Open Lecture: Michaela Režová

Open Lecture
 Blood-sweat-tears-love-animation

Animation at UMPRUM in Prague

Michaela Režová  

The Department of Animation and Film at the University of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague is the oldest in the Czech Republic, founded in 1951. The department has a rich history and is known for its exploration of formal intersections and experimentation with audiovisual works. In a lecture by Michaela Režová, a filmmaker and studio lecturer, the evolution of the studio’s history over the past 70 years will be discussed, along with the changes in teaching and curriculum. Režová, herself a graduate of the department, is known for her work in the animated documentary genre, with a focus on different forms within that genre. She has collaborated with Czech Radio and worked as a creative director on various projects, including a permanent exhibition at the National Museum in Prague. The lecture will be followed by the screening of short films.

Blood-sweat-tears-love-animation / Animation at UMPRUM in Prague
The Animation and Film Department at the Academy of Art, Architecture, and Design in Prague, established in 1951, holds the distinction of being the oldest in the Czech Republic. While it cherishes and builds upon traditions, the department actively explores formal crossovers and possibilities for experimenting with audiovisual works. Lecture will present 70 years and their transformations. How did the research of the studio’s history unfold? What have we discovered? And what does the teaching and curriculum look like today? This will be presented by Michaela Režová, a filmmaker and lecturer from the studio. In conclusion, a presentation of short films will follow.

bio

Michaela Režová is a filmmaker and director whose work primarily focuses on the genre of animated documentary and its various forms. In 2017, she graduated from UMPRUM with a specialization in animation and film. Her diploma project, the short film Chase (2017), brings to life the glory days of Czechoslovak hockey, exploring both its triumphs and darker moments. In 2018, she collaborated with Czech Radio on the film Gambler. Between 2020 and 2022, she was the curator for the exhibition ANIMATION 70 (celebrating the 70th anniversary of the animation studio at UMPRUM) and also she was the editor of a publication bearing the same name.
As a creative director, she worked on a 360° video for the permanent exhibition History of the 20th Century at the National Museum in Prague and on six films for the exhibition Design and Transformation: Stories of Czech Design 1990-2020. She stands behind the platform f-a-t.cz which works under the motto “From animators to animators” and brings content from animation world. Currently she is also a lecturer at UMPRUM.

On Friday, December 29 at 6 pm we open the solo exhibition “It will take approximately 25 minutes to experience this exhibition, we apologize for any inconvenience” by Sten Saarits. The exhibition will remain open until January 22, 2024.

How much of our valuable time do we unconsciously give for nothing, without receiving anything in return.. Like drifting obliviously, without noticing the surroundings and those around us. The desire to belong is fundamentally a basic human need. Studies suggest that the craving for social interactions arise from the same region of the brain where our need for food is felt, and when we are excluded, the experience is processed in the same brain region responsible for the sensation of physical pain.. And then we activate. Like toys with new batteries. Panic-induced false belonging sets in, and smart devices play a significant role in fulfilling the basic need for connection. The somewhat unsettling sense of non-belonging paves the way for digital non-spaces and fantastic, theatrical realms within it. Humans have the essential need to observe and be observed.. To be seen, heard and considered by others. It is safe to move in packs, each one still lonely, eyes staring to the non-world.. because the possibility for non-world is always present; it is nowhere and belongs to no one.. There is no accountability, neither for actions nor for consequences, I do not participate, I am just an observer.. Slightly calming, somewhat entertaining, but excellent for passing the time.

Our desire to belong pushes us to action, but it cannot happen without sacrifice. Am I willing though.. These are my experiences, my belongings, my people, my thoughts and feelings.. What if the new ones are not coming.. Will I remain stranded here, idle and free-falling in the middle world.. And so we turn, cautiously testing our trust, and walking into the future.. We sort of slowly begin to move, and then we circle back to a core familiar to us.. There is a sense of security when we know that we are for a fact present in a specific place, at least physically. “I’ll wear a reflective vest as well – so if I happen to wander too far, would you mind calling me back, okay?” If someone generous in real life would put these dots down for us, there would be a clear objective and it would be easy.. no need to think much ourselves. And so it often is, that we let our lives be curated by someone else’s dots.. thinking that these are our own choices.

Kristel Saan

Special thanks to Erko Ever, Carmen Kalata, Egle Ehtjen, Madli Kadakas, Tiina Vändre, Mart Joost, Kert Viiart, Kristel Saan, Sirje ja Rein Kuusik, Kertu Rooma ja T1 Keskus.

