“one-on-one. on skills” at EKKM

Opening on Friday, September 28 at 6pm

Curators’ tour will take place on September 29 at 5pm (in English)

Curators: Laura Põld, Kati Saarits

Artists: Mona Aghababaee, Katja Beckman, Leesi Erm, Nadia Hebson, Anna Mari Liivrand, Eva Mustonen, Leo Rohlin, Kaisa Sööt ja Koit Randmäe, Mall Tomberg, Helle Videvik

Graphic design: Aadam Kaarma & Sandra Kosorotova

For the first time the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) will host an exhibition presenting works by classic Estonian applied artists in dialogue with material-sensitive and process-based works by a younger generation of artists. one-on-one. on skills brings together tradition-rooted applied art and the increasingly material-centred contemporary art practices. The core of the exhibition is comprised of accomplished works from four classic Estonian applied art figures – Leo Rohlin, Leesi Erm, Helle Videvik and Mall Tomberg. Mona Aghababaee (IR), Katja Beckman (SE), Nadia Hebson (GB), Anna Mari Liivrand (EE), Eva Mustonen (EE), Kaisa Sööt and Koit Randmäe (EE) help explore the skill-based creative methods that have changed, persisted or reappeared in time.

The exhibition reflects on topics such as the possibility of self-contained form in a contemporary art exhibition, craftsmanship in material-based technologies, and the differences in the self positioning of artists working in time-consuming handicraft techniques in the immediate past and contemporary art field. The exhibition brings up questions like how can we best evaluate the part of the work of artists working in manual media that is articulated as tacit knowledge – natural or intuited knowledge? How best can we convey knowledge about skill? What is skill made up of?

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, which will be presented on November 4.

Supporters and cooperation partners: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Academy of Arts, Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia, British Council Estonia, Estonian Artists’ Association, Akzo Nobel Baltics AS, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design.