Exhibitions

From 21 November to 4 January, the Palm Hall of the Tallinn Botanical Garden will present the exhibition “BOTEXSEMANTIC GARDEN / HORTUS BOTEXEMANTICUS” by Kadi Kibbermann and Piret Valk, lecturers from the Department of Textile Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

The exhibition presents experimental textile installations that tell the story of the role and meaning of plants in the lives of the artists – about the materials obtained from plants and their survival strategies.

The exhibition responds to the challenge of adapting to a world in which intergenerational memory is being replaced by instructions and rules; great stories have become impoverished language abbreviations and direct contacts have become virtual. Algorithms have become landmarks in plant-blind artificial landscapes.

The support-root of artists of maintaining balance with the real world are their contact with nature and relationships with other species. They explore what could be learned from plants through practical interest, poetic interpretations and artistic practice based on them. The inspiration is the diversity, essential and distinctiveness of the plant world – forms, patterns and textures; their necessity for people and the environment; their ability to adapt to change and survive even in very difficult conditions. The works combine knowledge and practical experience to show the importance of plants as an endless source of resources – as fertilizer, providing role models and seeds of ideas, as fibers and natural colors; and as communication with plants, health and balance. Plants help to remember and depict stories that affirm identity.

To adapt to today’s world, a new language of communication – BOTEX has been created in the context of the exhibition. Botany + textile + poetry + meanings = BOTEX semantics.

There are BOTEXophies growing in the BOTEXemantic garden.

BOTEXophies are synthesized from plants and textiles.

BOTEX is spoken by plant-loving BOTEXegees, to translate plants and their strategies through BOTEXophies.

BOTEXophies are named and organized into the BOTEXonomic system: INDEX BOTEXEMANTICUM.

The exhibition is open until the 4th of January 2026.

More information about the opening hours of the Palm House and greenhouses can be found at: https://botaanikaaed.ee/en/opening-hours/

On November 11 at 5:00 p.m., an exhibition of biennial proportions will open in the Telliskivi Green Hall, where young artists from the Estonian Academy of Arts will explore how the relationship between industry and society has developed and changed over time. The exhibition features more than 100 artworks.

The exhibition “Invisible Stones. A Young Artist’s View of Industry” focuses on the dialogue between industry and society. The exhibition features over a hundred works that invite us to think about responsibility, sustainability and the impact of humans on the landscape.

The works were created during summer internships at the industrial landscapes of Viru Keemia Grupp in Ida-Viru County. The young artists’ gaze moves from poetic landscape views to intimate everyday stories – oil shale sometimes becomes a decorative wallpaper pattern in the living room, sometimes a monumental cathedral that records the layers of time.

The collaboration is motivated by the 100th anniversary of the Estonian shale oil industry. The exhibition invites the viewer to stop and reflect on the traces that work, landscape and people have left on each other and how their relationship could develop in the future.

The summer internship at the industrial landscapes of Viru Keemia Grupp took place in June and August 2025. A total of 65 students participated in the summer internship, including students from the departments of scenography, animation, graphics, sculpture, contemporary art, fashion and painting. The exhibition also presents the work of designers and applied artists.

Participating artists: Adele Sillat, Alexander Matthias Saage, Aliisa Ahtiainen, Anastasia Nikiforova, Anastasia Ananjeva, Anu Jakobson, Beata Batejev, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Darja Malõševa, Edvard Vellevoog, Emma Reti Tikenberg, Grete Kangro, Hannah Segerkrantz, Ivor Mikker, Karl Uustal, Kaspar Lesk, Kateryna Tyshchenko, Karolina Peterson, Kirke Kirt, Kirke Kits, Kristjan Tammjärv, Ksenia Verbeštšuk, Liisa Nurklik, Linda Teemägi, Lume Tuum, Maibrit Kaur, Marek Huntsaar, Maria-Eliise Muinaste, Marit Loitmets, Marta Huimerind, Marta Konovalov, Mia-Stella Aaslaid, Nora Schmelter, Oskar Vels, Patrick Soome, Paul Aadam Mikson, Piia Bianka Pere, Robin August Vöörmann, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Sander Haugas, Selene Taur, Stuudio Kollektiir, Stiina-Marie Sarevet, Taavi Teevet, Tauris Reose, Teresa RA, Veronika Pavliuk, Visa Nurmi, Yuna-Lee Pfau, Denis Kudrjašov