Exhibition is supported by: Estonian Cultural Endowment

Exhibitions in Hobusepea gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture and Liviko AS.

18.00–18.30
Performative gathering “ “
Yuko Kinouchi, Tea Lemberpuu, Jane Muts, Maria Elise Remme, Jake Rhys Shepherd, Elo Vahtrik

We warmly invite you to slow down with us through a guided participatory gathering.

We were searching for a pause, stillness. So we ran through forests, we slept in caves, we followed the waters. Everything to escape the noise man has created. The rumor about the man-made room for silence reached our ears. We met John. He told us that after a while all you hear is the blood running within you. Heartbeat and all the sounds we were made of. There are things we can’t turn off.

In “ “ we ask you to join us to slow down, pause, and turn the attention within.

P.S. We ask you to leave your shoes and phone outside the room on arrival.

18.30–20.00
Workshop “Leaf Pounding”
Chloé Geinoz, Sven-Aleksander Mantsik, Vitor Pascal, Liza Tsindelian

The ‘Leaf pounding’ (this is the name of the technique of hammering plants onto paper or fabric in order to print them on it) project is a printing workshop using ecological and sustainable materials.

Our workshop is based on the different practices of the people in the group. It was important for us that everyone’s personal artistic touch could be found in the project: Liza uses second-hand materials, Chloé uses plants a lot, Vitor and Sven have a practice linked to printing techniques and critical text.

18.30–20.00
Installation “I Like Earth and Earth Likes Me”
Eleftheria Kofidou, Jana Mätas, Caroline Pajusaar, KitKit Para, Kadri Vahar, Edgar Volkov

The vertebral column is the main supporting structure of the body and mind, as the nerve cells within the spinal cord carry all the signals that are required to sustain the organism. These interlinked systems – all connected with our spine – control our every activity; our waking, dreaming, and sleeping and our stability depends on their successful collaboration. Our tired bones are only resting when lying on this soil, yet the Earth’s skin is becoming more and more occupied. What would become of our body landscapes after all? Our artificial remains shall be Earth’s new spine.

18.30–20.00
“Can I speak to the manager? It’s about the anthropocene”
Yvette Bathgate, Mihhail Boitsov, Katariina Kesküla, Merilin Põldsam, Kristi Vendelin

Collectively we explore interconnection through the process of binding; artworks, papers and text. A short manifesto style text, alongside five artworks will bind our individual expressions together and will be presented in installation and hand bound booklet formats.

The works have been made as part of the “Art in the Age of the Anthropocene” course for the EKA Contemporary Art and Design & Crafts MA students (instructors Sandra Kossorotova, Linda Kaljundi).

The exhibition brings together three different, yet equally sensitive artistic visions. Through the lens of a camera, the photographers Peeter Tooming (1939–1997) and Endel Veliste (1930–2001) and the visual artist Hedi Jaansoo (b 1989) recorded points of intersection between human beings and nature.

Their photographic series exemplify how the camera may amplify the distance from the surrounding environment, lend voices to stones, plants and water, and make the intrinsic interlacing of natural and artificial environments visible.

In the context of current environmental issues, this exhibition creates a poetic dialogue between photographic series by two Soviet-era photographers and a modern-day visual artist. It urges viewers to think about the relationship between nature and people and about the mediating role of technology in that relationship.

“You, River” is the exhibition that reopens the Project Room, which is part of the permanent Soviet Estonian art display. The purpose of Project Room exhibitions is to expand and complement the range of topics and artists included in the permanent exhibition, to contribute to creating trans-temporal and transnational dialogues, and to correlate with the primary research and exhibition projects of Kumu.
Curator Annika Toots on the exhibition:
The title of the exhibition You, River has been borrowed from Peeter Tooming’s photo series devoted to a body of water and its surrounding natural environment. Created in the 1970s, it stands out as being poetic and fragile, and is associated with the environmental topics that entered Estonian art in those days. Endel Veliste’s series View Through the Car Window dates from the same decade. Veliste’s eye follows and captures the surrounding environment through a double barrier: the camera lens and the car window.

The 21st-century visual artist Hedi Jaansoo enters into dialogue with Tooming’s and Veliste’s photos from the second half of the 20th century. She does not set up an opposition between the natural environment and the artificial environment, but rather tries to capture points of intersection between the two realms. Jaansoo’s photos feature carefully composed human-made and natural compositions located in areas where borders are blurred and personal and public environments blend into one.

The display is part of the permanent exhibition “Conflicts and Adaptations: Estonian Art of the Soviet Era (1940–1991) ” on the 4th floor of the Kumu Art Museum.

