Open Lectures

On 9 September at 16.00 in Narva Art Residency (Joala 18)

Tanja Muravskaja’s exhibition “The Vernacular” at the Narva Art Residency displays an atlas of the words of Russian-speaking Estonian people. This collection of words reflects several processes that have taken place and are still taking place in the local society.

Muravskaja uses an analytical approach and psychological observation in her work – whether the object of her approach is the psychology of an individual, society or place. His works deal with identity and memory, as well as the relationship between society and its members.

In the special Station Narva artist talk Tanja will open up about the exhibition and the words collected for it. This is followed by a practical workshop “Word game”, in which Muravskaja invites the participants to play with language, concepts, words and translations – substances that everyone can employ in a unique and creative way.

Part of Station Narva program

Attending free of charge

EEE is a graphic design studio based between Bologna and Ravenna (IT) born from the collaborative experience of Emilio Macchia and Erica Preli.

The studio is engaged in a wide range of projects within the field of arts and culture, including publication and book design, brand identities and exhibition design.

EEE gives lectures and holds workshops at universities and other educational institutions, both in Italy and abroad, such as: Fine Art Academy Bologna, Fine Art Academy Macerata and Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna University.

The studio also works on research-based and self-initiated projects; some of the most recents are SUBSTITUTES and Fahrenheit 39 art book fair in Ravenna since 2010.

Cecilia Alemani

“The Milk of Dreams. A journey through the 59th edition of the Venice Biennale”

Cecilia Alemani is one of the most influential curators in the world today. She curated the 59th International Venice Biennale, a much talked about landmark exhibition. The title of the biennale, Milk of Dreams is borrowed from a book by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, in which she describes a magical world where everyone has the capacity to change, to become something or someone else, a world where there are no limits but which is bursting with possibilities.

In her talk, Cecilia Alemani will speak about the process of organising the most prestigious art exhibition in the world: The Venice Biennale. She will talk about how she developed a theme for the exhibition, how the so-called “Time Capsules” built a foundation for her show, how she selected the artists, worked with the participants on new commissions, the installation, and many other aspects behind the making of such a large scale exhibition. 

Cecilia Alemani is an Italian curator based in New York. Since 2011, she has been the Donald R. Mullen, Jr Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art, the public art program presented by the High Line in New York. In 2022, she curated The Milk of Dreams, the 59th International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. In 2018, Alemani served as Artistic Director of the inaugural edition of Art Basel Cities: Buenos Aires. In 2017, she curated the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Currently, she also is working on Anu Põder’s solo exhibition, opening at Muzeum Susch in January 2024. 

The open lecture is organised by the Faculty of Art and Culture of the Estonian Academy of Arts in cooperation with the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art.

The lecture will take place in English.

No registration needed.

More information: Annika Toots (annika.toots@artun.ee)

On Friday, the 16th of June, at 17:30, MARTYN ROBERTS, the founder of Fashion Scout, will be giving a lecture at EKA (room A 501). The lecture is part of the Transform4Europe Week program.

Over the past 17 years, Martyn has developed Fashion Scout into one of the world’s most recognised and acclaimed independent platforms for international fashion designers, and the largest independent platform at London Fashion week under Martyn’s direction, Fashion Scout has also delivered showcasing events and Business Accelerator Programmes in UK, France, Estonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Armenia, Kenya, Sri Lanka and China.

The masterclass, titled BRAND POSITIONING AND IDENTITY, BUILDING VALUE AND BRAND COMMUNICATIONS, will explore how emerging fashion and accessories brands can build their brand identity, creating value for their clients and communicating this in crowded media scene. Martyn will delve into how emerging brands have successfully developed their brand positioning, how to identify target markets and how to price their designs. This is a subject he has delivered and discussed at leading universities and fashion weeks around the world.

The panel discussion “Reflections on the Act of Improvement in the Context of Sustainability” within the Transform4Europe week will be conducted by Marta Konovalov, Maris Taul and Anna-Maria Saar.

The open discussion focuses on how remediation can promote sustainability and circularity.

In the discussion round, the audience is invited to discuss their role in the relationship with textiles and clothing — are we consumers, owners and wearers or are we in a nurturing relationship?

The discussion round will take place in EKA room B511, on June 15 from 15:00 to 17:00.

