Category: Faculty of Design

EKA invites you from September 29 to October 5 on a journey through different layers of young design.

The exhibition and event program bring together the heritage of EKA’s design past, the diversity of the present, and future directions, opening doors to fresh ideas and creative courage.

During EKA Design Week, a variety of events will take place:

Public lectures and discussion evenings – inspiring meetings where designers, faculty, and students discuss the role and meaning of design in today’s world.

Design workshops – our students and faculty offer the opportunity to experience the design creation process firsthand and explore new knowledge and skills in various fields. Workshops are open to all interested in contemporary design thinking and practical experimentation.

Pop-up shop – The pop-up shop offers visitors a rare chance to purchase unique products, support the journey of young designers, and take home a piece of EKA’s creative energy. Get young and fresh design directly from the creators.

Come and experience the vibrant and ever-changing landscape of young design – look back, be present, and peek into the future.

The EKA Design Week schedule:

September 29 – October 5 – Exhibition “Lines of the Past, Directions for the Future”
Open Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–15:00 at EKA White House, Kotzebue 10.
Exhibition opening: September 29 at 16:00.

September 29 – October 5 – Design & Innovation Program 10th Anniversary Exhibition
Open Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–15:00 at EKA White House, Kotzebue 10.

September 30 – October 1 – Two-day social design workshop “Designing Our Future for All”
Day 1: 09:45–13:00, Day 2: 14:00–17:15 + independent work between the two days.
Location: EKA White House, Kotzebue 10.

Workshop will be held in English.
Detailed description and schedule of the workshop.
REGISTER HERE.

September 30 at 17:30 – ERKI Fashion Show Discussion Evening
The discussion evening brings together the organizers, designers, and alumni of the ERKI Fashion Show to discuss the significance of the runway, behind-the-scenes stories of the creative process, and ERKI’s role in the Estonian design landscape. This is an opportunity to hear inspiring experiences, ask questions, and see how young fashion designers bring their ideas to life.
Location: EKA Main Building Foyer, Põhja pst 10.

The event will be in Estonian.

September 30, 14:00–16:00 – Open Workshop “Gardenly Slowness”
Instructors: Marta Põldma and Jane Remm (places are full).
Location: EKA White House Monumental Studio, Kotzebue 10.
(Join the waiting list, the event will be in Estonian.)

October 1 at 17:30 – Open Lecture “Creative Design Research: Body-Inclusive Play for Children and Their Grandparents Living Far Away”
Lecturer: Kristi Kuusk.
Location: EKA Foyer, Põhja pst 7
The lecture will be held in English.

October 2 at 18:00 – LEIDA Article Collection Presentation
Introduction of a new edition gathering reflections and analyses in the field of design.
Location: EKA Foyer, Põhja pst 7
(Please RSVP)

October 7 at 19:00 – Design and Innovation Program 10th Anniversary Celebration
Location: EKA White House Monumental Studio (invitation only)

EKA Design Week Facebook event here.

On Wednesday, 27th of August 2025 at 6 PM, the exhibition Anatomy of Dust, by Juss Heinsalu and Kim Morgan, opens at Hobusepea Gallery.

Anatomy of Dust brings together two artistic practices that meet at the intersection of material investigation, scientific inquiry, and narrative building. Through intricate objects, experimental processes and installations, the gallery transforms into a cohesive spatial experience, a hybrid lab–studio environment, exploring the physical and conceptual forms of matter – from dust and dirt to blood, skin, and ash.

The viewer encounters “material bodies,” human and non-human, and the complex systems and cycles that connect and sustain them – presented in a range of altered micro-macro scales, amplified textures, scientific and medical imaging technologies, archive research and poetic interventions. The gallery’s large front window is used as a living interface between interior and exterior, offering passersby glimpses into the ongoing dialogue between organic and inorganic, life and death, matter and meaning.

