Events

Estonian Academy of Arts Science Cafe is hosting a roundtable talk on the changing roles of religious and industrial buildings in contemporary Europe on the 4th of September from 1 to 3 pm at the Narva Art Residency (NART, Joala 18) as part of the Station Narva festival.

The event will be held both onsite and online from HERE.

Estonian Academy of Arts Science Cafe focuses on the shifting roles of religious and industrial buildings in contemporary Europe. As congregations shrink and industries relocate, churches and factories alike are increasingly left vacant, raising complex questions about reuse, heritage, and identity. The discussion will address how these spaces are being reimagined—as museums, cultural centres, or residential developments—and what this reveals about broader societal transformations in both secular and post-industrial contexts.

The discussion will feature musicologist and journalist Brigitta Davidjants, associate professor of social innovation at the University of Tartu Marko Uibu, Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon (Portugal) and Associate Professor at the Portuguese Catholic University – Faculty of Theology Alexandre Palma. The talk will be moderated by art historian and semiotician Gregor Taul. 

The event requires pre-registration by August 29. A free bus service is provided from Tallinn to Narva and back, departing from EKA. More information is available upon pre-registration.

After the Science Café, you are welcome to attend the Station Narva opening concert featuring Estonian Voices at 5:30 PM in the Rugodivi Culture House, Grand Hall. Admission is free, and doors open at 5:00 PM.

More information: triin.kao@artun.ee
Facebook event.

The event will take place under the auspices of the Transform4Europe Alliance — a collaborative network of 11 European universities focused on climate change, digitalisation, and social challenges — and is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

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The English saying “keep the church in the village” means “do not cause an uproar.” There are similar sayings in German, French and many other European languages. With some differences, they denote that the church forms the centre of community, the basis of identity, but also, in a figurative sense, the embodiment of common sense. Despite the geographical scope and cultural differences in Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran countries this has been the case in all of Europe. However, recent times have brought changes. Industrialisation, secular modernisation and large-scale urban planning schemes have shifted the principles of how communities are formed. This was especially so in the fundamentally atheist Soviet Union. For example in Soviet Estonia only a few religious edifices were erected between 1944 and 1991. 

The number of church-goers has also declined. As a result some churches have lost their congregations. This has raised the question of how to treat the disused churches? The situation resembles that of the post-industrial shift. Starting from the 1970s European manufacturers have left the continent in search of cheaper labour and thus the abandoned factories have made way for the birth of ‘creative cities’ – we have seen empty factories first used as squats and informal project spaces, then as gentrified creative quarters and eventually becoming expensive lofts. As for the repurposed religious buildings there are more thought-provoking examples where former religious buildings have been turned into museums, bookshops, concert halls or even swimming pools. As adaptive reuse of spaces and materials is becoming a legislative requirement in Europe, we will see more such examples in the near future. 

At the backdrop of a contemporary music festival, Narva’s fabled industrial legacy and the crossroads of divergent (religious) identities this roundtable will look at both historic case studies and current disputes concerning religious and industrial heritage in Europe.

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Brigitta Davidjants is a journalist and researcher at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Estonia. In her academic research, she looks at national identity constructions and the marginalities of subcultures.

Marko Uibu is an Estonian social scientist and Associate Professor of Social Innovation at the Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu. His 2016 doctoral dissertation in University of Tartu was called “Religiosity as Cultural Toolbox: a Study of Estonian New Spirituality”.

Alexandre Palma is a theologian, Auxiliary Bishop and university professor. He is an assistant professor at the Catholic University (courses: Mystery of God; Christology; and Theology of Religions) and a researcher at the CITER – Research Center for Theology and Religion Studies. He also serves as Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon (Portugal) and is a member of the European Society for Catholic Theology and of the Seminar of young scientists of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.

Gregor Taul is a teacher, critic, and curator based in Tallinn, working as an associate professor in the Departments of Interior Architecture and General Theory Classes at the Estonian Academy of Arts. In his academic research, he focuses on art in public space, with a particular interest in Soviet-era monuments and murals as well as contemporary public art commissions.

Each year, the Estonian Academy of Arts Research and Development Office, in conjunction with the Tallinn Strategic Management Office, holds an applied research and development projects competition to motivate the Academy’s members to apply to a greater extent the results of their academic and research work in the public, business and third sectors; to increase the quality and extent of knowledge services provided by the Academy to society and businesses and to raise public awareness of the application of the Academy’s know-how in the economy and society.

The main prize of the competition, provided by the City of Tallinn, is 1000€. The total prize fund is up to 3600€, and at least two prizes will be awarded. If numerous outstanding works are submitted for the competition, additional work(s) will be awarded.