Human-centred design alone is no longer enough. To deal with the wicked problems of the 21st century and beyond, we need to explore new ways of building empathy and igniting creativity. 

Join us for our graduation project showcase and witness the outcomes of twelve designers’ half-a-year journeys as they explored various challenges and addressed sustainable development goals by pushing the limits of what interaction design can be.

SHOWCASE

At Yanu Robot Bar, Rotermanni 14

Open daily 7–10 June

Opening party 7. June at 19:00

Join the talented students behind the work and their mentors, play around with the prototypes and enjoy drinks, music and a night full of inspiration!

PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

At EKA Main Auditorium, Põhja pst 7

Thursday, 8 June

Interactions within Ourselves

9:10 Alma Yareny Duriez Urías: Fiction of our dreams as a tool for collective imaginarium

10:00 Katrin Kirsikka Janelle Koskela: Wear my anger

10:50 Pietro Ercolino Vizzadelli Barcucci: A monkey in a spaceship

Interactions with People and Services

12:30 Natsumi Nonaka: Discursive Design for Critically Embodying Gendered Experiences in Japan’s New Graduate Recruitment Practices

13:20 Quinn Darby Feller: Mending Relationships: Repairing garments through playfulness and collaboration

14:10 Helen Staak: Supporting cardiology patients to be active participants in their communication and treatment process at the II Cardiology Department in North Estonia Medical Centre

Friday, 9 June

Interactions with Products

9:10 Görkem Bozkurt: Trinteract—an Open-source 3D Input Device for Navigating Digital Spaces

10:00 Thomas Hartnell: HempCentric—From Hemp Fields to Green Builds

10:50 Jakob Päll: Ordinary drives in extraordinary ways—How to enhance the experience of a daily commute drive with a smart scenario for a Volvo car?

Interactions with Systems

12:30 Külliki Kesa: Estonian Packaging Design Guide—Creating Meaningful Interventions with the Help of Systemic Design

13:20 Paulina Juárez Badillo Chávez: The paradox of online identity verification

14:10 Sigmund Abou Chrouch: Uncovering biases in design research through Experiential Narratives

Come, join us in Yanu Robot Bar for the showcase, and in EKA for two days of inspiring presentations and discussions and learn about the latest trends in interaction design. 

FB: 

https://fb.me/e/3HzHy6lcp

The conference “Artistic Originality in the Age of AI” will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on June 15, from 9.30am till 4.30pm.

The conference discusses historical and contemporary issues of originality and artistic innovation in the age of artificial intelligence. The main topic is to explore originality and novelty in art in a situation where creators are surrounded by a visually oversaturated environment; where creators have technology at their disposal that allows them to easily copy, modify and distribute their art; where professional (art-educated) creators have to compete with visually untrained creators; where digital technology participates not only as an aid and instrument of creation, but with the example of artificial intelligence programs tend to question the author’s visual ability. 

Since digital technology has been involved in artistic creation and visual design for the past twenty or more years and has penetrated various creative fields, it is interesting to explore the influence of technology in art innovation in both traditional and new art forms: visual arts, design, architecture, ceramics, media art, art research.

Conference will be held in English and live streamed in EKA TV – tv.artun.ee. For registration please fill this FORM.

The event is part of the Transform4Europe Week program.

PROGRAMME

09.30 – 10.00 Welcome and Opening Remarks: Kirke Kangro, Dean of Fine Arts, Professor

10:00 – 10.45  Keynote presentation by Pau Waelder “Art in the Latent Space. Machine Learning as a Tool, a Co-Author and an Other”

10.45 – 11.00 Paco Ulman “Accidental Projections”

11.00 – 11.15  Zeynep Aksoez  “Artificial Narratives”

11.15 – 11.30 Hasso Krull   “Creative Ritual and Ritual Creativity”

11.30 – 11.45  Taavi Piibemann “Don’t be afraid, HAL.”