Team
Curator: Annika Toots
Artists: Hedi Jaansoo, Peeter Tooming and Endel Veliste
Exhibition design: Villu Plink
Graphic design: Tuuli Aule
Coordinator: Anastassia Langinen

You are kindly invited to the opening of Hanna Samoson’s debut exhibition today, 8 December at 6 pm in Tallinn Art Hall’s Lasnamäe Pavilion. 

Magic is sometimes very close to nothing at all is an exhibition about a great flood inside a person caused by a great loss and coming to terms with it, letting go of the previous world order and building a new world from the ruins of the past life. The curator of the exhibition is Siim Preiman.

How to attain a feather-light existence and shed all excess? Hanna Samoson dedicated the past year to pondering this quest. Through her contemplations, a series of patterns emerged from her experiences, aligning like puzzle pieces with the symbols she encountered. Within the confines of the Lasnamäe Pavilion, visitors are invited to traverse a path crafted by videos, stone sculptures, and installations. This journey captivates, involving us in its narrative, yet maintaining an openness that mirrors the artist’s profound realization — that every ending is always the beginning of something new.

Fueled by grief, Samoson unlocks the door to understanding profound human experiences. Curator Siim Preiman emphasizes the impossibility of encapsulating another person’s journey in words, stating, “Hanna Samoson is not a suffering artist, but a curious, empathetic and caring person. After her loss she set her sights on reconciliation, deciding to give up everything superfluous and strive for a state where nothing is redundant, but nothing is lacking, either. On her journey Hanna encounters various people and animals, experiences powerful natural phenomena and other seemingly small but magical coincidences.”

Hanna Samoson (1987) explores the boundaries of art and tries to perceive the unknown. Being in constant motion as an intuitive creator, her work is characterised by quick and spontaneous decisions. She studied photography at the Estonian Academy of Arts and graduated from the FAMU Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 2021. In the autumn of 2020 she walked the future route of Rail Baltic from Ikla to Tallinn as an endurance art performance, as a result of which the film Trail Baltic: A Trip to the Green (2023) was produced in cooperation with Levila. Among her latest shows are group exhibitions Pine-fulness at Tallinn City Gallery (2021) and Vana-Võromaa Cultural Centre (2022) and Runner Along the Border, Rat Catcher and Bricklayerat the Art Hall Gallery (2022).

The collaboration for the exhibition involved the support of spiritual guide Klara Hobza, along with artists and companions Helena Keskküla and Johanna Ranne, composer Janek Murd, sound designer Martin Kikas and project manager Hanna-Antheia Stern. The exhibition was designed by Kairi Mändla.

The exhibition is accompanied by a versatile audience and educational programme, information about which will be announced on Tallinn Art Hall’s website at https://www.kunstihoone.ee/programm/

The exhibition will remain open until 25 February 2024.

Tallinn Art Hall’s Lasnamäe Pavilion is located next to the Lindakivi Centre at 24 Jaan Koorti Street and is open from Wednesday to Friday from 12 to 18 and Saturday to Sunday from 12 to 19. Free entrance.

Open Design Lecture: “Go Hack Yourself!” by Jordi Closa / Adidas Maker Lab

In the dynamic world of arts and design, where innovation is the heartbeat of progress, we often find ourselves facing complex challenges that demand fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking. That’s where hacking steps in—a powerful and transformative problem-solving tool that can revolutionize the way we approach creativity, adaptability, and sustainable design.

With over two decades of experience as an influential product designer and a fervent advocate for hacking as a means of problem-solving, Jordi Closa has redefined what it means for him to create and innovate.

From his explorations in furniture, lighting, sports gear, and even food design, Jordi demonstrates a deep commitment to pushing the boundaries of conventionality. Drawing inspiration from the very ingredients that fuel our bodies and excite our senses, he has harnessed the transformative potential of materials in ways that captivate and leave an indelible mark on our experiences.

It is his passion for upcycling, his efforts to repurpose and reinvent materials and objects, that truly sets him apart. By extending the life of discarded products, Jordi boasts an unwavering commitment to diverting waste from landfills, protecting our precious oceans, and cultivating a more sustainable future.

Together, let us delve into the captivating realm of the Adidas MakerLab Network, a vibrant community of creatives, inventors, and problem solvers united by their insatiable curiosity and shared dedication to pushing the boundaries of design. Here, Jordi’s vision of hacking as a problem-solving tool has flourished. Through collaboration and experimentation, he has uncovered unique and thought-provoking solutions to even the most complex design challenges.

