Category: New Media

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

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

Kuressaare Castle, Lossihoov 1, Kuressaare, Saaremaa
13.07.-04.08.2025; entrance with museum ticket
Opening: July 12 2PM; free entrance during the opening
The Exhibition is part of Saarte Art Fest program.

WALKTHROUGH is a group exhibition showcasing media art installations by students of EVA Lab, part of the Estonian Academy of Arts’ New Media programme. The lab focuses on experimental approaches to video games within contemporary art practice.

Bob Bicknell-Knight, Alisa Butenko, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen and Yiyang Sun explore video games as an artistic medium, examining how material culture, time, and the environment are perceived and constructed across both physical and digital realms.The exhibition itself is a liminal manifestation of the two worlds, where the viewers are invited to explore the many spaces that the exhibition occupies. Looting is a fundamental part of video games, where the player has an opportunity to upgrade or increase their powers through exploring the digital environment, much of the time in minute detail. Many of these found items are worthless, and the chance of finding the most valuable loot is limited. Like in games, we invite the viewer to explore the different spaces and discover the separate artworks.

Artists: Bob Bicknell-Knight, Alisa Butenko, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Yiyang Sun

Supervisors: Camille Laurelli, Sten Saarits

Production assistance: Sava Plukhooii, Taavi Varm, Hans-Gunter Lock

Supported by Estonian Academy of Arts, EVA Lab, Saaremaa vald, Kuressaare Kultuurivara, Kuressaare Castle

TRACKING _ wrrrrr, bzzzt, zzrrt listens in on the spaces between connection and disconnection. The exhibition explores sound as a carrier of relation, a tool of interference, and a force of emancipation. Across textures of noise, silence, voice, and feedback, the works probe how sound both binds and unsettles across systems, bodies, and environments.

Here, sound is not simply transmitted – it is felt, fractured, layered. It resists linearity. It pulses with the messiness of contact. In these sonic encounters, listening becomes an active method of tracing presence, absence, and transformation. Rather than framing communication as seamless, the exhibition embraces its noise: the missed signals, delays, and ruptures that often reveal more than clarity ever could.

The exhibition is by the Estonian Academy of Arts New Media students presented at ((NYT)), a interdisciplinary art space in Berlin-Charlottenburg focused on acoustic and multimedia art. Dedicated to experimental sound art practices, the venue provides a platform for innovative artistic expression. Founded in 2023 by Szerafina Schiesser, ((NYT)) continues to cultivate Berlin’s vibrant experimental arts community.

With works by: 
Trevor Kinna, Liisi Kõuhkna, Olev Kuma, Anett Maiste, Villem Sarapuu, Nora Schmelter, Mats Johan Soosaar, Aidan Timmer, and Russell Gill

Graphic design by Villem Sarapuu

Supervised by Sten Saarits

Supported by the Estonian Academy of Arts, Bitwig GmbH, and the Erasmus+ Program

OPENING HOURS

Opening on Friday 23.05.24 6pm – 10pm

Saturday 24.05.25 12am – 7pm

Sunday 25.05.25 12am – 7pm

Programme

23.05.25  7pm Performance by ADAM

25.05.25  3pm Artist Tour of the Exhibition

Location

((NYT)) Art Space

Philippistraße 7

14059 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Near U-Bahnhof Kaiserdamm

On May 7 at 17:00, the presentation of the augmented reality-based video games “VäikesedElud” will take place at the green area in front of EKA.

As part of collaboration with EKA UNESCO Chair on Cultural Heritage Studies, the Environmental Agency, and the University of Tartu‘s project WoodMeadowLIFE experimental games on the theme of wooded meadows were created in collaboration between the New Media and the Cultural Heritage and Conservation departments of the Estonian Academy of Arts. These games explore the boundaries between video games and art.

As part of the EVA Lab (Experimental Video Games in Arts) course, EKA students developed augmented reality–based games that place a virtual environments directly into the player’s surroundings. The “VäikesedElud“ project is grounded in biology-based data but uses this information in a creative, artistically driven way to tell stories. The aim is to encourage participants to reflect on the issues surrounding wooded meadows. This is achieved through a poetic form.

According to supervisor Andrus Laansalu: “We are not trying to educate anyone with these games. Through the themes presented in the games, we simply point to the need to understand that the problems facing nature are immense, and no one can ignore them anymore. From now on, all of us must continuously take actions that help restore nature – actions that, on a larger scale, have consistently been neglected by many previous generations.”

Project lead: Riin Alatalu 

Supervisors: Taavi Varm, Andrus Laansalu, Jaagup Irve, Amanda Warner, Camille Laurelli, Sten Saarits and Maarja Nuut

Students: Ako Allik, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Kairi Getman, Mihhail Grigorjuk, Joel Jõevee, Marie (Müü) Kanger, Caitlyn Kesa, Lene Lekše, Anett Maiste, Rosa-Maria Katariina Nuutinen, Yiyang Sun

The games titled VäikesedElud are available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store.