The competition welcomes submissions from:
– Course or graduation projects by EKA students that have a practical application, for example if the results could potentially be used by a company or another organization.
– Research or project work by EKA staff and researchers that has practical applicability beyond the academic environment.

The works must be completed between 01.09.2024–31.08.2025.

To submit a project to the competition a completed form together with additional materials must be sent to koostoo@artun.ee no later than 15 September 2025. The e-mail addresses of all authors of the work must be included among the e-mail recipients.

The competition is co-funded by the City of Tallinn.

See last year’s winners HERE (short clips).

Materials for applying:

Procedure for Competition of Applied Research and Development Works

Submission form

Rebecca Green
“LA BABY”
EKA Gallery 25.–28.06.2025

Open Wed 2–6 pm, Thu–Fri 12–6 pm
Performance event: Sat, 28.06. at 6–10 pm
Free entry

Welcome to “LA BABY”, your own personal window into the exotic fantasy of Los Angeles, right here in Eesti. Money? Check. Sunshine? Check. The Kardshian’s secret serums? You’ll just have to see for yourself…

Part exhibition, part soft investigation and part sun-kissed performance experiment, LA BABY puts forward the question, what does Los Angeles promise us?

Observing the surreal migration of symbols globally and following the subtle mutations of representations as they travel 1000’s of kilometers from California to Estonia, we wonder, does everyone want to be an LA BABY?

Created by Rebecca Green
Supported by Kirte Jõesaar, William Primett, Liisamari Viik,
Javier Cárcel Hildalgo-Saavedra, Ksenia Verbeštšuk
Graphic design by Fatima-Ezzahra Khammas

Projects at EKA Gallery are supported by Sadolin Estonia and
Tallinn City.
Drinks at the performance event from Põhjala Brewery.

The additional intake for the Urban Studies Master’s programme at EKA is open until 19 June 2025. On Thursday, 5 June 2025 at 16:00 (EET), all prospective Master’s students are warmly invited to join an online info session introducing the programme.

This is a great opportunity to learn about how the Urban Studies Master’s programme is structured, how to prepare for the admissions process, and what is expected from candidates. There will also be a chance to ask questions. The info session will be held in English.

Those interested are kindly asked to register via the link below. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants shortly before the start of the session.

Register HERE

More information about the Urban Studies Master’s programme can be found here:

• https://www.artun.ee/urban-studies
• https://www.facebook.com/urbantallinn

The application period for the international Urban Studies Master’s programme at EKA remains open until 19 June 2025.

More information about admissions can be found here.

PARA-EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH SEMINAR BY PROF. DR. NORA STERNFELD
in collaboration with Grégoire Rousseau, Mira Samonig and Julia Stolba

How can educational and curatorial practices of knowledge production challenge what can be said, done and seen? In an international transdisciplinary research seminar, we think about educational research and exhibition studies within and beyond the exhibition, about case studies within and beyond the canon and about research within and beyond western methodologies.

Running from Monday, 2^nd of June – Saturday, 7^th of June 2025 at EKA, the seminar is an ongoing open context for researchers in educational research and exhibition studies. It follows strategies of knowledge production as exploration, investigation, imagination and reflection. Although registration at the seminar is now closed, feel free to drop by and listen in if you are interested.

Join us for the public radio broadcast about ‘para-educational research’ aired by Station of Commons!

Thursday, 5^th of June 2025 from 5pm – in Tallinn at ETC (Niine 8a) or from anywhere via stationofcommons.com.

Visit Peru, Sicily, Słubice and more on May 26: Urban studies thesis presentations and defence

Urban Studies students will present and defend their thesis projects on May 26, 10–18 (A501).

This year’s projects explore a real kaleidoscope of places and themes: urban creativity and cooptation in Ljubljana; post-disaster reconstruction in Hatay, Turkey; urban river regulation in Vienna; anti-gentrification movements in Lisbon; an informal market at the Polish-German border; fishermen and urban NGOs vying to shape a Peruvian coastal community; and a housing speculation scheme in Sicily.

Come join us on this journey and support the students—the final review is open to the public.

Follow our channels for further details.

The 2025 graduation ceremonies will be held on Thursday, June 19th in the EKA Assembly Hall (room A101, Põhja puiestee 7).

• At 11:00 AM, the ceremony will begin for graduates of the Faculty of Design and the Faculty of Art Culture, as well as for doctoral school graduates
• At 3:00 PM, the ceremony will begin for graduates of the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Fine Arts, as well as for doctoral school graduates

Dear graduates, please arrive 15 minutes early to the EKA Gallery, where you will be seated in designated seats. Guests can sit in the Assembly Hall, watch the ceremony on screens in the foyer, or follow it online via EKA TV.

