon 6.05. Photography, supervisor Madis Kurss
Tue 7.05. – Wed 8.05. Photography, supervisor Marge Monko
Thu 9.05. – Fri 10.05. Painting, supervisors Eero Alev, Mihkel Ilus, Holger Loodus, Jaan Toomik
Sat 11.05. – Sun 12.05. Painting, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Kristi Kongi, Holger Loodus

Mon 13.05. Contemporary Art, supervisors Anu Vahtra, Kristi Kongi, Camille Laurelli, Marge Monko, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Eve Kask, Laura Põld, David K. Ross, Jaan Toomik, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo
Tue 14.05. Printmaking, supervisors Maria Erikson, Merilin Metsamaa, Mirjam Varik, Lembe Ruben-Kangur, Sandra Puusepp
Wed 15.05. Animation, supervisors Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Lucija Mrzljak, Anu-Laura Tuttelberg
Thu 16.05. Scenography, supervisors Liina Keevallik, Mark Raidpere
Fri 17.05. Scenography, supervisors Renzo Alexander Van Steenbergen
Sat 18.05. Drawing, supervisor Lilli-Krõõt Repnau
Sun 19.05. the gallery is closed

Mon 20.05. Printmaking, supervisors Eve Kask, Viktor Gurov, Erik Alalooga, Eve Kaaret, Monica Langwe

Singular Inner Worlds

Marju Mutsu and Reti Saks (Laanemäe) 

This exhibition presents the graduation projects of two notably distinct female print artists: Marju Mutsu (1941–1980), who graduated in 1969, and Reti Saks, formerly Laanemäe (1960), who obtained her diploma in print art in 1987. From the outset, both artists displayed a unique and unmistakable style. They both engrave their visions with a sharp needle onto the acid resistant layer of a metal plate using intaglio printing, specifically etching. Their interpretations of the world are profound and characterised by a strong sense of generalisation – albeit expressed in entirely different ways.

Marju Mutsu’s vibrant series Youth comprises six prints, each titled thematically: Wind, Truth, Tenderness, Song, School and Earth. On one hand, we observe the spirit of the 1960s reflected here, capturing the fast-paced rhythms of contemporary life, alongside determined-looking men with strong jawlines. On the other hand, we encounter unprecedented forms in Estonian printmaking, witty suggestions, fragmentation of the pictorial space, as well as emotional experiences, mental states, and the beauty of nature’s fragments. The uniqueness of Mutsu’s print art lies not only in its dynamic expression and Astrid Lindgren-like humour, but also in its exploration of all the possibilities of intaglio printing and bold experimentation: at times, the plate is not completely wiped clean of printing ink, the outlines of recognisable figures blend into abstraction, and the surface of the printing plate itself becomes a character.

The joyful print artist departed from us prematurely, at the young age of just 39.

Reti Saks’ series of seven images Games exudes a more subdued and static tone. From the outset, the artist has been on a quest for answers to life’s profound mysteries, delving into the enigma of life and death. The depth of exploration, sometimes even penetrating the surface of the image itself, is evident in the sheet titled Deep Print. Other prints, like Stairs, Ribbon and Walker, signify human choices, whereas works such as Eye to Eye, Hand and Picture illustrate the enigmatic ways in which the world can be perceived. The artist reflects the world through herself, with her images literally bearing her own visage. In a metaphysical expanse of imagery, a semi-frozen figure of a child-woman emerges, often in repetitive iterations, reminiscent of the artist herself. This deeply introspective exploration of the world is both painful and melancholic, yet it is also rich and multi-layered.

Reeli Kõiv
curator of the exhibition

Graphic design: Pärtel Eelmere

Nature and Abstraction
Designs for Monumental Paintings from the 1970–1980s

Monumental painting emerged as a significant medium in Estonian art during the 1960s. However, formal instruction in this area gained momentum at the art academy over the subsequent two decades. During this period, the ideas of several painting students progressed from concept to completion in various materials. Examples include the stained glass works of Urve Dzidzaria and Heli Tuksam, which originated from their diploma projects. The preliminary work of these projects is also displayed at the current exhibition.

While Soviet official art typically featured propagandistic content in works intended for public spaces, neither our professional monumental painting nor the students’ works adhere to this approach. Guided by the enthusiastic mentorship of Dolores Hoffmann, students developed universally human and aesthetic solutions in monumental painting. One noticeable trend is the oscillation between nature-inspired, realistic design creation and the abstract style, where recognisable figures have been lost. This selection presents various personal approaches, ranging from a slightly stylised manner to completely abstract expression. In each case, the artists have carefully considered the future technique of execution, whether it be fresco, sgraffito, mosaic or stained glass.

