Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) with Anu Vahtra at Art Brussels 2016

For Art Brussels 2016 the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM), presents a reconstruction and a reinterpretation of Anu Vahtra’s site-specific installation 17,9°. The installation was originally realised for the III Artishok Biennale (curated by Liisa Kaljula, 2012) and rebuilt for the exhibition Feeling Queezy?! (curated by Rebeka Põldsam, 2014) in the EKKM.
It employs the most peculiar space of the museum, which is situated in the former transportation bridge that has a 17,9-degree angle with the ground, therefore holding a strong physical presence by default. However, the work manifests itself when the viewer is confronted with his/her own perception of the space – the significance lies not in learning what’s depicted on the image that hangs in the middle of the room, but in realising that the frame is hanging (seemingly) at an angle. By bringing a section of the above described space as a 1:1 scale model into the art fair context we allow ourselves and the audience to explore the potentialities for further interpretation and to introduce the museum through the representation of its spatial characteristics.
The installation is accompanied by an essay written by the EAA lecturer, architecture historian and critic Ingrid Ruudi in a publication designed by the EAA Graphic Design Associate Professor Indrek Sirkel, published on the occasion of Art Brussels 2016 in collaboration with Lugemik.
A wider event programme coordinated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center (ECADC) will take place in conjunction with Art Brussels and the international audiences have the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of many former Köler Prize nominees and laureates: Flo Kasearu and Visible Solutions LLC (Temnikova & Kasela Gallery at Art Brussels), Marge Monko (Ani Molnár Gallery at Art Brussels and Lugemik at Poppositions alternative art fair), Paul Kuimet (solo exhibition at the center for contemporary photography Contretype).
Anu Vahtra is an emerging young Estonian artist who is renowned for her artistic approach to site-specific space-oriented problematics and for the diligent methods of articulating them. Her installations, which often include the medium of photography, capture the surrounding space into itself, making the site become both the subject and the physical form of the artwork. Furthermore, she is one of the founders of Lugemik Publishing and Bookshop, and is also the winner of Köler Prize 2015 grand prix.
The Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) is a self-established non-profit initiative, that situates itself somewhere between official state-run institutions and artist-run-do-it-yourself venues. It is an unconventional concept of a contemporary art museum that works towards producing, exhibiting, collecting and popularizing local and international contemporary art while altering the prevailing working methods of established art institutions. It is a tool of self-establishment for younger generation artists, curators and art students. EKKM was founded by Anders Härm, Elin Kard, Neeme Külm, and Marco Laimre in late 2006. Since 2016 it is run by Marten Esko and Johannes Säre who joined the team in 2011.
EKKM’s participation at Art Brussels is supported by: Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, European Regional Development Fund, Government Office of Estonia, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Draka Keila Cabels AS, Lugemik
Thank you: Dénes Farkas, Kadri Villand, Mihkel Säre, Raivo Väliste, Raivo Plado
Art Brussels 2016
Tour & Taxis
Avenue du Port 86c, Brussels
www.artbrussels.com
EKKM in booth F5
Preview: 21 April, 11 am – 5 pm
Vernissage: 21 April, 5 pm – 10 pm
Open: 22 April to 24 April, 11 am – 7 pm
info@ekkm.ee
www.ekkm.ee
www.anuvahtra.com

The 3rd Interior Architecture Symposium SISU titled “Welcome Stranger!” will take place on 1.-3. June in Tallinn, Estonia. This year’s focus is on a pressing global issue – nomadism – and the impact of human movement on space.

A mobile lifestyle has become the norm in the contemporary world, though people change place from country to country or from urban to rural areas for very different reasons – be it economic crisis, education or employment mobility, war or natural catastrophe, the need for adventure or widening one’s perspective. This movement presents interior architects and environmental designers with new challenges for shaping space.

“Movement can be voluntary or forced, and changing places requires adaptation to new conditions, a break with old habits, a farewell to comfort zones. The SISU Symposium will explore the expectations and needs of modern nomadic lifestyles through examples of adaptation to PLACE and settling in a new HOME. We will talk about people’s behavioural patterns and ways of adapting in the contemporary realm,” says the curator of SISU, interior architect Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, and adds:

“Spatial intelligence can be an ineffable quality, yet also an exact concept that denotes the interrelations between architecture and place. It’s the capability to offer solutions and create new things in a different place and culture – a new world influenced by the landscape, the urban environment and surrounding PEOPLE. How does SPACE change in the process? How do we relate to a changing world from the perspective of (interior) architecture as a profession? How does the architect/designer work in parallel in a different cultural context?”