11:45 – 12:45  conversation, moderated by prof. Kirke Kangro

12:45 – 13:45 lunch

13.45 – 14.00 Andres Karjus “The human-technology continuum in text and image”

14.00 – 14.15  Oliver Laas “Norms in AI Systems”

14.15 – 14.30  Taavi Suisalu “AI in the mirror”

14.30 – 14.45  Varvara Guljajeva “AI-aided Ceramic Sculptures: Bridging Deep Learning with Materiality”

14.45 – 15.30 Keynote presentation by Lev Manovich “Artificial Aesthetics? Looking at AI Media Through the Lens of Art History”

15.30 – 16.30  – conversation, moderated by dr Raivo Kelomees

SPEAKERS

Pau Waelder “Art in the Latent Space. Machine Learning as a Tool, a Co-Author and an Other”

Senior Curator at Niio. Writer and researcher specialized in art and digital media. PhD in Information and Knowledge Society from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Adjunct lecturer at the UOC, as well as in postgraduate courses. Editor and advisor at DAM Digital Art Museum. His work explores the different aspects of the interaction between art, technology and society, as well as the relationship between digital art and the art market. He is the author of the book on contemporary and digital art collecting You Can Be A Wealthy/ Cash-Strapped Art Collector In The Digital Age (Printer Fault Press, 2020).

Abstract

Since the dawn of algorithmic art, computers have entered the creative process as an active agent, engaging in a somewhat dialogical relationship with the artist. Machine learning programs have enabled computers to produce more sophisticated outputs, to the point of surpassing artists’ expectations. The precise instructions inscribed in a few lines of code have become prompts in natural language, with the final outcome emerging from an inscrutable latent space. As a field of uncharted possibilities, the latent space expands artists’ creativity and enables the perception of the program as an Other, an entity that is felt as alien while also deeply embedded in the artist’s self. This talk will address the latent space in connection with the notion of an Other and its implications in artistic creativity and originality.

Paco Ulman “Accidental Projections”

Since 2001 has worked as an architect in various offices (Ars Projekt, AB Kosmos, Arhitektuuriagentuur, Alianss Arhitektid). In 2013 he co-founded Mudel Architects studio. 2018-2020 worked at Tallinn Urban Planning Department and since 2021 works as an architect at the Tallinn Strategic Management Office.

Selection of projects in which he participated as co-author: Hotel Lydia in Tartu (2016), Hotel Lydia (2014), Pärnu Mud Baths hotel Hedon spa, Niine tn 11 office building extension project in Tallinn (2012).

In his artistic practice he is mainly focused on spatial issues and its representations using various different mediums. He has made exhibition and installation works, designed graphics, directed short films and animations, graphic novels, etc. Selection of solo exhibitions:„Heitmaa“ 2018a, „Tallinnas“ 2009a ja „Mememe“ 2014a. Since 2011 he has supervised various studios at Estonian Art Academy. From 2021 he is a PhD student in Architecture and Art at EKA Architecture and Urban Planning department.

Zeynep Aksöz “Artificial Narratives”

Zeynep Aksöz is an architect and a creative coder. She is one of two partners of Vienna-based design and research collective Open Fields. Currently she is a Research Associate and a lecturer at University of AppliedArtsVienna, an Assistant Professor at TU Vienna in Department for Structural Design, Faculty in IAACBarcelona.Through her ongoing research, teaching, and practice Zeynep explores generative design and the implementation of AI based processes into design, architecture, and urbanism. Her focus lies in developing emergent design approaches through the collaboration of human and artificial intelligence.

Zeynep is the recipient ofResearch Prize for Architecture from the National Chamber of Architects, Austria and a former Marie Curie fellow. Together with Mark Balzar, BernhardSommer,and Galo Moncayo she is the recipient of FWF PEEK funding for their Project Vibrant Fields.In collaboration with Nicolaj Kirisits she received INTRA funding for the project titled Morphology of Sound. Her creative and scientific work has been published in books such as Fabricate, Design Transactions, in conference proceedings including Design Modeling Symposium, Acadia as well as in the architecture magazineManege. Zeynep has exhibited her work at the Vienna Design Week, Bratislava Design Week, inKADKCopenhagen, Salona di Mobile in Milan, London Design Festival, Daniels School of Architecture in Toronto, andArchitecture Biennale die Venezia. Zeynep received her Doctoral degree from the University of Applied Arts Vienna at the Institute of Architecture under the supervision of Klaus Bollinger. She was a Marie Curie Fellow and an early-stage researcher in the international training network Innochain. She holds a MArch degree from the Architectural Association of London’s Emergent Technologies and Design Program and an MSc degree from TU Wien.