More info:
Elisabeth Kuusik
elisabeth.kuusik@artun.ee

20.05–21.05

 EKA Artists Reclaim Forgotten Military Ruins in Astangu, Tallinn 

Co(h)e(r)cion is a site-specific group exhibition by Contemporary Art MA (MACA) students of the Estonian Academy of Arts, held in the historic ruins of the ammunition tunnels in Astangu, Tallinn. Once part of a Tsarist-era military complex and later a highly protected Soviet ammunition site, this area is now largely forgotten and abandoned.

Four international contemporary artists :
Fausta Norekaite (LT), Denis Lebedev (DE), Giulio Cusinato (IT), and Kroplya (BY) – mediate the layered histories of this unique landscape through sound, language, ecology, image, and interactive elements.

The title Co(h)e(r)cion is a wordplay, reflecting the site’s ambiguous nature and the emotions it evokes –  blending cohesion, coercion, and erosion.
The mysterious ambience of Astangu inspired the artists to explore concepts that extend beyond human consciousness.

Co(h)e(r)cion invites you to experience these artistic incarnations of loss, presence, absence, and natural forces firsthand.

This exhibition also raises awareness about the role of ruins in post-humanist art ethics — exploring the potential for artistic intervention in more cohesive, integrated, and thoughtful ways.

From May 20 to 21, Co(h)e(r)cion dares visitors to immerse themselves in the secret realm of the unspeakable and the unseen.

Curated by Anastassia Janovskaja

Location
The exhibition takes place in Astangu forest, Haabersti, Tallinn.
Coordinates: 59°23’50.6″N 24°37’35.0″E

You can find the exact location by scanning the QR code provided or clicking the link below:
 https://maps.app.goo.gl/UiC3KA5CYYYknW3u5 .

The map is also available on our flyer for your convenience.

On May 22nd at 6:00 PM, filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn will present the film “My Architect” at the Estonian Academy of Arts about his father, the world-famous Estonian born architect Louis Kahn, and his work.

There will also be a conversation with Nathaniel on site and an opportunity to ask questions.

Trailer and information:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373175/

“Astonishingly, this personal saga blossoms into a “Citizen Kane”-like meditation on whether anyone is truly knowable – but the showpiece is Kahn the younger’s spellbinding photography, which shows off his dad’s buildings’ epic grandeur as well as their spiritual intimacy.”

– Robert Kolker, New York Magazine
“One of the best films of this, or any, year.”
–Leonard Maltin, Hot Ticket
“For gripping drama and suspense, there are few fictional movies that can hold a candle to Mr. Kahn’s odyssey through time and space.”
–Andrew Sarris, The Observer

Louis I. Kahn, who died in 1974, was one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, creating a handful of buildings that, in the words of the L.A. Times, “change your life.” But he left behind an illegitimate son, Nathaniel, and a personal life of secrets and broken promises. “My Architect” takes us on a heartbreaking yet humorous journey as Nathaniel attempts to reconnect with his deceased father. The riveting narrative takes us from the men’s room in Penn Station, where Kahn died bankrupt and alone, to the bustling streets of Bangladesh and the inner sanctums of Jerusalem politics, as well as through unforgettable encounters with the world’s most celebrated architects. In a documentary with all the emotional impact of a dramatic feature film, Nathaniel’s journey becomes a universal investigation of identity—and a celebration of art and, ultimately, life itself.

TASE Anima ’25
Sõprus cinema 13.06. at 5–7 pm
Free entry

Join us at the screening of bachelor’s and master’s theses in animation of the Estonian Academy of Arts, which will take place on June 13 at 5 pm at the Sõprus cinema. The screening is free of charge.

The screening will take place within the framework of the EKA thesis festival TASE ’25. TASE is the annual major event of the Estonian Academy of Arts, the center of which is the thesis exhibition, where the faculties of architecture, design, art culture and liberal arts present this year’s master’s theses and a selection of bachelor’s theses and portfolios. TASE ’25 will take place at Rävala pst 8, Tallinn from May 29 until June 19.

Check out the TASE program, locations and graduates’ works on the page: https://tase.artun.ee 

Participants: Paulina Belik, Maya Chaudhary, Nataliia Domini, Timofei Jerjomenko, Annaliisa Lepik, Natalya Mirzoyan, Léo Dominique Mourey, Katrina Oll, Mia Rulli, Yiyang Sun, Alex Toodu, Kaisa Vallaots, Lukas Wind, Shunyuan Yao
Organisers: Lyza Karoly Jarvis, Sander Põldsaar, Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Francesco Rosso

Graphic design: Mette Mari Kaljas, Rasmus Lukas, Nelli Viisimaa
Welcoming drinks from Punch Club.