Exhibitions

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

COMPOSE◠DECOMPOSE
EKA Gallery 31.10.–30.11.2025
Open Tue–Sat 12–6 pm Sun 12–4 pm
Opening: Thursday, October 30 at 6 pm
Performance by Albertina Tevajärvi: Thursday, October 30 at 6.30 pm
Tour guided by the curators and artists: Friday, October 31 at 5 pm

The exhibition “compose◠decompose” submerges deep into a cyclical narrative of growth, decay, and renewal. Through the works of thirteen artists, the exhibition traces along the fragile balance of care and control.

The exhibition brings to light the hidden and often overlooked elements of our ecosystem— microscopic creatures, plant matter and organic systems that thrive beneath the surface of our mundane. Here Composition and decomposition do not appear as opposites, but rather as entangled acts of shaping and unshaping, of tending and of letting go.

The participating artists work with various ways to either mimic- or closely collaborate with the processes of the natural world. In this exhibition the artists dream about composing and decomposing. They dream about listening to, remembering and reimagining narratives that collaborate with insects, animals, plants, and microorganisms.

Participating artists: Alexis Brancaz, Albertina Tevajärvi, Alma Bektas, Augustas Lapinskas & Ditiya Ferdous, Freyja Tralla & Kassandra Laur, Janne Schipper & Andreas Andersen, Johanna Rotko, Julie Sjöfn Gasiglia, Kamilė Pikelytė, Paula Zvane
Curated by artists Inessa Saarits and Victoria Björk
Graphic design: Daria Titova
Technical support: Karel Koplimets and Karmo Migur
Supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Sadolin Estonia and Tallinn City.
Opening drinks from mirai™ and Põhjala Brewery.

Download the leaflet here.

Julia Maria Künnap, “Travelling Light. A Study on the Movement of Light in Experimentally Cut Gemstones”

EKA Library 21.10-4.11.2025

This artistic research explores the fundamental principle of gemstone faceting — the refraction and reflection of light – in the combination of faceted and freeform elements. The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate how individual reflective elements, through their mutual interaction, create the brilliance of a gemstone. To illustrate this theory, the exhibition presents both work in process and finished gems set in jewelry. The Exhibition is the First Creative Project of Doctoral Thesis “Playing with fire. Possibilities for designing four-dimensional gemstones by combining traditional faceting and free-form engraving. Time as a design element.” Supervisor Prof Krista Kodres

Julia Maria Künnap is a PhD student and junior researcher in Art and Design.

On October 16, Narva Art Residency will host the largest international fashion exhibition in Narva to date, “Hõimulõim (Tribal Thread),” led by the Fashion Design Department. The exhibition will open as part of the official program of “Narva Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025” and will take place during the most important week of the tribal peoples’ calendar year, Tribal Week.

“Hõimulõim” is an exhibition that weaves Finno-Ugric tradition into contemporary fashion design. It is a tribute to a rich heritage, the survival of which depends on how skillfully we can bring it into our lives today. Tradition does not remain in a closet or archive – it only lives if we let it grow with time, wear it and love it.

The exhibition features the work of designers from nine Finno-Ugric peoples. The works of Sami, Khanty, Udmurt, Mari, Komi, Hungarian, Karelian, Finnish (including Ingrian) and Estonian (including Seto and Võro) creators highlight that clothing can be both a practical object and a carrier of identity and collective memory. Each author asks in their own way what it means to be a Finno-Ugric designer in the 21st century – how to weave one’s tradition into a modern form and what to tell the world about its multi-layered field of meaning. These works also open up ethical choices: what material to use, how to preserve local skills and how to tell the story of one’s people in a way that creates a dialogue even for those who were not born into this cultural space.

The “tribal thread” (hõimulõim) is an invisible but tenacious bond between Finno-Ugric peoples. It does not ask for national borders or political sentiment, but runs deep in the undercurrents – in language, patterns, songs, dance and beliefs”, says the exhibition curator Piret Puppart and adds: “In today’s world, where the song of some peoples is quieter than ever before and the weavers of many patterns have become isolated, this thread between tribal peoples is particularly fragile.”

Various social tensions are increasingly testing the survival of traditions and forcing us to look for ways to keep them alive for future generations. “Hõimulõim” invites us to notice that preserving culture is not only about preserving the past, but also about creating the future. It is an invitation to wear our heritage on a daily basis – be it a piece of jewelry, an object or an ornament – ​​and to understand that every such choice strengthens the thread that connects us across borders and eras.

