Kirke Ross “Believe it or not” at VENT SPace

The exhibition space of the Estonian Academy of Arts, VENT Space (Vabaduse väljak 6/8) ends its series of exhibitions with a surreal fairy tale that you either believe or not.

The exhibition “Believe it or not” opens the door to a world where familiar stories can turn into something completely new in the blink of an eye.

Kirke Ross, an artist who graduated from EKA as an animator, interweaves audio and visual art to bring to life strange and imaginative scenarios where the heroes of modern stories meet surreal elements – perhaps here you will come across a bootless cat struggling in the clutches of evil, or you will instead meet Jüri wearing a red cape, following in the footsteps of the lovely Little Red Riding Hood.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on January 30 at 18:00. There is something to drink for the first visitors.

 VENT Space’s last exhibition is open from January 31 to February 9, 2025. Every day 12:00-18:00.

Author: Kirke Ross

Curators: Kirke Ross and Katariina Kesküla

Dr. Charis Gullickson is a senior curator at the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum (Norway).

In her PhD project, Charis Gullickson examined public art museums in Norway as social actors. In her abstract she states: “The aim of this dissertation is to question status quo art museum practices and the predisposition to regard state-funded art museums in Norway as ‘neutral’ institutions.” Museum neutrality prevents institutions from “seeing” their potential transformative social power. Out of her research project grew the activist group Museer er ikke nøytrale / Museat eai leat neutrálat. For Charis, it is about learning to see (understanding systems of power and hierarchical structures). If museum practitioners cannot see the structural and systemic problems that exist, they cannot begin to fix them. Hence art museum professionals tend to maintain status quo and function within prevailing uncontroversial frameworks.

This lecture discusses Norwegian art museums as settler institutions in a historical perspective. I will consider how coloniality shapes the present within the context of art museums and curatorial practices. Analyzing the historical trajectory of the art museum from this standpoint might help demonstrate why art museums and curators operate the way they do today.

Links to case studies:

https://www.idunn.no/doi/full/10.18261/kk.105.1.4

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369801X.2022.2161063

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cura.12580

Lecture is held in cooperation with KUMU Art Museum and is connected to the exhibition “They Began to Talk” at the Gallery of Contemporary Art at Kumu Art Museum which invites us to reflect on environmental changes resulting from human activity through the lens of colonial history and its lasting impact. The exhibition brings together the practices of artists working in this region with those from Indigenous communities in the Nordic countries, exploring the possibility of recovering and cultivating a sense of connection.

Lecture is funded by:

@nordnorskkunstmuseum

@ikkenoytrale

Lecture’s recording at EKA TV.

On the 28th of January at 18:00 at TYPA Gallery we are opening a new exhibition called “Newfound Type”.

The exhibition highlights practices and phenomena unique to Estonian wood type, aiming to inspire the creation of new local typefaces and innovative printing techniques.

Exhibition “Newfound Type” delves into the unique wood types in the TYPA collection, tracing their history and showcasing historic posters they were used on. The Newfound Type project has developed its own modular type, that was printed on the CNC-Machine, by combining traditional printing methods and historical research with modern technology.

Both historic wood types and the newly created designs will be on display, along with a series of workshops and talks.

This research has been supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

TYPA gallery is open Wed-Sun from 12:00–18:00, free of charge.

More info about the exhibition on our website: https://typa.ee/en/exhibition/exhibition-newfound-type/

(ANTI-)CAREER DAYS
EKA Gallery 5.–7.02.2025
See schedule below, participation is free

The three-day event series “(anti-)career days” invites all those active in the field of art and culture to participate in workshops, reading groups, discussions and exercises that seek to explore what it means to be an artist today. The event focuses on the personal, collective and institutional touchpoints on a creative journey, initiating discussions on themes of precarity, solidarity and social and political responsibility. Academic education asks us who we are in order to shape us into prescribed frameworks and prepare us for a professional career. What if, instead, we focused on who we would like to be and the kind of world we would like to live and create in? The aim of the “(anti-)career days” project is to abandon the individualistic idea of ​​surviving as an artist in order to discuss how we can collectively flourish. Realizing collectivity can, in turn, be a liberating and unifying force to critically rethink the role and function of institutions and intervene in the broader social context to which art is inevitably connected. The event is an open platform for several collectives, networks and creative individuals who will explore the topics from different perspectives.