The project has been co-funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA.

Aivar Tõnso’s solo exhibition “Light Matter in Dark State”
EKA Gallery 3.–6.04.2025
Open Thu–Fri 2–10 pm Sat 12–10 pm Sun 12–6 pm, free entry
Opening: 3.04.2025 at 6 pm

Aivar Tõnso’s exhibition “Light Matter in Dark State” continues his experiments in the field of sound art that grew out of his musical work. The spatial sound exhibition, created with the Ebakõlar System, which relies on the sound characteristics of various materials, aims to push the boundaries of the listening experience, inviting viewers not only to listen, but also to actively perceive and participate in the sound space. It is possible to move within a sound composition without a definite beginning and end, which can be entered at any moment in time from any freely chosen direction.

Since sound and imagination are the central themes in Tõnso’s work, he also considers the character of sounds important, and as one way to achieve unique sounds, he often uses the constantly evolving Ebakõlar System built on the basis of various physical materials. Unlike commercial speakers designed for listening to music, Ebakõlar System do not try to play the widest possible sound frequency spectrum evenly. Each speaker has its own unique raw and undesigned character resulting from the properties of the material. It is also a process where the material visible to the eye acquires new hidden meanings due to the excitation by sounds.

Photos of the Ebakõlar System can be downloaded here.

Aivar Tõnso is a musician, sound artist and curator of interdisciplinary cultural events. He has been involved in electronic music creation since the early 90s and has participated in projects such as Hüpnosaurus, Kismabande, Kulgurid and Ulmer. Having long ventured into the fringes of club music and experimental electronic music, he has been active in the field of sound art in recent years both as an artist and as the organizer of the Üle Heli festival.

On Saturday, April 5th at 3 pm, artist Aivar Tõnso will give a guided tour at the exhibition in English.

The event is part of the Tallinn Music Week city program. Check out the full program here.

Graphic design by: Jaan Evart
Light design by: Rene Manivald Tamm
Technical support: Erik Hõim
The exhibition is supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Sadolin Estonia, Tallinn City and Tallinn Music Week.
Opening drinks from Põhjala Brewery.

Thanks: Ian Simon Märjama, Maria Aua, Märt Vaidla, Tarvo Porroson, Tiina Tõnso, Timo Toots, Madis Reivik, Raivo Raidvee

December brings an opportunity to experience, in an exhibition format, works produced by students in the Faculty of Fine Arts as their term projects: every day there will be a fresh crop of university students’ works on display in the gallery.

Works in animation, contemporary art, installation and sculpture, painting, photography, graphic art, scenography curricula will be on display. On 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 (2nd & 3rd floor general areas, 2nd floor drawing classes A-205 and A-206, EKA Gallery; Kotzebue 1), in the new EKA building (Kotzebue 10) and at Uus Rada gallery (Raja 11A).

On the assessment day, the exhibitions at EKA gallery and the new EKA building (Kotzebue 10) are open from 3 pm to 6 pm, on Sundays the exhibitions are open from 12 pm to 6 pm.

SCHEDULE
Mon 2.12. Photography, supervisor Krista Mölder (EKA Gallery)
Mon 2.12. Drawing, supervisor Tõnis Saadoja (2nd & 3rd floor general areas)
Tue 3.12. Drawing, supervisor Eero Alev (EKA Gallery)
Wed 4.12. Drawing, supervisor Ulvi Haagensen (EKA Gallery)
Thu 5.12. Anatomical drawing, supervisors Maiu Rõõmus, Matti Pärk (EKA Gallery)
Fri 6.12. Scenography, supervisor Ene-Liis Semper (EKA Gallery)
Sat 7.12. – Sun 8.12. Scenography, supervisor Mark Raidpere (EKA Gallery)

Mon 8.12. New Media, supervisor Sten Saarits (EKA Gallery)
Mon 8.12. Photography, supervisors Marge Monko, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo NB! Uus Rada Gallery, the exhibition will remain open until 15.12.
Tue 10.12. Studio photography, supervisor Tanja Muravskaja (EKA Gallery)
Tue 10.12. Drawing (animation and scenography), supervisor Britta Benno (2nd & 3rd floor general areas, 2nd floor drawing classes A-205 and A-206)
Wed 11.12. Painting, supervisors Tõnis Saadoja, Mihkel Maripuu, Holger Loodus (EKA Gallery)
Thu 12.12. Animation, supervisors Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Ülo Pikkov, Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (EKA Gallery)
Thu 12.12. Anatomical drawing, supervisors Maiu Rõõmus, Matti Pärk (2nd & 3rd floor general areas, 2nd floor drawing classes A-205 and A-206)
Fri 13.12. Painting, supervisors Karl-Kristjan Nagel, Tõnis Saadoja (EKA Gallery)
Sat 14.12. – Sun 15.12. Painting, supervisors Sirja-Liisa Eelma, Alice Kask, Mart Vainre (EKA Gallery)