Exhibition curators: Lilian Hiob-Küttis, Kirke Kangro and Ruth Melioranski

Project team: Irina Bojenko, Kaia-Liisa Jõesalu, Kaja Krustok

Supervisors: Anita Kremm, Britta Benno, Charlotte Biszewski, Ene-Liis Semper, Francesco Rosso, Holger Loodus, John Grzinich, Karl Joonas Alamaa, Laura Põld, Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Mark Raidpere, Mihkel Ilus, Taavi Talve, Viktor Gurov, Zody Burke, Björn Koop, Eve Margus, Heikki Zoova, Juss Heinsalu, Kaja Altvee, Kärt Ojavee, Lieven Lahaye, Linda Kaljundi, Nils Hint, Piret Hirv, Urmas Lüüs

Designer: Kati Saarits

The exhibition is open until December 7th.

Thu-Fri 12-7 PM

Sat-Sun 10-5 PM

We warmly welcome you to the exhibition opening “This has always altered me” by Tea Lemberpuu and Maris Siimer in Artrovert Gallery, Tomorrow 5th of November at 18.30.

This has always altered me
Tea Lemberpuu ja Maris Siimer

There is a longing within us that carries the force of a strong wind. It drives one to move forward and seek a peaceful place. For example, one located in some border area, where one can hear the whispers of two places masterfully blending together. It urges us forward and sends us in search of a peaceful place — perhaps somewhere on the edge of things, where the whispers of two places meet and gently intertwine. Even a restless soul, pausing to listen, can become tranquil. Such quiet moments take on a form that might be considered sacred.

The sacred reveals itself in the everyday through our continuous search and our wish to notice it around us. It does not hide in a longed-for place, but rather in the pauses and flickers that slow us down as we move towards it. Perhaps it is in falling silent that the edge of sacredness becomes visible — like an invisible thread stitched into daily life, binding everything and everyone with its unbroken seam.

The sensitive paintings of Tea Lemberpuu and Maris Siimer are like snapshots from this journey — the canvas as a notebook to which the artists return, making notations in their own language of colour and form.  At once a quiet resistance and an effort to preserve sensitivity in a time whose relentless pace rarely allows us to stop.

Connection – and its absence – has always altered me. Into silence.

Tea Lemberpuu (b. 1980) holds a BA in Painting (2023) and an MA in Contemporary Art (2025) from the Estonian Academy of Arts. She has been awarded the EAA Young Artist Prize and is a member of the Tartu Artists’ Union. Lemberpuu has participated in exhibitions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Italy. Her work, across different techniques and areas of inquiry, has consistently explored questions of time and slowness, boundaries and chance, play and visibility. In this exhibition, she seeks ways in which the sacred might emerge in everyday life through connection and love.
Maris Siimer (b. 1980) is a visual artist based in Tallinn whose practice encompasses illustration and painting. Integrating long walks in nature into her process, she observes how slowness and silence can guide us toward something greater and more sacred than ourselves. The two largest works in the exhibition were painted in open air, in the presence of light and air — as if with her ear turned toward the sounds of nature, Siimer intuitively and in layers builds up invisible searches on the surface of the canvas. Her ongoing exploration of expression and method is influenced by the organic forms of Estonia’s northern coastal landscapes. Just as nature has guided her, so too has music at moments when the connection with oneself and the sacred feels fragile. Siimer’s paintings are, in a way, an invitation to restore that connection. She is a member of the Estonian Painters’ Association and the women artists’ collective Fööniks.

Supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment
Text: Karola Ainsar
Graphic design: Katariin Mudist
More information: Siim Raie, Artrovert Gallery, galerii@artrovert.ee | +372 507 6807 | www.artrovert.ee

Sven Mantsik, a master’s student in Contemporary Art, has explored various disciplines such as installation, printmaking, self-publishing, animation and video games, while always nurturing his primary passion: drawing.

Sometimes fictional, sometimes autobiographical, his drawings present a social satire of an all-too-common daily life, blending melancholy, dreamlike elements, sharpness and humour. His exhibition “Timeline”, offers an in-depth look at his narrative and visual approach. The EKA Library’s showcase space features a selection of his graphic works.

The exhibition is open until December 12.

We warmly welcome you to the opening of the group exhibition 

“The Hay Season. A Longing for Eternity” on 11 November at 6:30 PM, 

at Manufaktuuri 7/2, Tallinn.

From 12. November to 18. December 2025, artists Martin Mikson, Anna-Liisa Pärt, Paul Aadam Mikson, and Juulia Aleksandra Mikson present a joint exhibition “The Hay Season. A Longing for Eternity” at Manufaktuuri Quarter, Tallinn.

“The Hay Season. A Longing for Eternity” is an exhibition that reflects on the relationship between humans and nature, the passage of time, and the rhythms of survival. Once, haytime signified a period of anxious waiting and dependence on the weather – today, it has become a poetic metaphor for the longing for peace and balance in an ever-changing world.

The exhibition mirrors the artists’ personal and shared connection to familiar landscapes that are in constant transformation. “The Hay Season. A Longing for Eternity” invites the viewer to notice the rhythm of nature and reminds us how fragile our bond with it has become.

Martin Mikson is a scenographer and painter who has created numerous stage designs for Estonian theatres.
Anna-Liisa Pärt is a scenographer and painter.
Paul Aadam Mikson is a metal artist. Who works with large scale forgings.  
Juulia Aleksandra Mikson is a textile artist exploring the boundaries between materials.

All the artists are graduates of the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Graphic design: Juulia A. Mikson

Supported by: Hepsor, Põhjala Pruulikoda, Õllenaut.

Duo exhibition “Shared” by Brenda Purtsak & Marleen Suvi
ArtDepoo Gallery 7.11.–13.12.2025
Open Wed–Fir 12–6 pm Sat 12–4 pm, free entry
Opening: Thursday, November 6 at 6 pm

ArtDepoo gallery will be the first to present the new large format paintings jointly created by Purtsak and Suvi. While choosing the reference materials for the paintings the artists noticed the recurring themes in photographs of different families: “We took the photo archives of all three of our families as a basis and focused primarily on figures. We quickly noticed how we all have photos of similar situations and although the characters are unique, the material repeats itself,” adds curator Kaisa Maasik.

An unconventional process was chosen for creating the paintings, one that required Purtsak and Suvi to stay flexible within their already established styles. The works were created collaboratively by both artists taking turns: several exchanges were made for each painting, while the artists constantly shared photos of the current states and discussed which directions to take moving forward. The paintings were completed together in the gallery. Since the reference material varied – sometimes being double-exposed or full of activity, sometimes being unexpected and minimal– it allowed the artists to either generalize, leave more empty spaces on the surfaces, or add more detail and density. Throughout, the artists had to intervene in the reference material and merge their own personal handwritings.

The artists will be at the gallery on two Saturdays, November 15 and 29. During this time, everyone is welcome to come and chat and ask additional questions about the exhibition.

Artists: Brenda Purtsak & Marleen Suvi
Curated by: Kaisa Maasik
Graphic Design by: Aimur Takk
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
Opening drinks from Põhjala Brewery.

PoCo invites you to discover the sensitive and colorful world of young artist Marit Loitmets, where gentle nostalgia and the charm of being in the moment are captured.

Marit Loitmets (born in 2004) is a painter from Estonia, currently studying Painting in the third year of her Bachelor’s degree at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
At the core of her artistic practice lies the human being – with their natural details, fragments of forgotten objects, and the mystical nostalgia of the past. Loitmets’s work is characterised by a strong sense of colour, vivid contrasts, and a harmonious interplay of surfaces that create visual depth.