Hasso Krull “Creative Ritual and Ritual Creativity”

Hasso Krull (b. 1964) is an Estonian poet who has published sixteen books of poetry and nine collections of essays that include literary criticism as well as writings concerning art, cinema and society. During 1990-2017 he was teaching cultural theory at the Estonian Institute of Humanities (special courses on creation myths, oral tradition, continental philosophy and psychoanalysis). In 2001 Krull founded a poetry translation review Ninniku with Kalju Kruusa (www.eki.ee/ninniku/), in 2003 there followed a book series Ninniku Raamatukogu. Lately Krull has been concerned with ecological issues and the ongoing devastation of the Estonian forests.

Taavi Piibemann “Don’t be afraid, HAL.”

Taavi Piibemann started his stint as a carpenter,  taught art at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Pallas in Tartu. Choose to do that after three years of copywriting, what back then seemed like a logical application of his study of photography at Tartu Art College and English language and literature at Tartu University. Beyond that there’s idyllic rural childhood in Viinistu, a small seaside village at the Gulf of Finland.

Andres Karjus “The human-technology continuum in text and image”

Andres Karjus is a research fellow in cultural data analytics at Tallinn University, and also operates in the private sector as an instructor on digital skills and AI. He has a background in the humanities (PhD in linguistics) and computer science (MSc in AI), and regularly engages with both in his teaching and research practice.

Oliver Laas “Norms in AI Systems”

Oliver Laas is a philosopher whose work focuses on philosophy of technology, philosophy of language, logic and metaphysics. He has written about artificial intelligence, arguments from analogy, definitions, truthlikeness in history, video games, and virtual reality.

Taavi Suisalu “AI in the mirror”

Taavi Suisalu is an artist who blends traditional and contemporary sensibilities and activates peripheral spaces for imaginative encounters. He has recorded volcanoes and malfunctioning satellites, composed for lawnmowers, intertwined living and digital ecosystems, explored datafictions and how developments in technologies shape our environments and influence behavior, perception and thinking of social beings. Suisalu has studied sociology and computer science in University of Tartu, contemporary art practices in Geneva University of Art and Design and earned his MA degree from Estonian Academy of Arts. He has participated in residency programmes in Nida Art Colony, WRO Art Center and International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) amongst others.

Varvara Guljajeva “AI-aided Ceramic Sculptures: Bridging Deep Learning with Materiality”

Dr Varvara Guljajeva is an Assistant Professor in Computational Media and Arts at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). Previously, she held positions at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Elisava Design School in Barcelona. Her PhD thesis “From Interaction to Post-Participation: The Disappearing Role of the Active Participant” was selected as the highest-ranking abstracts by Leonardo Labs in 2020. As an artist, she works together with Mar Canet forming an artist duo Varvara & Mar. Often the duo’s work is inspired by the information age. Their works were shown at MAD, Barbican, Ars Electronica, ZKM, etc. www.var-mar.info

Lev Manovich “Artificial Aesthetics? Looking at AI Media Through the Lens of Art History”

Lev Manovich is a visual artist, writer, and one of the world’s most influential digital culture theorists. He was included in the lists of “25 People Shaping the Future of Design” (Complex, 2013) and “50 Most Interesting People Building the Future” (Verge, 2014). Manovich is a Presidential Professor at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and a Director of the Cultural Analytics Lab. He has published 180 articles and 15 books that include AI Aesthetics, Cultural Analytics, Instagram and Contemporary Image, and The Language of New Media described as “the most suggestive and broad-ranging media history since Marshall McLuhan.” His digital art projects were shown in eight personal and 120 international groups exhibitions in Centre Pompidou, ICA London, ZKM, KIASMA, and other leading venues.

SCHEDULE OF DEFENSES

Defenses will take place at EKA, Põhja pst 7

Live streaming in EKA TV

room A501

Urban Studies Master’s Thesis Defense

29. May 

10.00-11.15 DARIA KHRYSTYCH (In)Visible Care: Civilian Volunteerism in Wartime Ukraine.

11.20-12.20 NABEEL IMITIAZ  The Infrastructure of Border Regime: Neocolonial Subjugation of Life in Modern Democratic Societies.

