ARS Projektiruum
Start Date:
24.04.2026
End Date:
16.05.2026
ARS Project Space 24.04.–16.05.2026
Opening 23.04.2026 from 6 PM
In May 2025, Jaanika visited the Alps. The landscape dictated the artist to keep her balance, which didn’t allow her to see further than the next slope. It was the low season for tourism, so no ski lifts were operating to ease her journey upward. Jaanika was alone with the mountain, as she continued her way forward. The glacier at the foot of the mountain had melted and in order to come into contact with the ice and snow, she had to climb even higher. This was her first direct encounter with glaciers: until that moment, she had only experienced them through the sounds, videos, literature and photographic material of other authors. All of these contained descriptions of glacial ice, its essence and foreseeable fate. The expansive, solid and mountainous landscape made her feel small. Yet the desire to reach what seemed unattainable remained.
The glacier is considered unpredictable, even dangerous both in real life and as a symbol. It might be seen as the historic archive of atmosphere, giving us hints of past climates and exposing the ways we are all connected to our ancestors and the generations that follow us. We are bound together by a shared destiny and responsibility. We use scientific methods to describe and interpret the mountain, but the actual experience of it might feel sublime and ordinary at the same time.
The glaciologist Jemma Wadham perceives glaciers as characters who have their own personalities and destinies. René Daumal has written about an imaginary expedition to an imaginary mountain, inviting us to interpret it as a symbolic and spiritual journey. Reaching for the sublime is a universal human desire. The mountain climber is not simply a hiker or an adventurer, but a truth seeker whose journey seems almost predestined. In the current exhibition, the mundane is brought together with the divine, the scientific with the sublime.
The exhibition features a large-scale installation, melting ice, ink works on wax paper and a meditative space imbued with John Grzinich’s soundscape. The artist has also inspired students from the Sally Studio Art School located within the ARS Art Factory: under the guidance of Annely Köster six artworks in dialogue with the exhibition were created and will be displayed as a satellite project in the courtyard windows of the Sally Studio Art School. In the framework of the public programme, an artist talk with Jaanika Peerna and the sound artist John Grzinich will take place on 15 May at 5:00 PM, followed by their joint performance at 6:00 PM.
Jaanika Peerna is an Estonian-born artist who lives and works in Estonia, Portugal and New York. For more than a decade, she has dedicated herself to the study of glaciers, working through a vast amount of material about the lifespan and condition of glaciers, while associating it with travelling, philosophy and spiritual ideas. In her artistic practice, she has woven these themes into drawings, installations, videos and performance art. Her performances often engage with the audience, inviting them to reflect upon the ongoing global warming. Peerna’s practice stems from the physical human experience and strives towards a greater awareness of the fragility, interconnectedness and uniqueness of all living things.
She has exhibited her works and given performances around the world. Her last solo exhibition was held in Seoul, Korea. Her works can be found in numerous private collections in Europe and the USA, as well as in public collections, such as the French National Foundation for Contemporary Art.
Curator
Liisi Kõuhkna is a curator and project manager who graduated with a master’s degree in health sciences from the Tallinn University and has also studied in MA programme of curatorial studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She has curated contemporary art exhibitions in various galleries in Estonia and abroad. Since March of this year, she works as the gallery assistant for the Estonian Artists’ Association.
Exhibition information
Location: ARS Project Space, Pärnu mnt. 154, Tallinn
Artist talk and performance together with sound artist John Grzinich: 15.05, respectively from 5 PM and from 6 PM
Open for visitors: 24.04.–16.05.2026, Mon–Fri 12–18, Sat 12–16
Curator: Liisi Kõuhkna
Graphic design: Cristopher Siniväli
Photo documentation: Roman-Sten Tõnissoo
Sound design: John Grzinich
Technical support: Aksel Haagensen, Mattias Veller
Special thanks to: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, ARS Art Factory, Estonian Artists’ Association, Merike Hallik, Sandra Sirp, Liis Tedre, Gunnar Kalmet, Agu Peerna, Hannes Egger, Mari Volens, Sally Studio ja Annely Köster