Let us embrace the power of hacking as a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and sustainable progress.

The lecture is in English and will be recorded for EKA TV. Everyone is welcome to join!

Morning Coffee: “From Numbers to Sneakers – Unconventional Design Story” by Thomas Ayme / Adidas Originals

Thomas Ayme is a French footwear color-and-material designer currently working at adidas Originals. However, his journey as a designer was not straightforward and began in a very different field.

After graduating in Mathematics, Economics, and Finance, Thomas joined Adidas, initiating his ten-year tenure at the brand as a business analyst. Realizing that analytics was not his true calling, he embarked on a journey toward becoming a footwear designer, navigating through multiple countries and jobs along the way. His unique background now informs his approach to design and has become one of his greatest assets.

Learn more about Thomas’ journey and his advice on how to reach your personal goals and ambition.

We invite everyone to the Narva Art Residency’s third open lecture that takes place next Thursday.

In autumn of 2023, international artists from the Narva Art Residency give three lectures at the Estonian Academy of Arts. The last lecture will be by two artists:

Elke Renate Steiner is a comics creator living and working in Berlin, Germany. She is creating comics and illustrations, drawing live at events and process documentations for communities. In Narva she will have workshops for adults with the aim of translating their experiences into comics.

Uwe Lützen is a swiss screenwriter based in Zurich and Berlin. During his residency he created a performance “28 questions (no answers needed)” about home, places, and identity.

They will talk about the practicalities of being a professional artist, what the daily life of an art residency is like, and how to get involved in the opportunities offered to artists. Of course, they will also introduce their own creative work.

The lecture is free of charge and open to all! It will be held in English.

The EKA Design Showcase gala, now in its seventh year, once again presents the best EKA students’ collaborative projects with companies and public sector organisations from the past year on 25 January 2024. We invite all current and future partners of EKA and all those interested in future design to attend the event!

REGISTRATION

Concepts, prototypes and ready-to-use solutions of innovative products and services created by EKA’s design students over the past year for companies and organisations such as the National Library of Estonia, Estonian Prison Service (Ministry of Justice), Antoniuse ÕU (Tartu Centre for Creative Industries), Eesti Energia, Estonian Refugee Council, Cignomet OÜ, Liven AS, GraceFit, Swedbank, Xarus Cosmetics OÜ, Integration Foundation (Ministry of Culture) and PERH (North Estonia Medical Centre) will be presented. There are prizes for the most influential and innovative projects!

These projects were created in the framework of EKA Faculty of Design’s new business cooperation programme LAETUS. Over the years, the Estonian Academy of Arts has accumulated a lot of experience in conducting collaborative projects and the LAETUS cooperation programme, launched in 2022, has further expanded this field of activity. The programme brings together EKA’s design courses and the business-related challenges of companies, providing synergies and fruitful collaboration and resulting in sustainable research and development projects that move all parties forward.

Come to the Design Showcase and gain new insights and inspiration on how to take your organisation’s products or services to the next level through a new generation of design and open innovation in partnership with EKA!

PROGRAMME

15:00 EKA building tour for those interested (pre-registration required)

16:00 EKA Design Showcase Gala starts. Welcoming words by moderator Jan Teevet and EKA’s Dean of the Faculty of Design Ruth-Helene Melioranski

16:15-17:30 Presentations of collaborative projects

• Service Design Sprint with Real Life Challenges in Tallinn’s Biggest Hospital – MA students in Social Design and Service Design and PERH

• Personal City – Let’s Walk! – students of MA Social Design and the Integration Foundation (Ministry of Culture)

• How to Become President – students of MA Social Design and the Integration Foundation (Ministry of Culture)

• Nuclear Energy Experience in 2035 – students of MA Interaction Design and Eesti Energia

• Making Estonia a Stepping Stone – students of MA Interaction Design and the Estonian Refugee Council

• Re-Branding of Antoniuse ÕU in Tartu’s Historic Jaani Quarter – students of BA Design and Innovation and Antoniuse ÕU (Tartu Centre for Creative Industries)

• Small Forms in the Courtyard of a New Residential Quarter – students of BA Design and Innovation and Liven AS

17:30-18:00 Coffee break

18:00-19:20 Presentations of collaborative projects

• Giving Agency to Prison Inmates by Establishing Digital Communication in Tallinn Prison – students of MA Design & Technology Futures and the Estonian Prison Service (Ministry of Justice)

• Empowering Your Fitness Journey on GraceFit – students of MA Interaction Design and GraceFit

