Towards Patterns of Making
Eik Hermann, Juss Heinsalu, Kärt Ojavee

The current publication introduces the key findings of the MUUSA: Synthesis and Modelling of Material Research project and situates them in a broader context. The opening text, an interview with anthropologist Tim Ingold, challenges prevailing ideas about the relationship between material practice and academic theory, while offering alternatives. This is followed by an introduction to the conceptware underlying the work and an overview of the project’s progression. This publication helps to better conceptualise different practices of making and research, and supports the teaching of new practitioners.

MUUSA brought together two artist-designers, Juss Heinsalu and Kärt Ojavee, philosopher Eik Hermann and several cross-disciplinary external experts. The project and its results were first shown as an exhibition (held in November 2024 at MUUSA Studio in Tallinn) and are now also presented as a publication.

Publishing of Towards Patterns of Making has been supported by the Estonian Academy of Arts, and the previous project was funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture’s creative research grant. 

The launch will be held in English.

On 18 June at 17:00, the exhibition “Tosin” opens on the ground floor of Draakon Gallery. The exhibition brings together a selection of master’s projects completed in the glass workshop of the Estonian Academy of Arts over the past twelve years. The exhibition is open from 18 June to 19 July.

The point of departure for the exhibition is the history of glass education in Estonia. The archive collection of the Tallinn School of Arts and Crafts holds a 1936 protocol of the school council, which refers to the establishment of the crystal and glass-cutting department by a decision of the Minister of Social Affairs. This may be understood as one of the first important milestones in Estonian glass education. “Tosin” looks back at this historical point of origin from a contemporary perspective, bringing together EKA master’s projects in which glass is the primary material.

The exhibition does not present a chronological overview. Instead, it focuses on a selection of master’s projects completed during the past twelve years and considers glass as a contemporary artistic medium moving between technical skill, spatial thinking, embodied experience and conceptual research.

“Tosin” brings together master’s projects whose physical realisation is connected to the technical possibilities and know-how of the EKA glass workshop. Glass connects the authors, workshop-based knowledge, historical continuity and personal creative processes.

At the centre of the exhibition is the question: what has glass enabled EKA master’s students to explore? The selected works use glass to open questions related to the body, memory, space, working process, industrial heritage, psychological self-reflection, digital identity, material agency, and the borderlands of art and design. In the exhibition, glass may appear as a technical challenge, an embodied partner, a reflective surface, a spatial installation, an image of a psychological state, a carrier of material memory, or a trigger for the creative process.

“Tosin” brings master’s projects that have since moved into artists’ studios or private collections back into public view, creating a new dialogue between them.

The participating artists are Iohan Figueroa, Andra Jõgis, Niina-Anneli Kaarnamo, Elle Lepik, Rait Lõhmus, Maris Maasikas-Korts, Alyona Movko-Mägi and Kristiina Oppi.

Acknowledgements: Estonian Glass Artists’ Union, Estonian Academy of Arts, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Draakon Gallery

Exhibition: Tosin  

Participating artists: Iohan Figueroa, Andra Jõgis, Niina-Anneli Kaarnamo, Elle Lepik, Rait Lõhmus, Maris Maasikas-Korts, Alyona Movko-Mägi, Kristiina Oppi  

Opening: 18 June at 17:00  

Exhibition dates: 18 June – 19 July  Venue: Draakon Gallery, ground floor

TASE DAY on Saturday, June 6th:

1–9 pm TASE exhibition open
1–3 pm guided tours of the Faculty of Design, in Estonian
3–3.30pm guided tours of the Faculty of Art and Culture, in Estonian
3–6 pm burning ritual at Kail Timusk’s installation “Requiem Larium” on the sea terrace of the main building
3.45–4.30pm Jaak Juske’s historical tour around EKA, in Estonian
5 pm TASE Anima ’26 screening at the cinema Sõprus
7 pm TASE Anima ’26 Q&A in the lobby of the main building of the Estonian Academy of
Arts, moderated by Lyza Karoly Jarvis and Kaur Järve, in English

Keithy Kuuspu’s durational performance in the yard of Kotzebue 4

– “Indirect Performativity” on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 pm

Burning rituals at Kail Timusk’s installation “Requiem Larium” on the sea terrace of the main building of EKA

– Sat 6.06 at 3–6 pm
– Sun 14.06 at 4–7 pm
– Fri 19.06 at 1–4 pm

Margaret Tilk’s study club “Girls, In Theory”

Tuesday, June 9 at 6 pm at EKA Gallery, with pre-registration, in Estonian

GUIDED TOURS

All tours start in the lobby of the EKA main building and participation is free of charge.

