EKA Students Queer Assiciation presents: Spooky Drag Night

On Saturday, October 19, the Spooky Drag Night organized by the EKA Students Queer Association (ETKÜ) will take place at EKKM, where drag artists from EKA and elsewhere will perform.

The event celebrates the birth of a new student initiative, the goal of which is to bring together the queer community of EKA and stand for a safer learning environment. People who would like to try drag for the first time, but have not yet found the opportunity to do so, are also invited to perform.

Location: EKKM
Time: 19.10 at 20.00
Ticket information: Admission by donation.

More info: https://fb.me/e/1SJ2IwwjT

“Paljassaare Palimpsest. A journey Through the Interstices of Trash and Treasure.”

On October 18 from 13:00 to 17:00 in Paljassaare

The first-year urban studies students have once again spent half a semester exploring Paljassaare peninsula – the very edge of the capital where today the entire city’s waste is directed… but also where the new focal point of the future Tallinn, the contemporary urban centre of the Nordic capital, is imagined. This Friday, October 18, the students invite everyone who is interested to join them on a journey between trash and treasures in the (post)industrial heart of Paljassaare, to explore what processes and value judgments shape today’s space.

Gathering on October 18 at 13:00 in front of the Maleva 2A building.

The approximately 5-kilometer journey takes place outdoors in changing landscape and weather conditions and ends around a campfire near Pikakari beach. The event is in English.

Things to bring along:

• snacks + drinks
• headphones
• a mug
• warm clothing
• waterproof footwear

More information on urban studies social media: https://www.facebook.com/urbantallinn

On Monday, 21 October 2024 at 17:00, artist talks by Berit Schneidereit and Saskia Fischer will take place at EKA A-501. The artists will be in Tallinn to conduct masterclasses in the photography department of the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Berit Schneidereit’s artistic work revolves around the question of the nature of photography and the physical and bodily act of looking. Rooted in photography, her practice extends to spatial installation and sculpture. Using a variety of techniques, Berit Schneidereit creates constellations of closeness and distance, reality and suggestion, with which she creates a constant oscillation between image space and reality.

Berit Schneidereit (b. 1988, Frankfurt am Main, Germany) studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where she graduated as a master student in 2017. She has been exhibited at Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf; G2 Kunsthalle in Leipzig; Kunsthalle Recklinghausen; CCA in Andratx, Mallorca; at NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein; de Warande in Turnhout, Belgium and Goethe Institut Paris, among others. She received the Stiftung Kunstfonds work grant, the dhCS-studio grant from the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf, as well as the van-Rinsum grant for the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris. She lives and works in Düsseldorf.

https://www.beritschneidereit.de/

instagram: beritschneidereit

Saskia Fischer is an interdisciplinary artist working with images, objects, texts, and environments.

Her research is concerned with the paradigms that form and inform landscape as a reflection of cultural and social values. She examines the ways Western understanding separates anthropological urbanity from a colonial concept of nature, reinforcing problematic notions of femininity and what is ‚natural‘. Her working motifs draw on transitory architectures and the fabricated barrier between nature and the commons. This interdisciplinary research is expressed through photographs and installations synthesizing diverse media blending materials and motives from architecture, mobility, urban planning, landscape design, horticulture, gender studies and art history.

Currently working as a lecturer at the Mathilde Planck Stiftung and State Academy of Art and Design, Stuttgart, DE. She has obtained MFA at the Goldsmiths, University of London, UK 2016 – 2018 and studied photography at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen, DE, 2010 – 2015.

https://www.saskia-fischer.com

https://www.instagram.com/___saskia_/

On Friday, October 18, at 1:00 PM, the new season of the Keskpuuri Gallery will open on the second floor of the Central Market’s meat hall with Marto Mägi’s video installation “7 liigutust suure potentsiaaliga”.

Marto Mägi, who graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts’ scenography department last year, primarily primarily explores rephrasing the discourse between the large and small, as well as the important and insignificant.

Curator: Kaur Järve

Keldrimäe 9, 10113 Tallinn- second floor

Exhibition open 18.-30. October. M-S 9-18.