“Informed by the experience of vibrant matter at the microscopic level these works offer new forms of body representation and an opportunity to bridge the gap between science, medicine, and art. Equally important to these installations are my propositions for the work to be situated in public space.” – Kim Morgan

“My recent work focuses on meteoritic origins, petrification and speculative conditions that present alternative mineral-based lifeforms. I have been curiously exploring ways to combine metal and ceramic compounds. Additionally, some older lines are included, such as optical devices and breathing clay-lungs animated by air pumps.” – Juss Heinsalu

The project extends beyond the visual: Kim Morgan will be using the gallery space as a studio/lab/research space to discuss her work within the context of her doctoral research, which includes situating the work in public space. A panel for public discussion (presenters TBA) is organised to engage with the scientific, artistic, and speculative ideas underpinning the works.

Artist tour: Saturday 13.09.2025 at 15 PM in ENG and 16:30 in EST
Panel discussion: Thursday 18.09.2025 at 18 PM (discussion will be held in ENG)

The exhibition will remain open until the 22nd of September.

Juss Heinsalu is an Estonian artist based in Tallinn. His autonomous research-creation process explores the embodiment of life in clay, merging scientific hypothesis, mythological and ethnographic knowledge with material-led studio practice. Heinsalu holds a degree in ceramics from the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) and received his MFA at NSCAD University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Currently, he is an associate professor and the head of the Craft Studies MA programme at EKA.

Kim Morgan is a Canadian visual artist working in multi-media installation and public space. Her work explores the impact of technology on people’s perceptions of time, space, and the body, and the shifting boundaries between the private and the public. Morgan is a professor at NSCAD University, Canada, and a PhD candidate at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Graphic designer: Aimur Takk

Many thanks to: Estonian Academy of Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, The Dalhousie Art Gallery, Heron Vrubel, Eric-Olivier Theriault Raymond, Gary Markle, Bruce Anderson, Kärt Ojavee, Katherine Diemert, friends and family members.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Dominic Redfern
Neither Artificial, Nor Intelligent

Bernard Stiegler argued that humans and technology are co-constituted; humans are not separate from and do not precede technology, but instead, human evolution is entangled with the emergence and evolution of technics, a process he calls “technogenesis”. For Stiegler, humans are “always already” technological. This idea seems particularly relevant as we negotiate the present and future with AI.

Since DALL-E 2 launched it 2022, AI has gone viral.

What is AI?

What are the implications for artists and creatives?

What are artists doing with this technology?

How can AI art reflect our historical moment meaningfully?

Dominic Redfern will offer some thoughts on these questions in his lecture and offer a short reflection on his own explorations with this uncanny technology.

Dominic Redfern is a male presenting, settler Australian. He has been exhibiting video since 1997. Dominic has had three key bodies of work: a decade on performed identity; a decade of environmental studies; and his current return to abstraction and process once again addressing questions around identity and subjectivity. Across his career he has been supported by various municipalities, the ARC, the Australia Council for the Arts, and state arts funding bodies. Dominic has undertaken site-responsive projects in Brazil, the USA, Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Germany, and France. He is an Associate Professor at RMIT’s School of Art.

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.

“MÕJU”, a group exhibition by students of the Glass and Ceramics departments at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA), opens on Thursday, May 22 at 18:00 in the Põhjala Tehas Cultural Centre, Marati 5, Tallinn.

From May 22 to June 8, the the exhibition presents works by eleven emerging artists who each explore the concept of “influence” — the meaning of the Estonian word “mõju” — through personal interpretations and diverse material approaches.
A shared conceptual approach ties the diverse works together. Here, influence moves quietly – through gestures, fragments, and the gentle persistence of repetition. It resides in the body, in memory, in material – often unnoticed until something shifts, suddenly becoming impossible to ignore. A surface cracks. A pattern breaks. A new perspective emerges.

At MÕJU, influence is not a force to be imposed but a presence to be sensed. It resists definition, yet leaves a trace. A mark. A memory. A motion repeated until it becomes something else.