Historical tour

Saturday, June 6 at 3.45–4.30 pm historical tour around EKA, led by Jaak Juske, in Estonian, donations are welcome

Guided tours of the Faculty of Architecture

– Thursday, June 11 at 2–3 pm guided tour of the Department of Interior Architecture led by Gregor Taul, in Estonian
– Thursday, June 11 at 3.30–5 pm guided tour of the Departments of Architecture and Urbanism led by Roland Reemaa, in Estonian
– Monday, June 15 at 5–6 pm guided tour of the Faculty of Architecture led by Sille Pihlak, in Estonian
– Tuesday, June 16 at 1–2 pm guided tour of the Department of Interior Architecture led by students of the faculty, in Estonian

Guided tours of the Faculty of Design

– Saturday, June 6 at 1–3 pm, guided tour by Kätlin Leokin and students of the faculty, in Estonian
– Sunday, June 14 at 1–3 pm, guided tour by Kätlin Leokin and students of the faculty, in Estonian

Guided tours of the Faculty of Arts and Culture

– Saturday, June 6 at 3–3.30 pm, guided tour by Valve Saarma, in Estonian
– Sunday, June 14 at 3–3.30 pm, guided tour by Valve Saarma, in Estonian

Guided tour of the Faculty of Fine Arts

– Sunday, June 14 at 4–5 pm, guided tour by Elo Vahtrik, in Estonian

More info at: https://tase.artun.ee/

Being / Becoming
Põhjala tehas, Marati 5-3, 2nd floor
Exhibition open June 4–14, everyday 11:00–19:00
Opening: Wednesday, June 3, 18:00

From materials to maker,
from environment to mind.
Through the fingertips into an object,
which then finds its way back to the environment again.

The practice of craft is one of interconnection: between material and body, environment and society, thought and action. Craft extends beyond the production of a physical object – it shapes the ways we relate to the world around us and to one another.

The exhibition Being / Becoming presents works by the first year students of the Craft Studies MA program. Developed alongside one another over the past year, the works emerge through conversations between materials and makers, processes and practices, experiments and outcomes – shaped through sharing spaces of making, thinking and exchange.

Being is existing in the same space with others. Becoming is an endless process of change until we decide to lay a pause on it.

Participating: Astrid Davis, Þórey Björk Halldórsdóttir, Carmen Kremm, Anna Larionova, Athaly Lens, Marco Manfredino, Teresa RA, Anna-Maria Saar, Kay Shek, Laura-Maria Vahimets

In curatorial dialogue with: Anu Vahtra
Graphic design: Andrew Kuus-Hill & Linda Morel

Thank you: Juss Heinsalu, Kärt Ojavee, Põhjala tehas
Supporters: Craft Studies, Estonian Academy of Arts, Punch Club OÜ

Throughout the exhibition we have a few events organised for the public, including tours, workshops and a finissage:

Tours
Sunday, June 7, 11:00–12:00
Sunday, June 14, 15:00–16:00
In English & Estonian
* Free participation

Workshops
‘Materializing the Handwriting. The Workshop’ by Anna-Maria Saar

The hand-stitching workshop develops participants’ awareness of their personal working methods through hands-on experimentation with different materials. It supports learners more broadly in understanding and articulating their intuitive choices as makers.

Sunday, June 7, 13:00–13:45
Wednesday, June 10, 18:00–18:30
Thursday, June 11, 18:00–18:30

* Workshops take place in the exhibition space, free participation with prior registration: anna-maria.saar@artun.ee. Materials are provided on site.

Finissage
Sunday, June 14, 16:00–19:00

Lecture will be held on 2nd of june at Estonian Academy of Arts (room A101)

Please register HERE.

SYNOPSIS

The open lecture will explore the intersection of high-level design leadership and the practical mechanics of scaling impactful ideas. Drawing from the experience of a global design leader and former Global Director of Innovation at Puma Headquarters, the lecture will present case studies that reveal how innovation is navigated within complex creative and commercial environments.