More info: Kaur Järve, kaur.jarve@artun.ee

EKA Museum exhibition “Clothed and Nude. 110 Years of Figure Study at the Estonian Academy of Arts”
19.10.–29.11.2024
Open Tue–Sun 12–6pm, free entry
Opening: 18.10.2024 at 5pm

In celebration of the 110th anniversary of the Estonian Academy of Arts, a significant retrospective exhibition has been organised, highlighting a theme that resonates with all who have studied here or are currently students. The depiction of the human figure – through drawing, painting and modelling from live models – has always been a cornerstone of art education, and the Estonian Academy of Arts, along with its predecessors, exemplifies this tradition.

The exhibition of the EKA Museum, titled “Clothed and Nude. 110 Years of Figure Study at the Estonian Academy of Arts”, showcases works created in the school’s studios and stored in its archives. This collection includes standing, sitting and reclining nudes, clothed models and figure groups, as well as drawings of hands and feet and other anatomical details. The selection highlights the diverse and varied ways in which the human figure can be depicted, emphasising different approaches and techniques. Academically polished images with intricate backgrounds are presented alongside monumental human representations that challenged the traditional canons at the turn of the millennium. The exhibition features both black-and-white and colour works, where classifying them as drawings or paintings based on technique or medium is no longer significant in this context.

The exhibition primarily draws from the EKA Museum’s collection, although only a small fraction of the works accumulated over the decades could be included. To represent the early decades of the school’s history, additional pieces were sourced from the Art Museum of Estonia and private collections. Figure study has also been a central theme in sculpture. However, since the original collection of the sculpture department has been lost, curatorial efforts were necessary to locate works representing three-dimensional art. Despite being in the minority, sculpture is still represented in the exhibition. Additional works were requested from artists engaged in figure study during the early 21st century to cover the period between the conclusion of the methodological collection of works at the turn of the century and the establishment of the EKA Museum in 2019. As figure drawing has been an integral part of the curriculum across all disciplines at the academy, the selection process aimed to reflect this diversity.

The exhibition features 138 artists showcasing a total of 187 works. The chance to glimpse into the formative years of well-known artists and designers is undoubtedly intriguing, while the masterpieces of lesser-known or unknown creators offer their own delightful surprises. The arrangement of the exhibit enhances this excitement by juxtaposing works not along a traditional chronological timeline, but instead focusing on the harmony and interplay between the pieces.

The artists participating in the exhibition:

Eero Alev, Jüri Arrak, Raivo Behrsin, Britta Benno, Teddy Böckler, Rem Dementjev, Olga Dubrovskaja, Herald Eelma, Jaan Elken, Herlet Elvisto, Merike Estna, Margarita Feofanova, Nikolai Guli, Heikki Halla, Gerda Hansen, Inga Heamägi, Hugo Hiibus, Aleksander Igonin, Ants Jaanimägi, Andrus Johani, Aivar Juhanson, Iris Jurma-Kangur, Sandra Jõgeva, Pille Jänes, Villu Järmut, Heli Jürissaar (Kase), Jüri Kaarma, Katrin Kaev, Catlin Kaljuste, Maria Kallau, Anu Kalm (Anderson), Elin Kard, Gleb Karlsen, Saskia Kasemaa, Alice Kask, Eve Kask, Jüri Kask, Maret Kernumees, Ando Keskküla, Kaalu Kirme, Tiiu Kirsipuu, Raoul Koik, Epp Maria Kokamägi, Ellen Kolk, Luule Kormašova, Nikolai Kormašov, Orest Kormašov, Aimar Kristerson, Mart Krull, Epp Kubu, Viive Kuks, Leili Kuldkepp, Laura Kõiv, Andrus Kõresaar, Tõnis Kärema, Annika Künnap, Allex Kütt, Vello Laanemaa, Heldur Lassi, Pille-Riin Lass, Tõnu Lauk, Emil Lausmäe, Malle Leis, Tea Lemberpuu, Ly Lestberg, Mihkel Liinat, Silvi Liiva, Bruno Lillemets, Ivika Luisk (Kivik-Luisk), Anu Maarand, Aet Maasik, Viktor Madison, Ülle Marks, Vladimir Matiiko, Aarne Mesikäpp, Rein Mets, Gregorio Migliaccio, Peeter Mudist, Maarit Murka, Tõnu Mäsak, Arseni Mölder, Reigo Nahksepp, Mall Nukke, Liisa Nurklik, Lydia Nüüd, Evald Okas, Kaido Ole, Jaan Paris, Ede Peebo, Imbi Ploompuu (Karu), Urmas Ploomipuu, Mari Prekup, Mark Antonius Puhkan, Aapo Pukk, Kaie Pungas, Brenda Purtsak, Laura Põld, Matti Pärk, Katrin Pärt, Liisi Pääsuke, Tiit Pääsuke, Tiit Rammul, Tiina Reinsalu, Uno Roosvalt, Eesi Rosenberg, Peeter Rudaš, Sirje Runge (Lapin), Tõnis Saadoja, Hugo Sepp, Kati Simpson, Piret Smagar, Jaak Soans, Tõnu Soo, Aleksander Suuman, Silja Šergalin, Juri Šestakov, Vladimir Taiger, Mari-Liis Tammi-Kelder, Endel Taniloo, Anne Tapper, Olga Terri, Evi Tihemets, Tiina Tiitus, Ilmar Torn, Margus Tõnnov, Maria-Kristiina Ulas, Peeter Ulas, Anne Vaher, Katrin Vaher, Valentin Vaher, Silver Vahtre, Mall Valk (Sooster), Janika Vesberg, Heldur Viires, Hanna Vinter, Ekke Väli, Eduard Wiiralt, Elisa Margot Winters