These questions will be discussed through multicultural examples by renowned theoreticians and practitioners from Holland, Belgium, France, Turkey, Australia, Finland and Estonia. We will hear from the Estonian Academy of Arts’ PhD student and artist Eva Sepping about her expedition to the homes of Estonians of Russia; the (interior) architects Gerrit Schilder and Hill Scholte will talk about the dialogue between local materials and western intelligence in creating a community centre in Bangladesh. Australian exchange student Monica Knoll from RMIT in the EAA Interior Architecture department will tell about a study trip to Palestine, and Laura Linsi will present her Master’s thesis conducted at the Delft University of Technology about redundant collective farm architecture, which has found new use through her creative approach. Tallinn University lecturer and Japanologist Alari Allik will talk about the mobile home and nomadic lifestyle of an ancient Japanese tribe, and Eva Storgaard from the University of Antwerp will discuss how to create a sense of home in the temporary abodes of students. Master’s student Helen Oja and architect Raul Kalvo will tell five stories about their work experiences in Singapore. Marco Steinberg, curator of the Finnish Pavilion for the XV International Architecture Biennial in Venice, shall give a lecture titled “From Border to Home” about asylum seekers’ expectations on space. SISU will also offer a presentation by Renaud Haerlingen from the internationally renowned architectural office ROTOR, which has among other things represented Belgium at the XII Venice Architecture Biennial in 2010 and curated the Oslo Architecture Triennial in 2013. Rotor is interested in material flows in industry and construction, particularly in relation to resources, waste, use and reuse. They have curated projects for Prada and Rem Koolhaas, among others.

SISU continues to offer a film programme selected by Ingel Vaikla. This year’s films will include a poetic documentary “Home” by New Zealand director Thomas Gleeson, and two films depicting architecture with political history — “Anna Pina Teresa” (2015) and “E24” (2015) — accompanied with a presentation by artist and director Cynthia Madansky.

The SISU international tour will be completed with a presentation of films and discussions by Cyril Gauthier from FREAKS freearchitects in Paris. Although most of their current built projects are located in France, FREAKS’ partners have lived and experienced a wide range of working contexts, such as San Francisco, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, Mumbai, Singapore, Istanbul… Those sometimes chaotic urban surroundings drove them to integrate into their practice a rich and confident vocabulary of urban scenarios and architectural aesthetics. The office is deeply involved in reacting to the image and representations of architecture/architect in a cynical and playful way.

SISU offers an opportunity to participate in the open Master’s thesis defences of the Estonian Academy of Arts’ interior architecture students on 31 May and to visit the graduation works show of the university, opening on 2 June at the future academy building on Kotzebue 1.

SISU is organised by the Estonian Association of Interior Architects in collaboration with the Department of Interior Architecture of the Estonian Academy of Arts. SISU invites creative people – theoreticians, practitioners and students — as well as people connected to and interested in the field. The symposium programme is also open to those among the broader public who are curious about (interior) architecture and design, the living environment and the social changes affecting it. Welcome Stranger! Welcome friend!

