Ülo Pärnits' Scholarship 2022 Laureates
On Monday June 13, the new laureates of the Ülo Pärnits Scholarship, the founder of Ülemiste City, were announced for the fifth time. Out of five laureates, three were from EKA and one of them was EKA Blacksmithing and Jewelery student Valdek Laur.
His work “Bluebird” was one of two creative works to receive the scholarship. The other one was “The passage of Time” by Kaija Kohlmann-Genno and Anette Aas from EKA glass department.
“Bluebird” is an ode to high technology and the dreams of future, but most importantly a tribute to the people building it – many of whom work in Ülemiste’s ICT companies.
The sculpture consists of a massive portal, denoting the road of aspiration – often intimidating and inviting at the same time, aesthetically brutalistic and clustered, both strange and familiar. Juxtaposing the portal is a small cast bluebird, sitting on top of a vectorized pedestal, dozens of meters away. Barely visible, unreachable, but still at sight. In the end, reaching the bluebird is not important, only the strive is. Because no matter where you go – there you are.