Curated by: Reeli Kõiv
Exhibition design and co-curation by: Britta Benno
Graphic design by: Pärtel Eelmere
Assistant:Anna Birgitta Erikson

The exhibition is accompanied by an eponymous catalogue featuring large reproductions of all the displayed works. In addition to a historical overview relevant to the theme, the book is enriched with interviews from drawing instructors Tiit Pääsuke, Matti Pärk, Maiu Rõõmus, Maria-Kristiina Ulas, Ülle Marks and Tõnis Saadoja, discussing the significance and meanings of learning to depict the human figure. These interviews are complemented by an essayistic reflection on figure drawing at the academy by printmaker and drawing instructor Britta Benno. Additionally, recollections of their student years from Peeter Ulas and Herald Eelma, gathered by Jüri Hain, are also republished.

The catalogue is authored and compiled by Reeli Kõiv, the head of the EKA Museum, and includes a foreword by Rector Mart Kalm.

The publication is a bilingual edition that combines both Estonian and English in a single volume, with language editing by Elo Rohult and translation by Epp Aareleid. The 288-page catalogue was designed by Stuudio Stuudio and printed at Tallinn Book Printers.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Sadolin Estonia.
Opening drinks from Põhjala Brewery.

On 4 November at 15:00 Ulvi Haagensen will defend her thesis “In the In-Between: Explorations into the Line Between Art and Everyday Life as Seen Through the Eyes of a Practising Visual Artist” (“Vahepealsuses. Uurimusi kunsti ja igapäevaelu vahelisest joonest visuaalkunstniku silmade läbi”).

The public defence will be held in EKA (Põhja pst 7), room A501. The defence will be broadcast on EKA TV.
The defence is in English.

Supervisors: Dr. Liina Unt (University of Tartu), Dr. Jan Guy (University of Sydney)

External reviewers: Prof. Mika Elo (University of the Arts Helsinki), Dr. Rolf Hughes (EIT Culture & Creativity)

Opponent: Prof. Mika Elo

The field of contemporary art with its avant-garde legacy often meets, overlaps and clashes with ordinary everyday life, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. For an artist working within this field the relationship between art and life can be particularly intriguing; sometimes it’s puzzling, and at other times it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other, to know when something is or isn’t art, and is or isn’t life.

In the In-Between: Explorations into the Line Between Art and Everyday Life as Seen Through the Eyes of a Practising Visual Artist asks what new approaches, methods, techniques it can reveal and what alternative ways of thinking and looking it can contribute to help make sense of the enigmatic relationship between art and life.