View the full programme and register at http://sisu.esl.ee

Solveig Jahnke

SISU Communications

solveig.jahnke@artun.ee

Tel +372 5626 4949

Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla

SISU Curator

tyyne.vaikla@artun.ee

…

info@esl.ee

Lugemik Publishing is participating at Poppositions, an alternative art fair taking place for the fifth time in Brussels during 21–24 April. Making its premiere at the fair is the performance “Don’t Wind It Up, Turn It On” by the Estonian artist Marge Monko, as well as the publication of the same name.
Monko’s performance “Don’t Wind It Up, Turn It On” is based on the construction of desire used in advertising photography – a genre in which stylistic means have changed over time, but its semantic meaning has always remained the same. Two actors – female and male – read sentences from different wrist watch advertisements from the 1970s and 1980s, and re-enact the compositions of hands used in these advertisements.
“Don’t Wind It Up, Turn It On” is Monko’s first performance piece which will be performed at Poppositions once a day by choreographers Kathryn Vickers and Sandy Williams, technical assistance is provided by Isjtar. The performance is accompanied by a photographic series and a publication which contains the complete script of the performance as well as the re-staged photographs of the used advertisements. The book is designed by Indrek Sirkel, and it is the third publication by Marge Monko published by Lugemik.
Lugemik’s first time participation at an art fair is curated by Laura Toots, whose project was selected by an international jury. A total of 25 exhibitors of different galleries and project spaces with more than 50 artists from 21 different countries are participating at the fair.
In addition, a selection of Lugemik’s publications will be on display during Poppositions in the Reading Room organized by La Houle project space. Books by the following artists are presented: Tuukka Kaila, Mari Laanemets, Paul Kuimet, Marge Monko, Tõnis Saadoja, Anu Vahtra, Johan Tali, Johanna Jõekalda, Siim Tuksam, Flo Kasearu, kadrinoormets, Anna-Stina Treumund and Merike Estna.
Poppositions is one of the most progressive alternative art fairs in Europe introducing non-profit initiatives next to commercial galleries and providing a platform for new artists’ positions. Poppositions will take place at the same time as Art Brussels, one of the largest art fairs in Europe, where Marge Monko’s work is also exhibited by Ani Molnar Gallery.
Marge Monko (born 1976) is an artist living and working in Tallinn, Estonia. Monko works with photography, video and installation. Most of her works have a link to historical images and are influenced by theories of psychoanalysis, feminism and visual culture. Monko has had solo exhibitions at galleries in Tallinn, Helsinki and Budapest, and in the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna (Mumok). She has participated in a number of group exhibitions in Estonia and abroad. In 2012, she was awarded the Henkel.Art.Award for Eastern and Central European artists. During 2013–2014, she took part in the studio programme at HISK (Higher Institute for Fine Arts), in Ghent, Belgium. In 2015 she was selected for a residency at ISCP (International Studio & Curatorial Program) in New York.
Lugemik is an independent publishing initiative based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded in 2010 by graphic designer Indrek Sirkel and artist Anu Vahtra. Lugemik publishes books and other printed matter, working closely together with artists, writers, designers, printers in every step of the publishing process. In 2013 Lugemik opened a bookshop on the premises of Contemporary Art Museum Estonia (EKKM) and is currently working on opening a new bookshop in collaboration with Tallinn Art Hall. In 2015 Lugemik was joined by the curator and artist Laura Toots for extended activities with artists beyond publishing projects.
Lugemik’s and Marge Monko’s participation at Poppositions is supported by: Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, European Regional Development Fund, Government Office of Estonia, Outset Estonia.
Lugemik and Marge Monko would like to thank: Oskar Unt, Maria Arusoo, Tom-Olaf Urb, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo, Liisa Toots, Tiiu Parbus, Tõnis Saadoja, Alissa Nirgi, Fidelia Regina Randmäe, Peeter Kuimet, Paul Kuimet, Ingel Vaikla, A&G Kaubanduse AS, Kraam artist-run space.
Poppositions 2016
LaVallée, Rue Adolphe Lavallée 39, Brussels
Opening: 21 April 12:00–20:00
Opening times: 22–23 April 12:00–22:00; 24 April 12:00–18:00
Marge Monko’s performance: 21–23 April 18:30; 24 April 17:00
www.poppositions.com
www.margemonko.com
Press release by:
Lugemik Publishing
info@lugemik.ee
www.facebook.com/lugemik
www.lugemik.ee

Lugemik Publishing is participating in an experimental art book festival “One Thousand Books 2016”, 21–24 April in Copenhagen, Denmark. During the four-day festival a seminar on artists’ books and exhibition making will take place, also the exhibition “Manifolds” will open in Kunsthal Charlottenborg, remaining open until 15 May.
13 international publishers are invited to participate in the exhibition and to curate their own show based on one of their publications.
In cooperation with the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design (ETDM) Lugemik will present the book “Nobody Expected There Would Be Much Discussion About It”, compiled and designed by Ott Metusala. The book documents the design work of author’s grandmother Kirsti Metusala at the Tallinn Experimental Plant Estoplast, where she worked as a designer for 28 years (1964-1992). The book includes historical photo documentation of the Estoplast lamps which is accompanied by an interview with Kirsti Metusala, explaining her tasks and describing in detail the design process of the lamps, thus speaking about designer’s profession in Soviet Estonia. The book also contains an essay written by Kai Lobjakas, director of ETDM and curator of the design collection, discussing the Soviet Estonian design and the importance of the production of Estoplast factory in a broader context.
In the exhibition “Manifolds” the book is accompanied by an exposition consisting of Estoplast lamps, and the film “The Lights Come On”. For the exposition Lugemik and Ott Metusala will exchange eight Poul Henningsen lamps in the lobby, specially designed for Kunsthal Charlottenborg, for Estoplast lamps designed by Kirsti Metusala. In the exhibition space the book will be given context by the documentary “The Lights Come On” (1967, Estonian Television Company) by Jaak Mamers, which in a staged manner depicts the production process of the Estoplast factory.
The festival “One Thousand Books” is organised by the Danish publishers Lodret Vandret since 2013.
Ott Metusala (born 1988, Tallinn) is a graphic designer based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He graduated from the graphic design departments of both Estonian Academy of Arts and Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Currently his work involves music publishing, editorial projects and book designs, both self-initiated and commission based, in close collaboration with friends, artists and institutions. He has also taught in the graphic design department of Estonian Academy of Arts.
Lugemik is an independent publishing initiative based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded in 2010 by graphic designer Indrek Sirkel and artist Anu Vahtra. Lugemik publishes books and other printed matter, working closely together with artists, writers, designers, printers in every step of the publishing process. In 2013 Lugemik opened a bookshop on the premises of Contemporary Art Museum Estonia (EKKM) and is currently working on opening a new bookshop in collaboration with Tallinn Art Hall. In 2015 Lugemik was joined by the curator and artist Laura Toots for extended activities with artists beyond publishing projects.
The book is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Lugemik’s activities are supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.
Festival “One Thousand Books”
21–24 April 2016
Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Exhibition “Manifolds”
23 April – 15 May 2016
Kunsthal Charlottenborg
www.onethousandbooks.org
www.metusala.ee
Press release by:
Lugemik Publishing
info@lugemik.ee
www.facebook.com/lugemik
www.lugemik.ee