Initiated by: Laura Konsand
Participants: Community in EKA for Palestine, Daylight Project, ENKKL (Estonian Young Contemporary Art Union), Frederik Klanberg, Kolkaplikad, Laura Konsand, Performing Arts Curator, Queer Association of EKA Students, Ulvi Haagensen, Yvette Bathgate & Jake Shepherd
Graphic design: Fatima-Ezzahra Khammas
Technical support: Mattias Veller
Drinks for the communal dinner from Põhjala Brewery.

SCHEDULE

DAY 1, February 5th – BITE THE HANDS THAT HOLD US (IN COMPLICITY)

3 – 5 pm collage workshop “What Could Make EKA Safer for LGBTQIA+ People?” organised by EKA Students’ Queer Association (in Estonian and English) Please sign up here.

One of the missions of EKA Students’ Queer Association is to stand up for the well-being of students and to facilitate dialogue between the school and the community. This collage workshop is the first step in mapping students’ concerns, joys, needs and expectations for the school environment. What’s good? What could be improved? During the workshop these questions will be approached playfully and visually using the collage technique. The purpose is to get to know each other first, in order to plant the first seeds of collaboration that can grow into something lasting and solid.

6 – 7.30 pm roundtable talk “A Political University” hosted by Community in EKA for Palestine (in English) 

Since the onset of the genocide in Gaza, the arts and culture sector has witnessed an ‘apolitical’ discourse that has impacted artists, art organizations, and art schools in various ways.

The notion of institutional neutrality diminishes political engagement and suppresses scholarly debate. It conceals the inherently political nature of nearly every university activity, from decisions about admissions and research funding to policies on hosting events and putting up posters. Each choice made by university administrators, whether small or large, reflects political considerations.

By asserting an apolitical stance, universities effectively absolve themselves of the responsibility to support scholars’ freedom to document, discuss, and educate about political violence. Student activism, which has historically been a cornerstone of social progress and solidarity, is itself a critical form of education. In light of this, how can an art university that is inherently political claim to be apolitical?

DAY 2, February 6th – A LITTLE SOLIDARITY CAN GO A LONG WAY

2 – 5 pm workshop “Solidarity in Artistic Biotope” facilitated by Laura Konsand. Please sign up here.

In the cultural field our private and working lives are often interwoven, making it more difficult to pinpoint the elements that cause precarity. What causes our shared precarious predicament? What do we need for our creativity and collaboration to flourish? How can this knowledge help us practice more solidarity across and beyond our field?

During the workshop participants answer a set of questions to gain a better understanding of the conditions necessary to do their work. In a group of three, participants will take turns and share their answers. This is followed by a group discussion in which all the answers will be placed in a designated field of the artistic biotope to illustrate our collective position.

The artistic biotope is a framework developed by Belgian sociologist Pascal Gielen. The biotope is an abstraction of the artist’s life divided into four different sub-domains: domestic, peers, market and civic domain. A sustainable artistic path requires a healthy balance between the four domains.

(This workshop was originally developed by Sepp Eckenhausen and Koen Bartijn from Platform Beeldende Kunst, a member-based organisation in the Netherlands that investigates the role of art in society and campaigns for a better art policy.)

6 – 7.30 pm discussion “Appropriated Rest: Critical Examining of Anti-work Narratives” led by Veriko Dundua, organised with Daylight Project. Please sign up here.