The exhibition’s interactive, technologically innovative experiences are also exciting. Visitors can discover patterns hidden in dresses created by Piret Puppart using magnets, as well as experience a hologram waterfall dedicated to the world of Votian patterns designed by artist Alyona Movko-Mägi. Hologram art is a little-known technique in the world of conjuring visual elements that cannot be touched with the hand, but can be touched virtually and with the eye. This is the first time this medium is coming to Narva in such a volume.

Finno-Ugric roots also have a wider international reach in the world of design and art than one might think. The Komi compass pattern has found its way into Kandinsky’s paintings, and Udmurt mannerisms into Tchaikovsky’s music. However, only recently was a designer with Karelian roots awarded the Diesel Design Award, while Izhor blood has dressed Estonian Olympic athletes in Athens. The representative of the Mari nationality was behind the knitting collections of the legendary Estonian brand Mosaic for years, and when wearing Adidas shoes, you can feel the Udmurt heart. The Diesel Design Award-winning collection and the best pieces from Helsinki Design Week are also coming to the exhibition that will open soon. The exhibition can be visited until January 11.

Curator: Piret Puppart

Artists: Antrea Kantakoski, vainio.seitonen (Johanna Vainio & Merja Seitsonen), Sigrid Kuusk, Ramona Salo, Dina Andreeva, Natalja Lill, Darali Leli, Eneken Johanson, Stella Tukia, Kaia Kuusmann, Zsófia Papp, Zsófia Papp, Maria Roosiaas, Hanna-Tiina Pekk, Anneliis Reili, Kertu Kivisik, Nadežda Kasatkina, Lana Vakhovska, Karl Joonas Alamaa, Piret Puppart and Alyona Movko-Mägi 

Graphic design: Eva Sepping

Many thanks: Anna Kuznetsova, Muš Nadii, Nikolai Anisimov, Nikolay Kuznetsov, Barbi Pilvre, Jaak Prozes, Žanna Toht, Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Helena Schilf, Natalia Ermakov

Supporters: Estonian Academy of Arts, Fashion Design Department, Tribal Peoples Program, Cultural Endowment, NGO Fenno-Ugria, NART, Narva Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025

On Thursday, 16th of October at 6 pm, Kristel Saan’s solo exhibition “Scent of Humans” will open at Vaal Gallery.

The exhibition will remain open until 15th of November, Tue–Fri 12–6 pm and Sat 12–4 pm.

The exhibition “Scent of Humans” speaks of how our nose is always the primary introducer to our feelings. It gives us the initial information about whether we stay or move on whether we like something or are we reluctant to it, and ultimately determines our memories.

In our brain, smells and emotions are recorded as one memory. Therefore, childhood plays an important role in the formation of our smells, based on which we make decisions basically for the rest of our lives. So it is no wonder that the freshly mowed lawn brings to mind the grandparents and the scent of childhood cottage or the smell of clean linens, hot summer laundry day and the vastness of the World playing inside it.

“Scent of Humans” speaks of the journey and the memories and experiences in its way, and how everything that follows can only be built on its shoulders. The exhibition takes baby steps back to childhood, so as not to disturb the past too much, where it puts different generations to sit down together for a moment and lose the hierarchy. The works also reflect movement between cities, cultures, and countries, as well as movement through time and age, in a search of a place where one might perhaps linger a little longer.

The exhibition “Scent of Human” is curated by Merilin Talumaa.
The exhibition is supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Pühaste Brewery, Lo Alto.

Kristel Saan (b 1985) is an artist living and working in Estonia. Her practice includes large-scale installations, ceramics, textile and painting, photography and video works. The work of the artist is often reminiscent of a wide variety of imaginary places where poetry and various unexpected organic materials intertwine, through which the perception of object, material and space becomes one of the fundamental aspects of his work. During the work process, both bodily sensations and the relationship between the body and the surrounding environment are the focus of the artist’s attention. Kristel Saan has obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in ceramics from the Faculty of Design of the Estonian Academy of Arts. In addition, she has studied fine arts at Central Saint Martins in London, visual arts during her master’s studies at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, Canada, and sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States.

Merilin Talumaa (b 1986) is a curator and cultural manager who lives and works in Paris and Tallinn. She has graduated from the Department of Art History and Visual Culture at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She is also a graduate of Environmental studies from University of Tartu. Her practice has evolved around research about artists’ studio and work environments and notions of migration and belonging. Her recent on-going projects include Roots to Routes (since 2020) – a curatorial initiative gathering a community of artists, curators and cultural producers from Baltic states. Prior to the book „Your Time Is My Time”, Mousse Publishing, 2023, she compiled and edited the book „Artists’ spaces : 16 studio visits”, Estonian Academy of Arts Press, 2017 (both together with Annika Toots).