Station
Printed textiles by Lylian Meister
In cooperation with: Katarina Meister, Johan Pajupuu
Space: Arhitektuuri- ja Disainigalerii, Pärnu mnt 6, Tallinn Time: April 20 to May 7, 2016
Opening April 20 at 5 pm
Railway and its stations as stopping points are on one hand parts of the rational transport system and on the other completely metaphysical landscapes where it is at the same time possible to cultivate your land or to leave for indeterminable distances. Actually while living in the railway station you could every day leave several times. For me as a city person owning a country railway station this feeling matters: on the other side of rails begin (or end) primeval forests, twice every day however civilisation arrives in full lights, the train to whose honour the old railway station rejuvenates and becomes urban micro-landscape with street lighting, cars and strange people. So far I have not got tired of admiring the arrival of the train, it gives rhythm to the life at station. The trains themselves are rhythm and repetition; I really hope that it never ends in my station. Like that I wanted to fix them on my printed textiles.
The trains of my exhibition are a development of drawings from the 1954 Soviet textbook of railways technical exploitation regulations; I found the textbook in the station. The station however is not only movement but also a stop. Black soil, broken stone roofs and gravel pit are there together with bird-song and train beat. All baby plants growing on the exhibition, including nettles will move from here to Tori flowerbeds and fields.
Production team: Mall Tamberg, Kuido Heinsoo, Guido Aasmaa, Marko Nautras, Erkki Kadarik, Lauri Lenk
Thanks: Maile Grünberg, Katrin Lehtjõe, Kristel Laurits, Kert Viiart, Piret Valk, Melani Joonas, Ann Jürjo, Laur Kivistik, Saarineni Maja, Textile and Graphic Fine Art departments of Estonian Academy of Arts
Extra thanks: Tori station has a 100 years layer of railway people activities. I feel connected to them and I am grateful to all previous station inhabitants for work done and on-going support.
Exhibition is supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Institute of Art History and Visual Culture and Centre for Contemporary Arts Estonia present
public lecture on April 20, 18.00 at Arhitektuurikeskus (Põhja pst 27a, Tallinn)
Dorothea von Hantelmann „Why exhibitions became a modern ritual (and what they tell us about the society in which they take place) “
Hantelmann will hold a seminar on April 21, 10.00 at Institute of Art History and Visual Culture (Suur-Kloostri 11). Registration and reading materials: karin.nugis@artun.ee
Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall tells us as much about the state of Western society in 2015 as the Crystal Palace reflected mid-19th century productivism, or as early modern curiosity cabinets connect to the rise of consumer culture. Art institutions are mirrors of the socio-economic order of their time, whose basic parameters they practice and enact. We can retrace the entire history of individualisation by following the increase of wall space between paintings in 19th and 20th century galleries. We can comprehend the transition of early market societies into consumer societies alongside the transformation of 19th century museums into white cubes. And we can analyse the contemporary experience society on the basis of the way it transforms the white cube into time-based experiential spaces. Art institutions are deeply linked to the values and categories that constitute a given time, which is why they have to keep transforming in order to adjust and to remain what they always have been: a contemporary ritual. Looking at art spaces from the 16th century to the present day as a series of decisive moments of transformation, we may find that the transformations of our epoch are asking for a new kind of ritual, after that of the exhibition.
Dorothea von Hantelmann was documenta Professor at the Art Academy/University of Kassel where she lectured on the history and meaning of documenta and established the constitution of a documenta research institute. Her main fields of research are contemporary art and theory as well as the history and theory of exhibitions. She is currently working on a book that explores art exhibitions as ritual spaces in which fundamental values and categories of modern, liberal and market based societies historically have been, and continue to be practised and reflected. She is author of How to Do Things with Art, a book on performativity within contemporary art.