12.45-13.45 OLEKSANDR NENEKO Mapping Out The Dual Crisis of War and Housing in Dnipro, Ukraine. 

13.45-14.45 KHADEEJA FARRUKH. Towards The Everyday of Transnational Lives: From Sonnenallee in Neukölln to The Globalization In Question. 

Juhendajad: Sean Tyler ja Keiti Kljavin.

Arhitektuuri ja linnaplaneerimise magistritööde kaitsmised 

30. ja 31. May EKA, room A501

30. mai

9.00-9.45 MARK ALEKSANDER FISCHER Taskukohase linna arendamine. Kopli kaubajaam, viimane pusletükk Põhja-Tallinna sotsiaalsel maastikul.

Juhendajad Andres Alver, Douglas Gordon, Eik Hermann.

9.45-10.30 OLARI PAADIMEISTER Tihendamine kui ruumiline töövahend tuleviku linnade probleemide lahendamisel.

Juhendajad Andres Alver, Douglas Gordon, Eik Hermann.

10.30-11.15 JOHAN HALLIMÄE Helidega planeeritud linn.

Juhendajad Andres Alver, Douglas Gordon, Eik Hermann.

11.15 – 11.30 kohvipaus

11.30-12.15 KRISTOFER SOOP Avang 59°39’ N, 25°42’ E, Loksa sadama, Loksa ja Lahemaa piirideülene ruumikäsitlus Läänemeremaade kontekstis.

Juhendajad Andres Alver, Douglas Gordon, Eik Hermann.

12.15-13.00 ANETT GRIFFEL Katkestustest ühendusteks. Kopli lahe kallasrada.

Juhendajad Katrin Koov, Kadri Klementi, Eik Hermann.

13.00-13.45 KATARIINA MUSTASAAR Tööstusjärgne meremaastik. Paljassaare sadama taimtervendamine. 

Juhendajad Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, Eik Hermann.

13.45 – 14.45 lõuna

14.45-15.30 KADI PIHLAK Rattateede võrgustiku planeerimise ja hindamise metoodika.

Juhendajad Martin Melioranski, Raul Kalvo, Eik Hermann.

15.30-16.15 ANNA RIIN VELNER Camino de igapäev.

Juhendajad Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, Eik Hermann.

16.15-17.30 SIIM TANEL TÕNISSON Linna ühendamine. Bastionivöönd kui linna sidusstruktuur.

Juhendajad Martin Melioranski, Raul Kalvo, Eik Hermann.

31. May

9.00-9.45 LINDA LI ARRO Linnaga sidusa tööstuskvartali arendamine. Laki kvartali potentsiaalid rohepöördes.

Juhendajad Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, Eik Hermann.

9.45-10.30 CAROLINA REIDMA Parkimismajade taasmõtestamine Maakri asumi näitel.

Juhendajad Toomas Tammis, Tarmo Teedumäe, Eik Hermann.

10.30-11.15 ART BOGDANOVICS Tartu Ülikooli Keskus.

Juhendajad Toomas Tammis, Tarmo Teedumäe, Eik Hermann.

11.15-12.00 UKU JULIAN TARVAS Kohaldatavad korterelamud väikeasulas. Palivere aleviku näitel. 

Juhendajad Toomas Tammis, Tarmo Teedumäe, Eik Hermann.

12.00 – 13.00 lõuna

13.00-13.45 KATRIN LANG Hüljatud hoonete kasutuselevõtu strateegia ja lahtivõetavate hoonete iseehitamise manuaal.

Juhendajad Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, Eik Hermann

13.45-14.30 LOORA ORAV Tööstuskanepi rakendamine arhitektuurse materjalina ehitussektori keskkonnamõju vähendamiseks Eestis.

Juhendajad Martin Melioranski, Raul Kalvo, Eik Hermann.

14.30-15.15 KERTU JOHANNA JÕESTE Vastastikusel toel põhinevad puitstruktuurid.

Juhendajad Martin Melioranski, Raul Kalvo, Eik Hermann.

15.15-16.00 DELIJA THAKUR Materjali kui ressursi elu pikendamine. Liivalaia kohtumaja juhtum.

Juhendajad Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, Eik Hermann.