The thesis speaks from within an art practice and in close proximity to artistic processes. It incorporates embodied and multisensory experiences, as well as humour and a playful approach that includes informal conversations between three imaginary friends – Thea Koristaja, Olive Puuvill and Artist Researcher. Their contributions allow for shifts in perspective and reveal the various ways that art and everyday life meet and collide as an artist prepares for, makes and installs and then reflects upon the three main exhibitions that form the basis of the thesis, and also in connection to cleaning performances (undertaken mainly by Thea Koristaja), other exhibitions and everyday life.

One of the aims, unfolding through the course of the research, is to reconcile art, art-making, the everyday, and research. The three imaginary friends play a key role in helping to achieve this, as do the ‘tactics of in-betweenness’ and the notion of the bricoleuse, someone who invents, improvises and makes do. Together they help reveal the ideas of ‘blurring’, ‘making strange’, ‘equalising’ and ‘destabilising’, together with ‘object-generated thinking’ as new approaches, methods and concepts that can transform, make sense of and reconcile art with everyday life.

The thesis is available HERE.

Defence Committee: Dr. Jaana Päeva, Dr. Anu Allas, Prof. Kirke Kangro, Dr. Kristi Kuusk, Prof. Indrek Ibrus, Dr. Varvara Guljajeva

Exhibition of the Department of Accessory and Bookbinding
of Estonian Academy of Arts

“Captivating bind” at EKA Library
05.10 – 05.12.2024

Satellite of the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial “The Fine Lines of Constructiveness” Tallinn Applied Art Triennial.

The artist’s books of seven students of the accessories and bookbindings department are completed during the studies. These are stories from the chain of memories of the authors formed into bindings.
When starting the course, the goal was to reach deeper than a mere cosmetic level in binding. As soon as the initial beauty methods no longer worked, the students were forced to look into the book as if into a mirror. Who reflects back from there? We tried to find ways to tell stories through binding, and how to bind the reader. We looked at bookbinding as a bridge between the reader and what is being read, which wordlessly mediates thoughts.

–Urmas Lüüs

Participants in the exhibition:

Anna Abrosimova, Hanna Eliise Lahe, Meeli Kombe, Julia Korovina, Helina Raud and Jürgen Sinnep.

Tutors: Urmas Lüüs and Eve Kaaret 

«In 1972 there was still grass…»: Design Activism at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment by Kjetil Fallan

Design historian Kjetil Fallan will give a lecture ““In 1972 there was still grass…”: Design Activism at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment” on Thursday, 17 October at 16:00 in room A101. 

Kjetil Fallan’s talk will explore design interventions at, and in the wake of, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972. What can design activism tell us about the conference’s influence on future political decision-making? Or about the development of environmental thinking and ecologically informed design ideology in Scandinavia? 

The Design Open Lecture series 2024 is part of Sandra Nuut and Ruth-Helene Melioranski‘s Design Issues course. It is public and open to all; however, the seminar following the lecture will be held for the course students.

Kjetil Fallan is a Professor of Design History at the University of Oslo, where he currently leads the project Designing with/out Extractive Materials (deXmat), funded by the Research Council of Norway. His most recent books are Ecological by Design: A History from Scandinavia (MIT Press, 2022); Nordic Design Cultures in Transformation, 1960-1980: Revolt and Resilience (Routledge, 2023) (Co-edited with Christina Zetterlund and Anders V. Munch); and The Culture of Nature in the History of Design (Routledge, 2019). Fallan also serves as editor of the Journal of Design History.

On 11 October 11.30-13.00, the public review of the first creative project of Merike Rehepapp doctoral thesis “Educational design, why and how” will take place in EKA, room A202. The event is in Estonian.

The focus of the thesis is to find the reasons and ways to implement design in educational practice, through a design process and methodology created for this purpose. The practical part of the creative research has been carried out with a variety of collaborators over the last three years.
In her first creative project, Merike seeks to answer the question: what function do educational design process and methodology play in the educational landscape? What does it evoke, both visible and hidden? What kind of work does it actually do?

Supervisor: Dr. Anu Sarv, University of Tartu
Reviewers:
Dr. Kaire Uiboleht, University of Tartu
Martin Pärn, EKA and TalTech

Thanks are due to:
The supervisor and curriculum leaders for their patience and the reviewers for their willingness to contribute. A humble bow goes to Helen Arov, my faithful work partner, and my family support staff.