Exploring themes such as language, memory and music—the artists employ materials ranging from glass and ceramics to photography and site-specific or ephemeral works.

Participants: Arina Golubeva, Darja Nikitina, Elisabeth Töltl, Elza Jenzena, Koidu K. Priimägi, Lilian Maasik, Lou Bolinger, Mona Sofia Tahk, Rumen Stoychev, Teresa RA, Yulia Vakina

Supervisors: Kaja Altvee, Ingrid Allik, Kateriin Rikken

Graphic design: Koidu K. Priimägi, Elisabeth Töltl

The exhibition is supported by the Estonian Academy of Arts, Vivacolor, Põhjala Tehas and
Embassy of Austria.

The exhibition opening is supported by Põhjala Brewery.

EKA Graduation Show TASE ‘25 opens on May 28, 2025

The Estonian Academy of Arts’ grad show TASE ’25 is back, with the main event being the graduation exhibition held at the “Projekteerijate maja”, located at Rävala puiestee 8, Tallinn.

The TASE ‘25 opening event will be held on Wednesday, May 28, at 17:00 in the park in front of the Rävala 8 building. During the public opening event, awards for Young Artist, Young Applied Artist, and Young Designer will be presented to both bachelor’s and master’s level students.

PROGRAM

TASE ’25 opening events schedule on Wednesday, May 28, 4:00 PM–11:00 PM:

4 PM procession from the Estonian Academy of Arts to the building at Rävala Puiestee 8

5 PM opening ceremony on the lawn in front of Rävala Puiestee 8, announcement of the Young Designer, Young Artist and Young Applied Artist MA and BA awards

6 PM TASE ’25 exhibition doors open

7.30 PM Avemaria concert on the lawn in front of Rävala Puiestee 8

8 PM Taavet Kirja DJ set

11 PM End of the party

In addition, Hulkur Bar and ÖKU food truck will be present.

TASE pop-up shop

28.05.–1.06.25 Rävala puiestee 8 first floor lobby, open Wed 18.00–23.00 Thu–Sun 13.00–19.00

TASE ANIMA 2025 animation final project screening on Friday, June 13, 17.00–19.00 at Sõprus cinema, free admission.

Participants: Paulina Belik, Maya Chaudhary, Nataliia Domini, Kate Jansone, Timofei Jerjomenko, Annaliisa Lepik, Anne Lucas, Natalya Mirzoyan, Léo Dominique Mourey, Katrina Oll, Mia Rulli, Yiyang Sun, Alex Toodu, Kaisa Vallaots, Lukas Wind, Shunyuan Yao

Thesis of the Faculties of Architecture, Design, Art Culture and Liberal Arts

Rävala puiestee 8, Tallinn29.05.–19.06.25, open daily from 13.00–19.00, free admission

The final project of contemporary art master’s students Yvette Bathgate & Jake Shepherd “a space for gathering, a space for growing”

EKKM Community Garden, Kursi 5, Tallinn

28.05.–19.05.25, open 24/7, free admission

The program has been prepared in collaboration with Keithy Kuuspu, Kati Saaritsa, Feminist Culture House, and Laura De Jager.

Art Studio Master’s student Alyona Movko-Mägi’s final project “Being. Creator. Gender.” Seek Gallery, Väike-Pääsukese 5, Tallinn6.06.–27.09.25, open June–August 20:00–2:00, September 20:00–00:00, admission 7€/5€

Event introducing the final theses of graphic design master’s students “Cover, Show”

Skoone bastion, Tallinn

6.06. 11:00–19:00

Participants: Fatima-Ezzahra El Khammas, Hanafi Gazali, Rok Ifko Krajnc, Linnea Lindgren, Laura Martens, João Pedro Nogueira, Karthik Palepu, Archil Tsereteli

Thesis “Internal Spheres” by Dana Lorên Vares, Master of Jewelry Design

Rehearsal Hall of the Von Krahl Theatre, Telliskivi 60a-9, Tallinn

2.–3.06.25, entrance from the railway side, free

Introduction of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in Interior Architecture led by Gregor Taul, starting in the lobby of Rävala Puiestee 8.

