Juulia Aleksandra Mikson’s solo exhibition “For a Moment”

You are warmly invited to the opening of Juulia Aleksandra Mikson’s solo exhibition “For a Moment” on Tuesday, May 6th at 18:30, at Manufaktuuri 7/2, Tallinn.

From 6th to 16th of May Juulia Aleksandra Mikson is organizing her solo exhibition “For a Moment” as part of her master’s project at the Craft Studies department at the Estonian Academy of Arts. The overarching theme of the exhibition is the metamorphosis of life and the fading of matter. The materials used in the artworks engage with the gradual decay of life. The limited lifespan of the pieces — their potential to break, unravel, or fragment — conveys the uniqueness of both disintegration and creation.

By using the word ‘hääbuma’ that translates as decay or fading , often associated with melancholy or sorrow, the artist embraces the inevitability of life’s flow — where every end marks a new beginning. Nothing is permanent nor irreversibly lost, but rather in constant motion, always offering the potential for rebirth.

The exhibition site itself reflects a location-specific metamorphosis through time — the reinhabitation of the once-abandoned Baltic Cotton Spinning and Weaving Factory, now being transformed into the Manufaktuuri Quarter. The exhibition unfolds across three spatial environments: an apple orchard, liminal space between old factory buildings , and a contemporary residential development. This new architecture contrasts visually with the remaining factory buildings — at least, for now, before the old is fully absorbed by the new.The exhibition space brings together the works that embody various forms of textility and stages of transformation.

Juulia Aleksandra Mikson is a textile artist who explores the boundaries between materials. Her creative process is guided by the intrinsic properties of the materials, allowing them to lead the dynamics of creation. In her liminal practice, she has combined textiles with clay, and metal with textiles — revealing new layers within the relationships between materials. Working with both metal and clay, she values the freedom found in not knowing — a space where limitations do not hinder experimentation or the flow of creativity. For her, the essence of creation lies in the pure joy of making, where technique and material naturally become extensions of the hands and the mind.

Juulia’s work engages with themes surrounding the relationship between humans, the Earth, and nature. Through this lens, she reflects on the contemporary fear of dacy and fading — where, in denying disappearance, we live in illusion.

“For a Moment”, Juulia Aleksandra Mikson’s solo exhibition, forms part of her master’s thesis in the Art Studies curriculum at the Estonian Academy of Arts and is presented within the EKA TASE Graduation Festival.

Supervisors: Marta Konovalov, Kärt Ojavee, Juss Heinsalu
Mentor: Ivar Veermäe
Installation Team: Martin Mikson, Anna-Liisa Pärt
Sound Artist: Karolin Sigus
Graphic Design: Katariin Mudist

The artist wishes to thank:
The EKA Ceramics Department, the EKA Jewellery and Blacksmithing Department, the EKA Textile Department, the EKA Art Studies programme, Karl Aunin, Kille-Ingeri Liivoja, Mari-Ann Reede, Paul Aadam Mikson, Aleš Rezler, Mia Tamme, and all other collaborators in thought.

Supported by: Estonian Cultural Endowment, Põhjala Brewery, Estonian Academy of Arts – Art Studies

Opening: May 6, 2025 | 18:30–21:00

Exhibition Open:

7th May: 16:00–19:00
9th May: 16:00–19:00
12th May: 16:00–19:00
14th–16th May: 16:00–19:00

Location: Manufaktuuri 7/2, Tallinn