This year during the “Melting point” fair in Valencia on April 22-24 th Estonian Academy of Arts is presenting its curated exhibition “CATHEXIS”,which will take place in the entrance of Escuela superior de Arte y Diseño de Valencia.

The exhibition is presenting jewellery and blacksmithing department students’ works created during recent years of studies and projects carried out in academy. The exhibited pieces are conceptual side of jewelry reflecting the spirit and character of the department. Works vary in their size and material – aluminium, charcoal, mammoth bone, intestine. Exhibition curators: Maria Garcia Castillejo, Federica Cogliandro, Viktorija Domarkaite, Katrin Kosenkranius, Hannes Tõnuri.

Exhibition participants : Maria Garcia Castillejo, Federica Cogliandro, Miikael Danieljants, Viktorija Domarkaite, Sofia Hallik, Elis Ilves, Rainer Kaasik-Aaslav, Annika Kedelauk, Kairin Koovit, Katrin Kosenkranius, Triin Kukk, Helen Kristi Loo, Liina Lõõbas, Eilve Manglus, Merlin Meremaa, Indrek Mesi, Erle Nemvalts, Hans-Otto Ojaste, Anneli Oppar, Darja Popolitova, Hannes Tõnuri, Hanna-Maria Vanaküla, Agnes Veski, Edgar Volkov.

KÖLER PRIZE 2016
Exhibition of Nominees at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM)
16 April – 5 June 2016
Vernissage: 15 April at 6PM
Köler Prize is an art award established in 2011 by the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM). Its main objective is to popularise contemporary art and to give recognition to important artists and art collectives that are active in Estonia.
Five artists or art collectives of Estonian origin or who reside permanently in Estonia are nominated annually for the Köler Prize on the basis of their creative work over the past three years. The Board of the EKKM selects the nominees for the Köler Prize.
The nominees for the Köler Prize 2016 are ART ALLMÄGI, KRISTA MÖLDER, KRISTI KONGI, LAURA PÕLD and RAUL KELLER.
The artists submit two works of their own choice for the exhibition: one that has already been exhibited, preferably from among the artist’s creative work of the last three years, that can also in a certain sense be considered definitive or representative of the artist’s previous work, and the other, a new work produced especially for the Köler Prize.
An international jury consisting of the following members will select the winner of the Köler Prize 2016 grand prix based on the works submitted for the exhibition and the artist’s previous creative work: Anu Vahtra (Winner of 2015 Köler Prize grand prix), Julija Fomina (Curator at the Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius), Jussi Koitela (Finnish curator and visual artist), Jörg Heiser (Co-editor of Frieze magazine) and Katja Mater (Dutch visual artist and editor).
The public also has the chance to have a say in the exhibition because in addition to the main prize, the People’s Choice Award will also be decided on the basis of voting that will take place until 26 May. The laureates of both awards will be announced at the Köler Prize 2016 Gala, which will be held on 27 May of this year.
Köler Prize awards rely entirely on art-friendly private capital. For the sixth year already, in other words from the very beginning, SMARTEN LOGISTICS AS is supporting the awarding of the main prize, and for the fourth time, SALTO AB will be funding the People’s Choice Award.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue introducing the previous creative work of the artists (the author of the texts is Eero Epner) and the documentary film Screen Tests for Köler Prize 2016, in which the nominees make sense of and comment on one another’s work.
Köler Prize will be awarded for the sixth time in 2016. The previous winners of the Köler Prize grand prix are JEVGENI ZOLOTKO, FLO KASEARU, JAANUS SAMMA, JASS KASELAAN and ANU VAHTRA.
One of the founders of the Köler Prize, member of the Board of the EKKM Anders Härm, has expanded upon the background of the award as follows: “There are several art awards in Estonia that have been named after one or another art classic. Aside from the fact that Köler simply rhymes with Turner (see Turner Prize), we were motivated to name this award after Johann Köler in particular by the chance to chronologically get ahead of other awards, so to speak, and to virtually place the Köler Prize ahead of the Kristjan Raud Award, the Konrad Mägi Medal, and the Eduard Wiiralt Prize. This circumstance is perhaps the only connection between the prize and the 19th century Estonian painter Johann Köler.”
Further information:
www.ekkm.ee
info@ekkm.ee
+372 5143778
Supporters: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture, AS Smarten Logistics, Salto AB, Draka Keila Cabels AS, Lugemik, Center for Contemporary Arts Estonia, Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center