With this exhibition, the artist seeks to tell a nostalgic story – a view from a window where a hopeful ray of sunlight always shines through. In addition, she has explored lace pattern designs, translating their delicate aesthetic into a new medium and presenting them with a fresh visual interpretation.

PoCo invites you to explore the sensitive and colourful work of young artist Marit Loitmets. Her artwork captures gentle nostalgia and the beauty of being in the moment.

Everyone is welcome to join, pre-registration is needed.

 

ARS Project Space
24.10.–15.11.2025
Mon–Fri 12:00–18:00, Sat 12:00–16:00

Exhibition opening: Friday, 24 October at 18:00

Sten Saarits’ solo exhibition ‘Absentia’ presents a trilogy of video works: The Wait (2020), The Stream (2022), and The Browse (2023), all connected by a sense of tension. A person no longer recognizes their world – they observe it, not with the curiosity of the first inhabitant of a new planet, but as a shadow of former glory who has given up on existence.

In Saarits’ works, we find ourselves in the spaces of contemporary life. The cold, alienating places where one can feel lonely even in the company of others. A fleeting friendly glance has been replaced by an awkward search of avoiding direct eye contact. Instead of a spontaneous and likely refreshing conversation, the hand instinctively reaches for the phone.

Saarits is a documentary maker who takes his camera for a walk. He captures the post-apocalyptic qualities of our surroundings. Such as an empty bus stop, a nighttime highway, an autumn field – yet within his frames there remains a palpable human warmth and a sincere concern for his subjects.

Sten Saarits (b. 1987) is an interdisciplinary artist from Estonia whose practice is rooted in time based media. Saarits frequently integrates abstract sound compositions ranging from spoken word to auditory signifiers into his installation practice, thereby creating participatory and spatial experiences. His artistic research often addresses phenomena of overstimulation and situational uncertainty as characteristic aspects of present day society.

He has studied sound art (MA) and installation and sculpture (BA) in Estonian Academy of Arts. During the years of 2013–2014 he studied in the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where his curriculum focused on sound art, performance and film. Saarits has shown his work in Estonia, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, France and Lithuania. He currently serves as Head of the Department of New Media Arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Graphic design: Kert Viiart-Õllek
Text: Peeter Kormašov
Installation assistance: Ian Simon Märjama
Artist wants to thank: Egle Ehtjen, Erko Ever, Ian Simon Märjama, Kalev Saage, Kristjan Koskor, Madli Kadakas, Markus Tiitus, Mart Joost, Martin Loik, Natalia Wójcik, Tarvo Varres, Tiina Vändre, Mirjam Proos, Sven Sosnitski, Janno Lepind, Kelli Gedvil, Hanna-Liisa Lavonen, Alo Suursaar, Carmen Kalata, Kati Müüripeal, Kristen Rästas, Heini Kiis, Lauri Aksel.
Exhibition supported by: Estonian Artists’ Association and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

We are opening the exhibition “Abandoned Landscapes. Joaveski Paper Factory” on October 31st at 3:00 PM at the Joaveski Community Center, at Lahemaa.

The exhibition presents projects and models by students of the EKA Architecture and Urban Design curriculum, which explore how to value and revitalize the historic Joaveski paper factory.

 

The Estonian Academy of Arts’ Faculty of Architecture and the Department of Heritage Protection and Conservation organized the interdisciplinary “Abandoned Landscapes” workshop for the fourteenth time at the beginning of this year, where efforts are being made to find modern solutions for disused building complexes. This year’s workshop, professional studio and exhibition were created in collaboration with the Joaveski Village NPO, which has taken it upon itself to value the abandoned paper factory as a landmark.

 

The authors of the completed projects are now 3rd year architecture and urban design students: Maria Johanna Ahtijainen, Oskar Toomet-Björck, Elisabeth Ersling, Nele Lisette Hera, Heidi Jagus, Katariina Klammer, Eliis Kurvits, Lilian Källo, Lisandra Lipp, Marie Elle Melioranski, Mark Metsa, Mart Nael, Joonas Ott, Elenor Pihlak, Harriet Piirmets, Robin Pints, Elisabeth Tomingas, Katariina Vaher, Aliis Vatku, Martin Vatku.