Wednesday, June 4, 15:00–16:00, in Estonian

Social Design Studio – a series of events and installations for social design master’s students

The exhibition ends with a discussion by recent graduates on the topic “What is social design?”

6.–7.06.25 Rävala Puiestee 8, first floor lobby, free admission.

More information:  https://www.facebook.com/sotsiaalsedisainistuudio/

Faculty of Architecture exhibition tours

Open to all space enthusiasts, both incoming students and professionals in the field:
June 4, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Interior Architecture Final Theses, Curriculum Director Gregor Taul
June 11, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Architecture Today, Dean Sille Pihlak
June 18, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Faculty of Architecture final theses will be introduced by architect and head of master’s studies, Prof. Toomas Tammis
June 18, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Faculty of Architecture final theses will be introduced by architect and head of master’s studies, Prof. Toomas Tammis

Register for the tour here

Anna-Liisa Villmann-led tours with the laureates of the Young Designer, Young Artist and Young Applied Artist MA and BA awards, starting in the lobby of Rävala puiestee 8.

Saturday, May 31, 13–14:30, in Estonian

Saturday, June 14, 13–14:30, in Estonian

Saturday, June 14, 14:30–16:00, in English

Public defenses of final theses

Final theses defenses at the Estonian Academy of Arts and at the TASE Final Thesis Festival at Rävala puiestee 8, Tallinn, 26.05.–11.06.2025

Check out the schedule on the website https://www.artun.ee/et/kalender/eka-loputoode-kaitsmised/

Get to know TASE ‘25 program and list of graduates on the website tase.artun.ee – the website will open on May 23.

The written parts of the theses can be viewed in the EKA Digital Archive at https://eka.access.preservica.com/

TASE ’25 Facebook event

Sofiya Babiy
A spectrum of disappearance / Hääbumise varjundid
Location: Rävala 8, room A203
Defence: 12.05 at 10 o’clock

Elias Sormanen
Dreams of Novaja Zemlja / Unenäod Novaja Zemljast
Location: Pikk jalg 3, attic
Defence: 12.05 at 15 o’clock

Juulia Aleksandra Mikson
For a moment / Hetke vaid
Location: Manufaktuuri 7/2 ja Manufaktuuri kvartal apple orhid
Defence: 13.05 at 11 o’clock

Iohan Figueroa
Drifting / Kandumine
Performance: 13.05 at 16 o’clock
Location: Paljassaare hoiuala (outdoors)
Defence: 14.05 at 10 o’clock in Krulli Studio (Kopli 70a, II floor)

Hannah Segerkrantz
From Mines to Mountains / Maast Mägedeks
Location: Pikk jalg 3, III floor
Defence: 14.05 at 14 o’clock

Kati Saarits
Series of Belongings / Seeriad esemetest
Location: Koidu 23-6 apartment
Defence: 15.05 at 11 o’clock

Alyona Movko-Mägi
Creature. Maker. Mire. / Olend. Looja. Soo.
Location: Gallery SEEK, Väike-Pääsukese 5
Defence: 15.05 at 15 o’clock

Rait Lõhmus
reblow toolset: piiritus / infinite
Performance/demo: 16.05 at 13 o’clock
Location: Rakvere piiritustehas, Vabriku 6 in Rakvere
Defence: 16.05 at 14 o’clock

The Forest Whispers is a unique jewellery exhibition that brings Estonian jewellery to Finland for the first time.

The exhibition of contemporary Estonian jewellery, Forest Whispers, tells the story of the relationship with nature, the forest and its meanings for Estonians. The jewellery opens up the relationship with the forest and nature from different perspectives: through mythology, the forest connection and the production of natural materials or ideas.