In today’s individualistic society, rest has lost its radical roots, transforming into a personal choice, often defined by privilege. In this discussion, we will focus on the origins of anti-work and rest as a resistance movement in POC and indigenous traditions. How have more privileged members of society appropriated rest and diluted its anti-capitalist legacy? How can we reclaim rest and dismantle the systems that deprived us of it in the first place?

We will unpack the existing hierarchies in the labour market and explore how we can better support and implement intersectional work refusal tactics. The discussion seeks to understand work refusal as a means to confront systemic inequalities and to imagine a future where work is shared collectively and embodies liberation.

DAY 3, February 7th – ONE DOESN’T LEARN TO SWIM BY READING THE MANUAL

2 – 5 pm workshop “Beyond Professional: Rehearsing for the Future” led by Frederik Klanberg (in English). Please sign up here.

We are often asked to be professional, but when striving for this, don’t we end up reproducing the professions as they currently exist? Could there be something beyond professionalism that might help us reimagine our practices as rehearsals for a better world–one with more favourable social and political arrangements? How can we create worlds and build movements?

This workshop offers two proposals for participants to read and discuss together. First one is from Stefano Harney and Fred Moten’s book “The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study”, which explores the concept of becoming “more than professional”. Second proposal introduces the principles of Kingian Nonviolence from Kazu Haga’s book “Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm.” These texts serve as lenses for reimagining the world, guiding us toward understanding how we might prepare for the future.

In the second half of the workshop, we will pool our references and aspirations into one shared carrier bag that will become our guide for moving beyond professionalism and exceeding the limitations of current professions.

6 – 8 pm Digesting / Food for Thought communal dinner hosted by Yvette Bathgate & Jake Shepherd. Please sign up here.

To conclude the (anti-)career days program, we invite you to share a meal together as a moment to reflect and digest what we learned, discussed and questioned over the days. There is a saying that too many cooks spoil the broth, we actively disagree and challenge this perception, believing that the more hands, ideas, and backgrounds only further enrich a stew (or anything else). By sharing the weight and workload of the tasks among participants, we all become equally involved in the communal meal, including the often invisible labour of hosting.

As a duo Yvette and Jake are interested in the intimate space around a dinner table and how spaces of tenderness and kinship can also hold space for collective action, activism and learning. While working together on the tasks that come together in the process of meal sharing – cooking, cleaning, serving, etc., we will discuss the events throughout the programme, thinking through the politics of togetherness and how to resist the roles that the infrastructures of creative industries place upon us.

Participation is free, but pre-registration is required. When registering, please choose how you can contribute to the dinner. We start with chopping and preparation from 10am. Setting the table and serving is from 6pm, and cleaning up starts at 8pm. You can sign up for multiple roles. If you aren’t able to lend a hand you can simply sign up for the dinner itself.

The food will be vegan and gluten free. Please get in touch if you have any questions or want to share any access needs and how we can accommodate.

7.30 – 8 pm Nancy Nakamura Räpipunt

In 2020 kolkaplika and artist liina pääsuke founded the musical group Nancy Nakamura Räpipunt that features song lyrics based on kolkaplika and artist Kadi Estland’s poems. The group will perform on the last day of “(anti-)career days”.

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Throughout the event visitors can try their hand in meme art at a temporary meme production house founded by the Performing Arts Curator (@performingartscurator). Ulvi Haagensen has contributed a video lecture “In Praise of Unprofessionalism” based on a conversation between her three imaginary friends: Thea Koristaja, Olive Puuvill and Artist Researcher. In addition, a selection of artworks from ENKKL and Kolkaplikad collective are displayed that illustrate and reflect the event’s themes.

Performing Arts Curator’s Meme Workshop
Performing Arts Curator (@performingartscurator)

In the digital age, memes have evolved into critical gestures that encourage engagement and dialogue. As a medium combining image and text, – and the dissonance that often occurs between them – memes provide an insight into the collective consciousness to which we all contribute in one way or another. At their core, memes are like tricksters, appearing out of nowhere and embarking on an unpredictable journey through digital spaces where their intertextual paths often intersect.