At the core of the lecture is the question of what it truly means to be a “good” designer today. Referencing David Epstein’s concept of Range, the discussion will examine why breadth of experience, interdisciplinary curiosity, and analogical thinking often outperform narrow specialization when addressing contemporary challenges.

Moving beyond individual creative practice, the lecture will also introduce frameworks for scaling ideas through innovation stress-testing — a process designed to distinguish short-lived trends from commercially and culturally sustainable concepts. This approach is grounded in meaningful definition and purpose-driven thinking, inspired by Simon Sinek’s principle of Start with Why.

The lecture concludes by addressing the human side of innovation: the communication skills, persuasion strategies, and stakeholder management required to guide ambitious ideas through the inevitable friction of growth and implementation.

Key themes include:

– Global design and innovation case studies from Puma and beyond

– The value of interdisciplinary thinking and creative range

– Purpose-driven innovation and idea stress-testing

– Communication, persuasion, and stakeholder alignment in scaling innovation

Charles Johnson

Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center

Principal, Driven By Charles LLC

For four decades, Charles has shaped the product visions and strategies of world-leading brands including Adidas and Puma. Originally trained as an Industrial Designer, his career evolved from specialized footwear design to executive-level leadership across sports, fashion, and connected products.

Today, Charles bridges the gap between high-level consulting and academia. As Assistant Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center, he teaches students how to scale innovations from inception to mass market while navigating the complex “adverse interests” of organizational functions and stakeholders. As a consulting practice Driven By Charles he helps startups ground their vision in product and brand strategy. Charles is driven by a humanistic approach to design, specializing in experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds and that promote health and world balance.

On May 23 at 1:30 PM the 2nd year glass and ceramics department students of EKA will open their exhibition Same Time Same Place in the Viinistu`s Barrel Gallery.

In a time marked by tension, acceleration and fragile boundaries, this exhibition gathers works that linger in the space between presence and relation. Created by 12 student artists from the glass and ceramics departments of EKA, the exhibition unfolds as a series of quiet negotiations between materials, bodies, and ways of being that do not always easily align.

Rather than offering a unified perspective, it brings together distinct, sometimes conflicting approaches. The works explore connection as a process: we leave traces, we transform, inevitably and continuously, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this, there are tensions and collisions, moments of conflict, and recurring attempts to foster peace.

The exhibition attends to the conditions under which beings share space. Proximity does not guarantee understanding; contact does not ensure unity. Instead, the works move through closeness, tension, dependence, and care, questioning what it means to coexist. Symbiosis is more than living side by side, just as parasitism speaks to forms of reliance and imbalance.
Co-existence emerges here as a kind of chemistry — a dissolving you and an insoluble me, and vice versa. Together, the works ask what it means to exist alongside difference without dissolving it.

Works by: Antigone Doron-Sornin, Lee Saarepera, Maria Ivanova, Karl Otti, Daniela Treviño, Martin Kõiv, Stina Preiman, Kirke Vahar, Una Poriete, Olivia Jegorov, Ellen Schleyer, Helen Vinogradov

Advisors: Kaja Altvee, Kateriin Rikken 

The exhibition will remain open until June 11th.

Opening times:
 
Until May 31: Fri-Sun 11-18
From June 1: Mon-Sun 11–18

Supported by: Viinistu Art Harbour, Lexplast, EKA Student Council, Põhjala, Peetri Lõheäri, High Voltage, Capra Saun, Käbliku, Coca Cola, Juhan Kivitoa 

On Friday, May 15 at 1:00 PM, the Patarei Sea Fortress will host the opening of an exhibition titled “Alone Together” curated by the second-year students of the Estonian Academy of Arts Jewellery and Blacksmithing department. The exhibition will present works of contemporary metal and jewelry art which examine the inner world of a person, exploring how the desire to belong shapes our choices, ideologies, and prejudices. 

As humans, we are frightened by loneliness – the need for communication, touch, and a sense of belonging is natural. Although it is easier to make new connections today than ever before, reality seems to indicate the opposite – people are experiencing increasing loneliness. 

