Gallery Tour
On March 28, the Estonian Contemporary Arts Development Center (ECADC) held a special programme and gallery evening called Tallinn Thursday with extended opening hours as part of the TMW Arts programme. Participating in the event were Vaal Gallery, Temnikova & Kasela Gallery, Haus Gallery, Okapi Gallery, Positiiv Gallery, the Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre and the EKA Gallery. On the gallery night, the exhibitions, varied in nature, featured fresh works from both Estonian and international artists. During the evening, exhibition tours were held and visitors could also meet the gallerists and artists.
Tallinn Thursday programme
Thu, 28.03
17:00 Vaal Gallery (Tartu mnt 80d)
“Escape room nr. 1”, an exhibition by Maarit Murka
Working with space and the environment, Maarit Murka uses elements of nature and an artificial environment to turn the exhibition floor into a game of perceptions and senses. The artist demonstrates how vast processes of urbanization result in loss of wildlife, and how as a result of human control, self-explanatory elements turn into something absurd. Primarily known to the public as a painter, Maarit Murka also often delves into installation art, photography, video, graphics and other media. In her works, Murka refers to the intrigues of contemporary society, where individuals are forced to take certain stances and positions. The gallery tour included meeting the artist and presentation of the dynamic installation “Talking Heads”.
17:30 Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Lastekodu 1)
Group exhibition by Helena Keskküla, Anna-Mari Liivrand, Inga Meldere, Ann Pajuväli, Jaanus Samma & Sigrid Viir
The exhibition sees young artists in dialogue with already acclaimed ones represented by Temnikova & Kasela Gallery. Through the exhibition, parallels and similarities occur between the work of six artists, thereby creating a synergy of form and content between them. Lilian Hiob of Temnikova & Kasela Gallery introduced the exhibition during the tour.
18:00 Haus Gallery (Uus 17)
“PUNK-BAROKK“, an exhibition by NEO*EKS*PRE*POST
NEO*EKS*PRE*POST, a group with a varying cast and one of the first flagships of the trash aesthetic in these parts, first stepped into the light more than 30 years ago. Now they landed at Haus Gallery, carrying a load consisting of abstract paintings by the president of the group, artist and interior architect Andro Kööp and sculptural shapes courtesy of professor, artist and ceramicist Urmas Puhkan, all this flown under the banner of metropolitanly rebellious beauty and punkish baroque. At the gallery tour, the artist led visitors into the glamorous chaos set up in the gallery basement.
18:30 Okapi Gallery (Niguliste 2)
“Ideal Black”, an exhibition by Temuri Hvingija, Shalva Khakahanašvili ja Zura Arabidze
“Ideal Black” is a photo exhibition by three artists sharing a country of origin in Georgia. Although all three have grown up and lived in different countries, there is still a notably perceptible common element in their works, as well as aesthetic and thematic references to said homeland. In addition to Georgia, the artists are also joined together through a love for the colour black, which reflects in their works. At the gallery tour, artist and Okapi Gallery gallerist Temuri Hvingija introduced the exhibition.
19:00 Positiiv Gallery (Roo 21a)
“Without”, an exhibition by Silvia Pärmann
With the exhibition “Without”, photographer Silvia Pärmann examines the particular dramatic poetry present in abandoned environments. As time passes, previously disaster-stricken locations with death counts in the thousands gradually turn into hot spots for dark tourism. One such location is Pripyat, a city once built for the employees of a certain nuclear station, which turned into a ghost town after the Chernobyl disaster. Silvia Pärmann is a portrait and documentary photographer and travel journalist, whose work has received awards at different photo competitions. At the gallery tour, visitors met the artist, who introduced the exhibition and her work.
19:30 Juhan Kuusi Documentary Photo Centre (Telliskivi 60a)
Presentation “There’s a Story in a Documentary Photo”; introduction to the legacy of Juhan Kuus
In the Documentary Photo Centre, the focus is on the story and works of photographer Juhan Kuus. Kuus was an extraordinary character and excellent photographer, whose work was virtually unknown in Estonia prior to being discovered by Toomas Järvet, one of the leading figures behind the Center. At the gallery tour, Toomas Järvet shared stories of Juhan Kuus and the influence of his legacy on Estonian photography. Järvet’s personal contacts with Kuus, as well as the making of a documentary about him, have lead to different trails, which add colourful nuance to his story.
20:00 EKA Gallery (Põhja puiestee 7)
“Loneliness is the Slowest Death: A Requiem to Longing”, an exhibition by Erinn Michelle Cox
The debut exhibition of the new jewelry collection by American Erinn Michelle Box expresses the feeling of physical and emotional suffocation she suffers when desperately and frightenedly misses someone. “We are all born with a knowing pain in our soul, and this innate understanding is loneliness: a deep ache for another to fill the cavity I cannot otherwise fill, a sincere desperation that seamlessly moves from the emotional and psychological to the physical,” stands in the text accompanying the exhibition. Erinn Michelle Cox is a student at the Estonian Academy of Arts in the Master’s programme of Jewellery and Blacksmithing. At the gallery tour, visitors met the artist, who introduced the exhibition and her work.
Street art tour
Sat, 30.03, 16:00
Telliskivi Creative City is one of the most joyous places in Tallinn, where street art or graffiti could be enjoyed at every step. We couldn’t imagine Creative City with gray walls and, frankly, we don’t have a memory like that. But how did these paintings occur and what is the main thing they tell you? On March 30th a street art tour took place in the Creative City of Telliskivi, which looked into the interior of the works of art, while trying to remember whether there was ever a pre-street art era in Telliskivi.
Tour was organised by Tartu Pseudo Tours and guided by Salme Kulmar.