Exhibitions

Exhibition “Where u at? We in the know”

Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM)

Kursi 5, Tallinn

Mon – Sun 12.01. – 18.01.
13:00 – 19:00

Starting Monday, January 12th, the exhibition “Where u at? We in the know.” will open in the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM). The opening ceremony will take place a day later on Tuesday the 13th of January at 18:00

“Where u at? We in the know.” Meaning we’ve been allowed access to EKKM with it’s three floors. We’ve been offered help and benefits. Enough but not too much. Just enough to ward off fear in these spacious cold rooms.

And we in the know in the sense that we know what’s up. But are we IN the know? We would like to think we are. But who even is IN the know? A contemporary artist should be (by all rights). The president too. And the prime minister. But they have advisors. We don’t. We only have each other and this big cold building. And lots of thoughts. Concerning gender, taboos, underwear, the economy, childhood, hockey and refusal.

Participating artists:

Mari Karjus

Mikk Keis

August Kilmi

Olesja Prants

Rasmus Puksmann

Gen-Horret Rand

Katarina Kuningas

Greta Sauter

Grete Tuiken

Kaur Tõra

Gleb Volodtšenko

Viktoria Weiszova

Students of EVA Lab, the Experimental Video Games in Art laboratory of the Estonian Academy of Arts New Media Department, present their exhibition in a new gallery space inside the National Library of Estonia. Although the National Library or RaRa building itself will only reopen to the general public in 2027, this exhibition offers an early glimpse into a yet unnamed art space that has not previously existed and is being opened temporarily for this occasion.

*Important! Visits are only possible with a guide. Gathering takes place at the main entrance of RARA at the following times:

17.12 at 17:00, 17:30, 18:00 and 18:30

During the autumn semester, EVA Lab students explore video game and interactive art theory, engaged in conversations with artists and game makers, and were given an optional workshop for learning a game engine to support their development. Through these encounters, students were questioning how video games occupy an enormous role in global popular culture, yet discussions of “games” can still meet a complicated reception within the field of visual arts.

Within art education, students are expected to devote themselves to understanding and critically navigating visual culture. Meanwhile, their personal experiences with gaming often belong to the realms of leisure, hobbies, and everyday play. Activities not always granted the same artistic legitimacy. This tension informs the exhibition’s title, “I’m not playing games, I swear”, a statement that is both slightly defensive and quietly humorous, acknowledging how the vocabulary of games can feel out of place in certain art discourse.

For this exhibition, the supervisors invited students to articulate their own relationships with gaming and game culture. The works on display, spanning interactive and non-interactive formats, transform personal memories, play habits, aesthetic intuitions, and critical reflections into artistic responses that reimagine what games can mean within contemporary art. From introspective narratives to speculative systems, the exhibition presents a variery of approaches to thinking through games as more than pastime.

Rather than insisting that we are not playing, the exhibition asks what becomes possible when play, experimentation, and game culture are allowed to enter artistic practice on their own terms.

Participating artists: Lotta Karoliina Räsänen, Maria Cecilie Wrang-Rasmussen, Irmak Semiz, Sarah Riley, Robert Kapanen, Kimathi Agbanu, Filémon Aufort, Paul Rannik, Triin Mänd, Edward Mcgeorge Allport-Bryson, Rover Indigo Bertels

Supervisors: Camille Laurelli, Sten Saarits

Exhibition is supported by RaRa, EKA, EVA Lab, LVLup! Museum

HOW TO REFRAME MONUMENTS
EKA Billboard Gallery 1.12.2025–15.02.2026
Open 24/7, free admission

The Past as Artistic Material
We live in a time when monuments cannot be ignored. Around the world, debates rage over their meaning and over whether – and how – contested monuments should be displayed in public space. Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has brought one of the epicentres of monumental conflict to Eastern Europe. To date, a large number of Soviet-era monuments in Estonia, particularly World War II memorials, have been removed. 

The project “How to Reframe Monuments” is based on the premise that removing a monument does not resolve the problem – complex heritage cannot simply be bypassed, but must be worked through. By bringing together knowledge and expertise from multiple fields, we have developed solutions that, through academic research, heritage conservation and digitisation practices, as well as artistic interventions, enable dissonant heritage not to be demolished but to be reframed within a new critical context. 

At the heart of the outdoor exhibition is the potential of art in addressing memory conflicts in public space – and, through this, the social role of contemporary art. Three design competitions carried out in the frame- work of this project illustrate ways of reframing different types of dissonant heritage – memori- als, paintings and sculptures. To date, already one of the artistic interventions has been realised: the reframing of the Tehumardi memorial by Neeme Külm. 

Between 2024 and 2025, a total of 17 artists took part in the art competitions. The conceptualisation of the Tehumardi memorial complex on Saaremaa—now partially dismantled—involved Kirke Kangro, Neeme Külm, Anna Mari Liivrand, Johannes Säre, Kristina Norman, and Taavi Piibemann.