Welcome to the meme production unit! You don’t need a degree in postmodern art or institutional critique to initiate dialogue and imagine alternatives to the status quo. Memes leave room for a multiplicity of knowledge and viewpoints, serving as a tool for our imagination in a world without grand narratives. Browse the printed images, grab scissors and cut out the ones you like. Imagine a situation or condition, trust that it’s relatable, and just cut, copy and paste. Feel free to use pens and don’t feel limited by what you think you know about memes.

Ulvi Haagensen’s video lecture „In Praise of Unprofessionalism”

The video lecture, “In Praise of Unprofessionalism”, is based on a conversation between three imaginary artist friends that meet one afternoon to chat about amateurs and professionals. Olive Puuvill is a bricoleuse artist, Thea Koristaja is an artist cleaner and AR is an artist researcher.

Olive expresses her frustration with the demands that the title of a professional artist places upon her. It diverts attention from what actually interests her in the creative process – ideas and artworks. The three friends reach a conclusion that to liken oneself to an “intellectual amateur” (Edward Said) – who loves what they do, and are more knowledgeable in their passion, interests and devotion than any professional – is far more helpful in making sense of one’s practice. Professionalism is the opposite of creativity, because it stifles creative confusion, natural rhythm and resourcefulness in problem solving. As Olive says, being an unprofessional artist is much more fun.

BIOGRAPHIES

Community in EKA for Palestine is a group of students, staff and alumni from the Estonian Academy of Arts standing in solidarity with Palestine.

Daylight Project is a feminist, anarchist, queer and DIY art project to disrupt and subvert the institutional status quo.

Veriko Dundua are interested in self-organised communities and the sustainability of collective organising. They are passionate about questions on how communities can foster inclusive spaces and challenge systemic inequalities through culturally conscious collaboration. They hold an MA in Anthropology from Tallinn University.

Estonian Young Contemporary Art Union (ENKKL) is a non-institutional community of active young artists that strives to be flexible and ever-changing, in tune with what is happening in the world, and resilient in turbulent times.

EKA Students’ Queer Association unites the academy’s LGBTQIA+ community. They initiate safe and fun gatherings where everyone can feel welcome. Their mission is to foster dialogue between the school and the community to ensure a supportive environment for all.

Ulvi Haagensen is an artist whose practice combines installation, sculpture and performance to explore the blurred edges between art and everyday life. She recently defended her PhD in Artistic Research at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Frederik Klanberg is an artist and educator committed to collaborative, critical and inclusive modes of learning together. He believes that, in its truest form, arts education can be a process of collective self development. He holds an MA in Education from the Piet Zwart Institute in the Netherlands.

Kolkaplika is a collective that creates independent content in peripheries around the world. In 2020 kolkaplika and artist liina pääsuke founded the musical group Nancy Nakamura Räpipunt that features song lyrics based on kolkaplika and artist Kadi Estland’s poems. The group will perform on the last day of “(anti-)career days”.

Laura Konsand is a freelance writer and cultural worker based in Rotterdam and Tallinn. She is interested in art’s relationship to infrastructures that shape our present in visible and invisible ways, seeking to understand and question them. She is the organiser of (anti-)career days.

Performing Arts Curator (@performingartscurator) is the fight or flight response of a freelance curator working under neoliberal conditions. It’s an internet persona dedicated to making sense, failing completely, and then laughing about it. @performingartscurator holds a degree of 37,2 Celsius.

Jake Shepherd & Yvette Bathgate are an artist duo based between Estonia and Scotland. Together, their practice is rooted in collaboration, centering co-creation, agency, and tenderness as integral threads that bind their creative practices. They are enrolled in MA Contemporary Art program at Estonian Academy of Arts.

You are invited to the opening of Katariin Mudist and Keithy Kuuspu exhibition “Unfortunately You Were Not Selected This Time” on Friday, 31 January at 6 p.m. in the large gallery of the Tartu Art House.