The projects were supervised by architects Joel Kopli, Koit Ojaliiv and Juhan Rohtla from the architectural office KUU, advised by LCA consultant Anni Oviir, and the landscape architecture section was supervised by Katrin Koov and Arvi Anderson. Andres Õis welcomed and introduced the history of Joaveski.

The exhibition is supported by MTÜ Joaveski küla and AS Maru.

 

The exhibition will remain open at the Joaveski community center during library opening hours until April 1, 2026. Open Monday and Friday 9:00 – 16:00 and Wednesday 11:00 – 15:00.

 

About the history of the Joaveski factory

The construction of the Joaveski cardboard factory began in 1899 and is a vivid example of how the feudal Loobu manor adapted to the new capitalist economic environment at the end of the 19th century, which resulted in the establishment of an industrial enterprise. Joaveski developed into a small industrial village in a place of natural beauty. Today, a hydroelectric power plant operates at the heart of the factory, but most of the rooms have lost their purpose.

Merike Estna’s solo exhibition “Ocean” in the large gallery of the Tartu Art House. The curator of the exhibition is Maria Arusoo.

At the core of the exhibition “Ocean” lies the existential coexistence of life and death, as seen through the perspective of motherhood. Merike Estna looks at the experience of motherhood in a complex and sensitive way. Alongside oceanic happiness and love, pain and loss are equally present, themes that are often brushed aside when talking about birth and motherhood but are very much present regardless. 

“Birth as a theme appeared in Estna’s work after her son was born and over the last four years it has become a central axis in her work. At first, it appeared as a prophetic ghost in a painting, created while the artist herself was not yet aware of her pregnancy and from there, it has grown and expanded. Estna is equally interested in the art historical view on the experience of motherhood. Another significant thematic thread running through the exhibition is the question of living painting – how to awaken painting, a rather static and hierarchical object, and make it communicate with the viewer – something Estna has been focusing on for more than a decade by now. At the Tartu Art House exhibition, visitors can witness the process of painting the five-part monumental work “Ocean” as the artist works on it every Tuesday. The painting is not intended to be completed but will be continuously added to during future exhibitions until the artist’s death, as Estna herself claims,” the curator explains.

Merike Estna (b. 1980) studied painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts (BA, 2005) and at Goldsmiths, University of London (MFA, 2009). She also graduated from the Tartu Art School (2000). Since 2025, she is the visiting professor in Contemporary Art MA at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Estna has received several prestigious Estonian art awards, including the Hansapank Art Award (2004), the Eduard Wiiralt Scholarship (2005) and the Konrad Mägi Award (2014). From 2017 to 2023, she was an Associate Professor at the Painting Department at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Between 2020 and 2022, Estna was one of the recipients of the Estonian artist’s salary. In 2026, Merike Estna will represent Estonia at the 61st Venice Biennale.

Estna has participated in international exhibitions across Europe, the United States and Latin America, including at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Querétaro in Mexico, Fundación Casa Wabi in Mexico, Publics in Helsinki, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Galería Karen Huber in Mexico, Bosse & Baum in London, Kunstraum in London, Galerie Georg Kargl in Vienna and Temnikova & Kasela Gallery in Tallinn. Her most notable solo exhibitions have taken place at Kai Art Center in Tallinn (2022), Moderna Museet Malmö (2019–2020), Kim? Contemporary Art Centre in Riga (2018) and KUMU Art Museum in Tallinn (2014).

Graphic designer: Martina Gofman
Translator: Keiu Krikmann

Support: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art

Thank you: Evelyn Raudsepp, Jaime Lobato, Aime Estna, Kõu Fortino Lobato Estna, Lumi Marisol Lobato Estna, Alma Cardoso, Jaime L. Hernández, Aleksander Tsapov