This unique jewelry exhibition brings Estonian jewelry to Finland for the first time. The exhibition features the work of around 50 jewelry artists, a forest project by students from the Art School of Helsinki, and the work of Roman Tavasti artists. The exhibition is curated by PhD Kärt Summatavet.

The forest is a meaningful, even sacred place. The experience of nature opens up by spending time there in different ways: walking, sitting, listening, drawing, photographing, swimming, picking berries and mushrooms. The exhibition allows you to delve deeper into the history of Estonian jewellery, mythology and the relationship with nature. The jewellery has been transformed into experiences, observations and dreams, traditions and ancient knowledge in the hands of artists. The relationship between Finnish and Estonian people with forests is very similar and exhibition visitors will certainly find common ground in their own ideas about nature and forests.

Textiles 110: Open Lecture by Päivi Vaarula “Material and Content, Working Together in textile Art”

On April 29, at 5 p.m in room A501

Päivi Vaarula is a textile artist from Hämeenlinna, Finland. Her work is rooted in keen observation of everyday life, which she thoughtfully transforms into the visual language of textile art. Rather than seeking to entertain, she aims to create meaningful, thought-provoking works that often engage with present contemporary issues—particularly those related to the environment.

Vaarula works with local materials, traditional floor looms, and natural dyes, embracing sustainable practices in both concept and technique. For several years, she has been known for her distinctive three-dimensional woven surfaces, skillfully utilizing the expressive qualities of wool to bring depth and texture to her pieces.

Her art has been featured in over 70 group exhibitions and she has held 18 solo exhibitions, both in Finland and internationally. Alongside her artistic practice, Päivi Vaarula has worked as a full-time lecturer for more than 30 years. She has led lectures and workshops in numerous countries, including Finland, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Wales, Scotland, England, and Iceland.

Päivi Vaarula will talk about her textile journey and about her art.

Her solo exhibition “Entertainment” is also open at HOP gallery (Hobusepea tänav 2, Tallinn) until April 29th.

Textile 110 is a series of events celebrating the 110th anniversary of EKA’s textile design education, as part of which a series of open lectures focusing on textiles will be held, a series of publications will be published, and a selection of works from the EKA Museum’s textile collection can be seen throughout the year.

The lecture series opens up the spectrum of diverse opportunities in the field of textiles, both in design, industry, and creative practices, bringing out different roles and methods of creation in the field through various invited guests.

Supported by the Research Fund of EKA and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

The exhibition “I Got a Great Lick of It Before It All Melted” is an exhibition by students of Graphic Design and Product Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts, which reflects on choices and experiences.

Opening 24 April 6 PM
ARS Art Factory – Studio 53 ja 98

Entrance from the courtyard

We all have a certain number of experiences in life, on which we build the next one. It is like an archive. You can’t ever experience anything without the latter.. And then we end up with those choices that we unconsciously and finally consciously make every day again and again. We are faced with something that is self-evident, like putting one foot in front of the other when walking or inhaling and exhaling.. we don’t notice these actions, but yet we do them constantly. Our choices shape our experiences and, when combined, our dance through life.

Artists: Riko Smirnov, Richard Vainola, Gabriella Tarja, Laura Sööt, Katriin Saulus, Anna Elisabeth Remmelg, Kenneth Pert, Hanna Milk, Anett Elis Männil, Brit Maripuu, Paula Maria Mengel, Stella Maris Liiva, Kelli Kütt, Helen Kärt Käbin, Martin Kislõi, Mark Kokotov, Teele Kiisk, Grittel Kastan, Greg Mikael Juhanson, Daria Titova, Johannes Adrik, Aries Puusepp, Rebecca Lopez,
Graphic Design: Mark Kokotov

Dance like this is the first of its kind for the students and they have been guided to this by Kristel Saan.

Supported and sponsored by Estonian Academy of Arts and Põhjala Brewery