Register for the art bus to the exhibition opening HERE.

Katariin Mudist’s and Keithy Kuuspu’s exhibition at the Tartu Art House explores the multifaceted phenomenon of giving and receiving awards, delving into the dynamics of recognition within the art world and beyond.

Awards serve as social validation, reinforcing the legitimacy and value of individuals or organisations. From gold stars given to children for good behaviour to lifetime achievement honours, these tokens fulfil a fundamental human need: to feel seen, special and acknowledged. However, this recognition often comes with unintended consequences, fostering competition, comparison and a goal-oriented approach to life. Does praise motivate improvement, or does it become a burden, creating expectations and pressure that hinder future efforts?

“Unfortunately You Were Not Selected This Time” examines the cyclical nature of recognition, while wryly remaining entangled in these very dynamics. Keithy and Katariin were selected for this exhibition and received funding to implement it. In turn, they chose artists to create trophies and invited directors to distribute them. Who gets to choose, and who is chosen? What lies behind recognition, and what are its broader political and psychological implications?

The show is divided into three distinct spaces: “The Room of Recognition”, “The Room of Awards” and “The Room of the Commission”. Each room tackles different aspects of recognition, using a variety of media and strategies to engage with the theme. A network of exchanges and collaborations is woven throughout the exhibition. Artists conducted interviews with individuals from various fields, including art, literature and sports,
gathering diverse perspectives on the meaning of recognition. Their process expanded to include volunteers who participated in carving chairs and creating the photo series. Finally,
they invited 25 artists to contribute trophies, each celebrating a unique concept. These trophies will be awarded during a public, ininerant performative Awards Gala on 1 March, when five theatre directors will select the winners and distribute the prizes.

Exhibition team:
Exhibition designer and technical help: Alden Jõgisuu
Texts: Laura Cemin
Graphic design: Katariin Mudist
Videographer: Kai Jürimäe
Performance dramaturgy: Keithy Kuuspu and Katariin Mudist

Interviewees: Anu Vahtra, Elo Vahtrik, Elina Masing, Kaarin Kivirähk, Karli Luik, Kreete Verlin, Tõnu Õnnepalu, Urmas Lüüs and Annely Köster.
Award-making artists:
Ingrid Allik, Arvi Anderson, Yvette Bathgate and Jake Shepherd, Zody Burke, Alexei Gordin, Ulvi Haagensen, Tõnis Jürgens, Edith Karlson, Lauri Kilusk, KIWA, Stina Leek, Kris Lemsalu, Anna Mari Liivrand, Laura Linsi, Johannes Luik, Angela Maasalu, Maarja Mäemets, Eke Ao Nettan, Kärt Ojavee, Pelle Org, Anumai Raska, Sander Raudsepp, Taavi Teevet, Marta Vaarik and Kristina Õllek.

Awards Gala directors:
Sveta Grigorjeva, Henri Hütt, Kertu Moppel, Liisa Saaremäel and Oksana Tralla.