Participating students: Alexander Matthias Saage, Karl-Erik Eeriksoo, Barbara Põldmaa, Kirsika Kaljuste, Stiina Marie Sarevet, Johanna Maria Maripuu

The student’s work was supervised by Eve Margus and Nils Hint.

Graphic designer: Mattias E. Tiik

Patarei Sea Fortress

Kalaranna tn 28

May 15 – 24, 2026

Mon-Sun, 13-19p.m.

Moulds for the Wilderness / Vormid tühermaale
Odie Lap Chun Chow
Location: Hanger, Põhjala tehas, Marati tn 5, Tallinn
Opening 8.05 at 18:00
Visting hours: 8.05–19.05 WED-SUN 11:00-17:00
Defence date: 12.05 at 10:00

Moulds for the Wilderness is a showcase of Odie Lap Chun Chow’s journey into mould making, inspired by ceramic casting production and self-experience in identity seeking. Gypsum, clay, and photography became the materials Odie used to explore and reflect on his struggle to find self-identity, bound to the city he came from. Here, he raises the question of whether moulds give limits or freedom to one, and whether one can create their own “wilderness”, a space without borders.

Perfect Dupes / Täiuslik duplikaat
Maia Hellman
Location: Kopli tn 2a
Opening: 9.05 at 18:00
Visiting Hours 9.05–30.05 THR-SUN 14:00-19:00
Defence date: 12.05 at 15:00

The remnants of the honey shop linger here, in the elongated shelves that run the walls and the price stickers from the beekeeping and gardening equipment they once sold. The same shelves now hold objects that arrived here with their own histories. Second-hand tableware, ceramic pieces, raw materials. Things that have passed through other hands before reaching these shelves. Some of them have passed through mine.

Lyly Pudi-Padi Pood, Lyly’s IJzerwinkel, La Quincallerie de Lyly
Lyly Letzer
Location: Keskturg Kiosk 168
Opening date: 10.05 at 11:00
Visiting hours: 10.05–17.05
Defence date: 13.05 at 11:00

A “ijzerwinkel”, “quincallerie” or “pudi-padi pood” is a place where you can find glue, a flower, a plate or someone to talk to. // Pudi-padi pood on koht, kust võib leida nii liimi, lilleõie, taldriku kui ka vestluse. // Une quincaillerie est un endroit où on peut tout trouver, un clou, une assiette, un savon et une personne à qui parler. // Ik ga naar een ijzerwinkel om van alles en nog wat te vinden: een tas, een koek of een babbel.

Unfolding Gestures / Avanev käeliigutus
Mariam Mestvirishvili
Location: Angaarinstituut, Põhjala Tehas, Marati tn 5, Tallinn
Opening 8.05 at 18:00
Visiting: 8.05–24.05 WED-SUN 11:00-17:00
Defence date: 13.05 at 15:00

Unfolding Gestures brings together practices of ceramic and textile making, exploring what lies beyond their surface and unfolds through them. By focusing on the process of making, the coexistence of material and maker as beings in their own right becomes visible, resulting in a series of works that reveal the traces of the process and its inherent mundanities.

Beyond Wearability / Kantavusest kaugemal
Peixuan Lin
Location: ARS Kunstilinnak, Stuudio 53, Pärnu mnt 154
Opening 11.05 at 18:00
Visiting hours: 11.05–15.05
Defence date: 14.05 at 10:00

Beyond Wearability builds on the personal experiences and theoretical research of designer Peixuan Lin, exploring how accessories transcend from wearability to becoming fluid symbols of identity. It shows how materials, myths, and everyday use collectively transform accessories into vehicles for personal narratives.

Souvenirs from Home / Suveniirid kodust
Sylvia Burgess
Location: Pika Jala väravatorn, Pikk Jalg 3
Opening: 16.05 at 18:00
Visiting hours 16.05–14.06 THR–SUN 12:00-17:00
Defence date: 14.05 at 14:00

Souvenirs from home is an exhibition of small objects and jewellery drawing on motifs, techniques and materials gathered through the three homes Sylvia Burgess has experienced in the past two years.