Mon 16.12. Graphic Art, supervisors Liisi Grünberg, Viktor Gurov, Liina Siib, Britta Benno, Eve Kask, Eve Kaaret (EKA Gallery)
Mon 16.12. Photography, supervisors Triin Kerge, Annika Haas (Kotzebue 10)
Tue 17.12. Graphic Art, supervisors Lembe Ruben, Mark Antonius Puhkan, Maria Izabella Lehtsaar, Paul Rannik (EKA Gallery)
Wed 18.12. Sculpture, supervisors Taavi Talve, Laura Põld (EKA Gallery)
Wed 18.12. Contemporary Art, supervisors Marge Monko, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Anu Vahtra, Maris Karjatse, Laura Põld, Holger Loodus, Kristi Kongi, Sten Saarits, Camille Laurelli, Eve Kask (2nd & 3rd floor general areas of the main building of EKA and the new building, Kotzebue 10)
Thu 19.12. Contemporary Art, supervisors Maris Karjatse, Eve Kask, Kristi Kongi, Camille Laurelli, Holger Loodus, Marge Monko, Laura Põld, Sten Saarits, Liina Siib, Taavi Talve, Anu Vahtra, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (EKA Gallery & Kotzebue 10)

New Media 30

EKA New Media department is celebrating 30th anniversary during the EKA 110 event. Our program includes a series of talks on media art, presentations of alumni work, a student exhibition and an evening for video games.

Birthday week program:

4.11
18:00 New Media 30: Paul Galloway (US) – Video Games at MoMA (Paul Galloway will be joining us from New York city via screen. In English, Main hall A-101)

5.11
18:00 New Media 30: Ava Imogen Grayson (CA/FI) & John Grzinich (US/EE) – Discussing Sound Art (Ava will be joining us from Helsinki via screen. In English, B-305)
19:15 New Media 30: Jaime Lobato (MX/EE) – The right to forget. Artificial intelligences humanly inspired in contemporary art (Jaime will be joining us from Mexico via screen. In English, B-305)

7.11
18:00 New Media 30: Raivo Kelomees – Metamorphoses in Media Art (In Estonian, Main hall A-101)
15:00 – 21:00 New Media 30: Video Art Screening Program (Works by graduates and students of the Department: Mari-Liis Rebane, Katrin Enni, Evi Pärn, Lauri Lest, Tõnis Jürgens, Sten Saarits, Taavi Suisalu, Martin Rästa and others) (B308)

8.11
15:00 – 22:00 New Media 30: Video Art Screening Program (Works by graduates and students of the Department: Mari-Liis Rebane, Katrin Enni, Evi Pärn, Lauri Lest, Tõnis Jürgens, Sten Saarits, Taavi Suisalu, Martin Rästa and others) (B308)
18:00 Opening of the exhibition “Lifetime of a Building” (Kotzebue 10 + Kotzebue street)
19:00 – 23:00 New Media 30: LVLup Video Games Chill Out Lounge (B307)

“Plato’s Tent” and “Not Here and Not Quite There” joint exhibition at ARS Art Factory 

ARS Art Factory Studio 53/98 17.05-19.05.2024 

Open Fri-Sun from 12:00 to 20:00 

Opening at 18:00 on 17th of May 

Animation and New Media students have listened, recorded, cut, transformed, visualized and installed sounds in Studio 53 and 98 in ARS Art Factory, officially opening the exhibition to the public at 18:00 on 17th of May. Works from 24 artists range from immersive audiovisual installations to delicate listening experiences, drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources, including wildlife, mycelium growth, football stadium crowds, refracted glass, environmental shifts, squeaky toys, and technological intricacies. 

The works are presented in a joint exhibition made of two parts: the Animation MA’s alcove of abstracted visions “Plato’s Tent” (Studio 53), showing works that combine animation and sound, and the installations working with sites and “Not Here and Not Quite There” (Studio 98), featuring installations that explore sites and sounds from the New Media Sound Art 

studies module. The exhibition will be open for only three days, with extended viewing hours. 

The exhibition stems from two parallel courses focused on sound studies at EKA: ‘Sound Design’ at the Animation Department supervised by Bruno Quast and ‘Sound Art & Spatial Sound Experiments’ supervised by Sten Saarits, which is part of the Sound Art Connected Studies programme at New Media Arts. 

Artists: Ako Allik, Julia Virkki, Melina Unterhauser, Meret Stockhecker, Nils Geffre, Ott Kattel, Yiyang Sun, Chia-Hui Lei, Christopher Stephen Galinos, Leo Mourey, Lukas Wind, Melissa Noack, Shunyuan Yao, Valerie Sarle, Vilmos Peter, Lyza Karoly Jarvis Graphic design: Christopher Stephen Galinos 

The Exhibition is kindly supported by the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Estonian Artists’ Association for their support. 

Free admission 

ARS: https://www.arsfactory.ee/ 

EKA Animation: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/animation/ 

EKA New Media: https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/new-media/