Thank you to all the woodcarvers:
Teresa de Andrade, Markus Andreas Auling, Sylvia Burgess, Lilian Maasik, Kristel Jakobson, Juulia Aleksandra Mikson, Sandra Mirka, Eva Nava, Hendrik Ojaveer, Karl-Hendrik Pallo, Teresa RA, Maria Elise Remme, Kristina Sepp,
Rin Togo, Kristi Vendelin, Elin Viisileht, Marce Garcia Viisileht, Anett Vähi, Ethel Ütsmüts;
Photographers of “Important Rooms”: Liisi Aibel, Iris Areda, Kirke Asandi, Gregor Alaküla, Eliisa Matsalu-Alaküla, Valeriya Ferschel, Indrek Grigor, Saara Liis Jõerand, Kristin Kaasik, Elin Kard, Sander Koit, Paul Kuimet, Janeli Kuusemets, Martin Kuusk, Indrek Köster, Johannes Luik, Magdaleena Maasik, Rene Nõmmik, Liisi Kõuhkna, Kristina Milbach, Ann Mäekivi, Karmen Otu, Erik Peterson, Liina Plaado, Alana Proosa, Maarja Eliisabet Roosalu, Evelin Saul-Rämonen, Kristina Sepp, Maret Tamme, Oksana Tralla, Aleksander Tsapov, Kadi-Ell Tähiste, Kristi Vendelin, Mats ja Maris Viisileht, Helen Västrik and special thanks to Lauri Eltermaa, Måns Fridlizius Lindberg, Chloé Geinoz, Johanna Mudist, Terje Mudist, Eva Nava, Kristiina Tinnu Tang, Taavi Tetlov, Mae Variksoo, Liis-Marleen Verilaskja, Elin Viisileht, Alan Voodla, Mart Vainre, Anett Vähi, Kauss Arhitektuur, Koosseis, Tallinna Kergejõustikuhall, Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, Von Krahli Teater, Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava ja Tartu Kunstimaja.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Põhjala Brewery, Punch drinks, Pühaste and Leibur.

The exhibition is open 31 January – 2 March 2025

EKA Graphic Design MA program invites prospective students to join the online info session on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 17:00 EET (local Estonian time). This will be an opportunity to hear more about the program, to meet and ask questions directly from the faculty.

The online info session will be hosted on Zoom, the link will be e-mailed to all registrants 2 hours before the start of the event.

Register HERE

EKA Animation MA programme invites prospective master’s students to join the programme’s online info session on Monday, January 27, 2025 at 18:00 EET (local Estonian time).

This will be a good opportunity to hear more about the programme and to meet and ask questions directly from the people of animation department – both the teaching staff and the current students.

The online info session will be hosted online over Zoom and the link will be e-mailed out to all registrants 2 hours before the start of the event.

If you would like to attend, please register online through the form below.

Register HERE

More information about the Animation MA programme:

• https://www.artun.ee/animation
• https://www.facebook.com/EKAanimatsioon
• https://vimeo.com/ekaanima

Admissions period starts on the 1st of February 2025 and application deadline is 3rd of March 2025.

https://artun.ee/admissions

Until February 2nd, Keskpuur Gallery hosts a solo exhibition by EKA animation master’s student Rebeka Kruus, titled “Pink Cakes at the Market.”

Priisle Market, which closed in 2014 symbolizes the bittersweet nature of change and the feeling of not recognizing the places where you once grew up. The pink-glazed cakes, with their vibrant, sugary tops, evoke a sense of a bygone era, a time that’s now faded but still carries a sense of longing.

Plans to rebuild the Central Market are set to begin in 2025. Now is your chance to savor a slice of nostalgia. Later, it just won’t feel the same.

Curator: Kaur Järve

Exhibitions at the Keskpuur Gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Keskpuur Gallery

Keldrimäe 9, 2nd Floor, Tallinn

Wed–Sun, 8 AM–3:30 PM

EKA Contemporary Art MA program invites prospective students to join the online info session on Monday, January 27, 2025 at 16:00 EET (local Estonian time). This will be an opportunity to hear more about the program, to meet and ask questions directly from the faculty.

The online info session will be hosted on Zoom, the link will be e-mailed to all registrants 2 hours before the start of the event.

Register HERE

EKA Craft Studies MA programme invites prospective master’s students to join the programme’s online info session on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 17:00 EET (local Estonian time).

This will be a good opportunity to hear more about the curriculum, and to meet and ask questions from the people behind the programme.

The online info session will be hosted online over Zoom and the link will be e-mailed out to all registrants 2 hours before the start of the event.

If you would like to attend, please register online through the form below.

Register HERE

More information about the Craft Studies MA programme: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/craft-studies/overview/

Admissions period starts on the 1st of February 2025 and application deadline is 3rd of March 2025.

https://artun.ee/admissions