KULTIVEERITUD KEHA
Joanne-Heleene Sõrmus
Location: EKA Stenograafia stuudio, B304
Opening: 14.05 at 19:00 (performance)
Defence date: 15.05 at 10:00, A403

At the culmination, the focus shifts away from the body to what remains of it: its traces, forms, and surfaces that are transferred into the garment. Performance KULTIVEERITUD KEHA explores the moment when the body ceases to be the objective and instead becomes a trace – a shell no longer defined by physical perfection, but by the aesthetic and emotional residue left by the pursuit of it.

Extensions / Pikendused
Marite Kuus-Hill

Location: Kopli 70a, II floor/korrus
Opening 12.05 at 18:00

Defence date: 15.05 at 14:00

Extensions is a collection of events surrounding a handmade 4 m x 4 m quilt. This project presents a series of proposals and brings forth open-ended questions about space and space making, while expanding the notion of a quintessential cultural object, the quilted blanket.

Collection of public events:

April 17th 18:00
Thesis Assembly
Marite Kuus-Hill & Chloé Gourvennec
Krulli maja, Kopli 70a, Tallinn

May 6th 14:00
Patchnotes: Line Arngaard
Haron Barashed & Marite Kuus-Hill
oh.eka-gd-ma.ee / EKA sea terrace, Põhja pst 7, Tallinn

May 12th 18:00
Twelve Proposals for an Unfolding Event
Lili Maud Dobell & Marite Kuus-Hill
Krulli maja, Kopli 70a, Tallinn

May 13th 18:00 (invitation only)
Quilting Bee and Talking Bird
Jordy Weaver & Marite Kuus-Hill
ETC Space, Niine 8, Tallinn

May 22nd – 23rd 11:00-17:00
Quilt Space
Fair Enough Art Book Fair
Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design
Lai 17, Tallinn

June 3rd 14:00
Patchnotes: Alek Green
Haron Barashed & Marite Kuus-Hill
oh.eka-gd-ma.ee / EKA sea terrace, Põhja pst 7, Tallinn

/please note that the event will be in Estonian only!/

The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA), Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA), and Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (TLÜ BFM) invite you to this season’s last Science Café!

Clothing is not merely an object, but an environment that influences our perception, emotions, and behavior. This year’s final Science Café introduces artistic research that approaches fashion as an embodied system — a dynamic environment shaping the wearer’s physical and psychological experience. Drawing on concepts of embodied interaction and affective technology, we explore how material, sound, movement, and smart textiles function not only as aesthetic elements, but as sensory agents.

At the Science Café table, design, technology, body awareness, and traditional embodied knowledge come together to interpret clothing as a sensitive and responsive interface between the body and the environment — a system in which historical material practices and contemporary technology intertwine to create a new experiential space.

The discussion will be moderated by senior researcher Kristi Kuusk (EKA)

Speakers:

• Prof Piret Puppart (EKA)
• Prof Paula Veske-Lepp, (Tallinn University of Applied Sciences)
• senior lecturer and doctoral student Einike Leppik (EMTA / Milan Conservatory)

Thank you for signing up here so that we know how many people to expect!

The event is free and open to all interested participants and is supported by the Estonian Research Council’s science popularisation programme.

EMTA, EKA and BFM invite you to the Science Café!

On Tuesday, 28 April at 18:00, an evening of discussion will take place at Apollo Plaza bookshop, bringing together artistic researchers from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA), the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) and the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School at Tallinn University (TLÜ BFM) to share the thinking behind their practice and research, and to explore the nature, methods and outcomes of artistic research.

This edition of the Science Café focuses on the theme “Artistic Research: Reality and Fiction”. The creative process involves imagination: the ability to envision things and bring new objects and worlds into being. The research process, including artistic research, involves argumentation, verification and the scrutiny of facts. How, then, can artistic research reconcile factuality with imagination and fantasy, which are, in essence, forms of fabrication, or the making and presenting of things in ways they ordinarily are not? This Science Café explores the connections between reality and fiction in artistic research through the interests and works of researchers from different fields.

The discussion will be held in English.

Moderator: Liis Nimik (TLU BFM)

Participants: Sveta Grigorjeva (EMTA), Jaak Sikk (EMTA), Jaana Päeva (EKA), Carlos Eduardo Lesmes Lopez (TLU BFM),

To participate, if possible, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSf07GGetTWMi2…/viewform

The event is free and open to all and takes place with the support of the Estonian Research Council’s science outreach programme.