Several artworks that were removed from the old EKA building on Tartu Road before its demolition have been subsequently reinstalled and showcased in the new academy building. Furthermore, contemporary pieces have been introduced, as instruction in monumental painting continues under the guidance of Heldur Lassi at the Estonian Academy of Arts, albeit on a more modest scale today. Present-day students are not constrained by traditional boundaries – they do employ classical techniques but boldly blend them together as dictated by the content. This exhibition provides viewers with the opportunity to establish conceptual links between different approaches from various periods, prompting them to seek out the completed monumental paintings, both old and new, within the public spaces of the EKA.

The artworks showcased in the exhibition were initially featured at the comprehensive exhibition Invisible Monumental Painting at the EKA Gallery in 2020, offering a vibrant display designed by Kristi Kongi.

Reeli Kõiv
curator of the exhibition

Passepartouts: Kristi Kongi
Graphic design: Pärtel Eelmere

Transform4Europe discussion on Monday, April 15th from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM (EEST) via Teams.

The training is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on citizen science, introducing its concept, limitations, and problems. The second part focuses on improving science communication skills. The program is led by experts from various institutions, aiming to increase participants’ ability to convey scientific information and navigate the challenges of today’s media landscape. International speakers including Kert Viiart (Estonian Academy of Arts) and Veljo Runnel (University of Tartu) will participate with presentations.

10:45–11:15 AM (EEST)
Exploring the Role of Private Natural History Collections in Citizen Science: Opportunities and Challenges. Veljo Runnel, Citizen Science Expert (University of Tartu, Estonia)

2:45–3:45 PM (EEST)
Navigating the Landscape of Visual Misinformation (Lecture/Seminar). Kert Viiart, Associate Professor, Graphic Designer and Visual Artist (Estonian Academy of Arts)

The full program can be found here. Pre-registration is required for the discussion. Reminders and login information will be sent 3–5 days before the event.

The program is in Central European Time (CET), which is one hour behind Estonian time.

“EKA in Kenya. Implementing the Upmade System”
EKA Gallery 5.–26.04.2024
Open Tue–Sun 12–6 pm, free entry
Opening: 4.04.2024 at 6 pm

Supervisors: Reet Aus, Maria Pukk
Participants: Marta Konovalov, Susanna-Belinda Kõgel, Eva-Liis Lidenburg, Kaisa Moora, Anu Muiste, Doreen Mägi, Maria Rojko Nisu, Eva Reiska, Katrin Lepa-Ruben, Lisandra Türkson, Maris Vahter

The exhibition “EKA in Kenya. Implementing the Upmade System” focuses on the effort to reduce and recycle waste from the textile industry. The students of circular design of the Estonian Academy of Arts spent the month of February in 2024 in Kenya, in the city of Eldoret. On site, they learned about the production at the Rivatex factory, followed the product development process, performed analyzes and applied upcycling principles. Twelve different product concepts created by students will be displayed in EKA Gallery, including accessories, clothes, lampshades and a modular tent.

The international project “Transferring Upmade Know-How to Kenya” is part of a longer cooperation between Moi University and DiMa, the Sustainable Design and Materials Lab at the Estonian Academy of Arts. DiMa has contributed to reducing the environmental impact of the fashion and textile industry through various international projects. The aim of the project is to increase the circulation of Kenya’s textile industry by introducing the UPMADE method at the Rivatex factory. The approach enables the recycling of textile waste generated during manufacturing, thus supporting more environmentally friendly production.

The project has been made in cooperation with the Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Center (SEI Tallinn) and Moi University, with the support of the Erasmus+ study mobility program and the Environmental Investment Centre (KIK).

Opening drinks from Punch Club.

More info:
Transferring Upmade Know-How to Kenya

Cloe Jancis & Ann Pajuväli
“beginners”
EKA Billboard Gallery 22.03.–02.06.2024
Open 24/7, free
Opening: 22.03.2024 at 6 pm

A beginner’s mindset means letting go of assumptions, expertise, or preconceived notions that might cloud our perception or limit our understanding. In this state, we cultivate curiosity, humility and willingness to learn, even with prior knowledge and experience on the subject. It means embracing a sense of astonishment and discovery by trying things for the first time, which can lead to new perspectives and foster creativity and personal growth.

The artists emphasise that the exhibition is about growing out of the ways of representation they have become accustomed to: “We are in a phase of transition – it is not clear-cut, but it is lively and honest. Going through it means letting go (of former habits) and trusting that work teaches the doer. At the exhibition, we share parallel quests that may have a result, but not necessarily. This is a stopover, one possible version; unfinished thoughts, half-baked ideas, new beginnings and loose ends. The most honest expression of the current situation.

Opening drinks from Punch Drinks.