Anna Škodenko, Hanna Piksarv, Jevgeni Zolotko, Kati Saarits, and Sigrid Viir proposed their own solutions for redesigning the monumental paintings, completed in 1955, in the old passenger terminal of Tallinn Airport.

Trevor Kinna, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Hasso Krull, Camille Laurelli, Samuel Lehikoinen, Ülo Pikkov, and Yiyang Sun created digital artworks based on the monument “Vyatchko and Meelis Defending Tartu” (1950/1956) located in Tartu. These works are shown as part of the exhibition “The Monument and the Fairy Tale” in the EKA foyer during 1.–12.12.2025.

Exhibition team: Linda Kaljundi, Kirke Kangro, Annika Tiko, Maris Veeremäe
Design: Kristjan Mändmaa
Language editing: Hille Saluäär, Jason Finch
“How to reframe monuments” is a collaborative project between the Estonian Academy of Arts and Tallinn University, funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. 

The project’s follow-up exhibition will open in February 2026 at EKA Gallery.

This exhibition features handmade books by EKA students as the culmination of a course in which they worked with photographs in book format. They explored the similarities and differences between artist books, self-publishing, and book dummies. In addition to creating and editing visual materials, students tried their hand at design, pre-press, and binding by hand. 

The books contain both analog and digital photos in the form of collages, typologies, narratives, and archival materials. The subjects explored include personal themes such as hometown, friendship, family, and childhood, as well as everyday life, the inexpressibility of feelings and perceptions, and mundane architecture.

Artists participating in the exhibition: Mikk Keis, Olesja Prants, Gleb Volodtšenko, Mari Karjus, Viktoria Weiszova, Tobias Tikenberg, Jana Mätas (MACA), Kristiina Aarna (DKT).

Supervisor Mirjam Varik.

The UNESCO Chair at the Estonian Academy of Arts is opening the exhibition “Estonian Heritage on the World Map” at Valga Railway Station.

We are proud of our heritage and confident that it also speaks to the wider world. Yet we know surprisingly little about what from Estonia is actually considered remarkable internationally, and what opportunities the presentation of our heritage together with others in shared networks can offer.
The exhibition by the Estonian Academy of Arts presents what from Estonia has been included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and the Memory of the World Register. It also highlights which places have been awarded the European Heritage Label. Several European Cultural Routes run through Estonia. Over the years, Estonian works have also been recognized with Europa Nostra awards. We usually talk about such places one by one. With this exhibition, EKA aims to create a bigger picture, to inspire owners and local governments, and to remind everyone that by working together we can achieve more. Cultural heritage offers endless opportunities for presenting ourselves and for finding like-minded partners.
EKA will open the exhibition on “Heritage Sunday,” 7 December at 12:15 at Valga Railway Station, in cooperation with the Valga Museum and ICOMOS Estonia. The exhibition will be introduced by Riin Alatalu, holder of the EKA UNESCO Chair and vice-president of the international expert organization for heritage conservation.

For more information, please contact:

Riin Alatalu
riin.alatalu@artun.ee
+372 511 9439

The winter assessment marathon is here! For three weeks, you can once again experience works produced by students in the Faculty of Fine Arts as their term projects are presented: every day there will be a fresh showcase of university students’ works on display.

Works in animation, contemporary art, installation and sculpture, painting, photography, graphic art and scenography curricula will be on display. On almost each evening of the marathon, a new exhibition will be installed and in the following evening the exhibit will give way to the next one. Hopefully, viewers will be able to keep up with the pace of the young artists.

The assessments will take place in the main building of EKA Gallery (Kotzebue 1, Tallinn) and the new EKA monumental studio (1st floor of Kotzebue 1, Tallinn).

On the assessment day(s), the exhibitions are open from 2 pm to 6 pm, on Sundays the exhibitions are open from 12 pm to 4 pm.

SCHEDULE

Mon 1.12. Drawing, Fine Arts BA I, supervisor Matti Pärk (EKA Gallery)
Tue 2.12. Drawing, Fine Arts BA II, supervisor Eero Alev (EKA Gallery)
Wed 3.12. Drawing, Fine Arts BA III, supervisor Tea Lemberpuu (EKA Gallery)
Thu 4.12. Sculpture, Fine Arts BA I, supervisors Laura Põld, Taavi Talve (EKA Gallery)
Thu 4.12. – Fri 5.12. Scenography BA III, supervisor  Mark Raidpere (Kotzebue 10)
Fri 5.12. – Sat 6.12. Contemporary Art MA I & II, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Merike Estna, Viktor Gurov, Tuukka Kaila, Eve Kask, Kristi Kongi, Karel Koplimets, Paul Kuimet, Camille Laurelli, Holger Loodus, Laura Põld, Sten Saarits, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Jaan Toomik, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (EKA Gallery)
Sun 7.12. – Mon 8.12. Contemporary Art MA I & II, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Merike Estna, Viktor Gurov, Tuukka Kaila, Eve Kask, Kristi Kongi, Karel Koplimets, Paul Kuimet, Camille Laurelli, Holger Loodus, Laura Põld, Sten Saarits, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Jaan Toomik, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (EKA Gallery & Kotzebue 10)
Tue 9.12. Contemporary Art MA I & II, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Merike Estna, Viktor Gurov, Tuukka Kaila, Eve Kask, Kristi Kongi, Karel Koplimets, Paul Kuimet, Camille Laurelli, Holger Loodus, Laura Põld, Sten Saarits, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Jaan Toomik, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (EKA Gallery & Kotzebue 10)
Wed 10.12. Painting, Fine Arts BA I, supervisors Karl-Kristjan Nagel, Tõnis Saadoja (EKA Gallery)
Thu 11.12. Graphic Art, Fine Arts BA II & III, supervisors Britta Benno, Charlotte Biszewski, Liisi Grünberg, Viktor Gurov, Eve Kask, Liina Siib (EKA Gallery)
Thu 11.12. Graphic Art, Fine Arts BA II & III, supervisors Charlotte Biszewski, Viktor Gurov,Eve Kaaret, Madis Kaasik, Eve Kask, Pawel Schulz (Kotzebue 10)
Fri 12.12. Graphic Art, Fine Arts BA II & III, supervisors Kadi Kurema, Marten Prei, Paul Rannik (EKA Gallery)
Sat 13.12. Drawing, animation BA I & photography BA II, supervisor Lilli-Krõõt Repnau (EKA Gallery)
Sun 14.12. – Mon 15.12. Photography BA I, supervisor Annika Haas (EKA Gallery)
Tue 16.12. Painting, Fine Arts BA III, supervisors Angela Maasalu, Jaan Toomik, Mart Vainre (EKA Gallery)
Tue 16.12. Photography, BA II, supervisor Kalle Veesaar (Kotzebue 10)
Wed 17.12. Painting, Fine Arts BA II, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Holger Loodus, Tõnis Saadoja (EKA Gallery)
Thu 18.12. Animation BA I, supervisor Lilli-Krõõt Repnau (EKA Gallery)

On Wednesday, 26 November at 17:00, a public panel discussion will take place at the Telliskivi Roheline Saal as part of the exhibition “Invisible Stones. A Young Artist’s Look on Industry.” The international seminar reflects on residencies and fieldwork conducted in Kohtla-Järve shale oil industry during spring and summer of 2025. The discussion explores how artists’ experiences can spark dialogue on environmental issues, and how art and practice-based research help to understand and open up relationships with industrial landscapes.

Seminar is part of Erasmus+ project Ecological Sustainability in Fine Arts Education (EcoSenda). EcoSenda investigates the connections between ecological sustainability and teaching methods in visual arts, aiming to find ways to address ecological topics in higher art education.

The session brings together Pascal Marcel Dreier (Academy of Media Arts Cologne), Nathan Schönewolf (Academy of Media Arts Cologne), Sten Saarits (Estonian Academy of Arts), and Anita Kremm (Estonian Academy of Arts). The discussion will be moderated by Kirke Kangro (Estonian Academy of Arts).

The event is for free! Coffee and snacks will be available.

“Getting lost means recognising that space can act upon us; that we can learn from it instead of only trying to control it. To come to terms with unfamiliar worlds and repeatedly recreate our points of reference is a formative experience.”
Franco La Cecla, Perdersi, 1988

Our starting point was the act of getting lost. We approached walking as a research method. Throughout the semester, we explored overlooked, often abandoned and marginal urban areas of Tallinn through direct, on-site investigation: observing without predefined expectations, recording spatial and material details, and organising these findings into practice-based research.

We visited and documented places such as Krulli, Paljassaare and Kopli, paying close attention to textures, atmospheres, objects and the transitional conditions of these environments. From this fieldwork — from what we noticed, collected and experienced — our immersive exhibition emerged.

On 29 November, from 15:00 we invite you to experience a fragment of our collective walks inside the unique Hundipea building.

Engage with the space through movement and direct observation, as we did in the field!

Location: Hundipea Kakaoladu Paljassaare tee 20, Tallinn

Date and time: 29.11.2025, 15:00 – 21:00

Team:

Elisabeth Mägi
Eliis Kuusk
Johanna Fink
Mila Mielau
Ronja Aurora Siitonen
Mare Eijkelkamp
Moritz Kaiser
Anna Sara Demeter
Anu Jakobson
Janske De Vriendt
Saana Ott
Laura Rajalin
Elise Kõiv

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/