• What Happens When a Schoolchild Arrives at the National Library? – students of MA Interaction Design and the National Library of Estonia

• The National Library’s Service System for Supporting Adults with Dyslexia – students of BA Digital Product Design and the National Library of Estonia

• Modular Storage of Electric Bicycles for Public Spaces and Apartment Associations – students of BA Industrial Design and Cignomet OÜ

• Design Thinking Based Onboarding for Swedbank – students of BA Digital Product Design and Swedbank

• Sustainable natural cosmetics brand concepts PIXEL and æsce – students of BA Design and Innovation and Xarus Cosmetics OÜ

• Helping to Achieve Riga Airport’s Ambition – to Become a Key Player in the Northern European Airport Market – students of Service Design Strategies and Innovations and Riga Airport

19:20 Acknowledgements and awards ceremony

19:30 End

The presentations are in Estonian and English, without translation.

It is possible to participate on-site at EKA (room A101) as well as via webcast http://tv.artun.ee/.

We are welcoming all current and future partners of EKA and those interested in future design to our event!

Watch a video of last year’s event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykpI2Jevyn0

On January 25, 2024, the EKA Design Showcase gala will present to the audience the best cooperation projects of EKA students from the last year with companies and public sector organizations.

We are waiting for all current and future cooperation partners of EKA and those interested in future design to take part in the event!

REGISTRATION

Concepts, prototypes and ready-made solutions of innovative products and services created by students of the Faculty of Design of EKA during the last year for companies and organizations such as the Estonian National Library, Estonian Prison Service (Ministry of Justice), Antonius ÕU (Tartu Creative Economy Center), Eesti Energia, Pagulasabi MTÜ, Cignomet OÜ, Liven AS, GraceFit, Swedbank, Xarus Cosmetics OÜ, Integration SA (Ministry of Culture) and PERH will be presented.

The most influential and innovative projects will also receive awards!

These are projects created within the framework of the new business cooperation program LAETUS of the EKA Faculty of Design.

EKA has accumulated a very strong wealth of experience in carrying out cooperation projects over the years, and the LAETUS program, launched in 2022, has further expanded this field of activity. The program brings together EKA’s design field courses and business challenges of companies, offering synergy and fruitful cooperation, resulting in sustainable research and development projects that move all parties forward.

Come to the Design Showcase and get new knowledge and inspiration on how to take your organization’s products or services to the next level with the help of new generation design and open innovation in cooperation with EKA!

THE PROGRAM

15:00 EKA house tour for those interested (pre-registration required)

16:00 Start
Welcome words by moderator Jan Teevet and dean of EKA’s Faculty of Design Ruth-Helene Melioranski.

16:15-17:30 Presentations of cooperation projects

“Service Design Sprint with Real Life Challenges in Tallinn’s Biggest Hospital” – MA students of social design and service design and PERH

“Personal City – Let’s Walk!” – MA students of social design and Integration SA (Ministry of Culture)

“How to Become President?” – MA students of social design and Integration SA (Ministry of Culture)

“What Happens when a Schoolchild gets to the National Library?” – interaction design MA students and the Estonian National Library

“Nuclear Energy Experience in 2035” – MA students of interaction design and Eesti Energia

“Making Estonia a Stepping Stone” – MA students of interaction design and Pagulasabi NGO

Sustainable Natural Cosmetics Brand Concepts “PIXEL” and “æsce” – BA students of design and innovation and Xarus Cosmetics OÜ

17:20-17:45 Coffee break

17:45-18:50 Presentations of cooperation projects

“Giving Agency to Prison Inmates by Establishing Digital Communication in Tallinn Prison” – Design & Technology Futures MA students and Prison Service (Ministry of Justice)

“Empowering your fitness journey on GraceFit” – MA interaction design students and GraceFit

“National Library Service System to Support Adults with Dyslexia” – BA students in digital product design and the Estonian National Library

“Onboarding for Swedbank Based on Design Thinking” – BA students of digital product design and Swedbank

“Modular Storage of Electric Bicycles for Public Space and Apartment Associations” – BA students of industrial design and Cignomet OÜ

“Small forms of the Outdoor area of the New Residential Quarter” – BA students of design and innovation and Liven AS

“Rebranding of Antonius Õu Located in Tartu’s Historic Jaani Quarter” – BA students of design and innovation and Antonius ÕU (Tartu Creative Economy Center)

18:50 Acknowledgments and presentation of awards

19:00 The End

Presentations will be held in Estonian or English, without translation.

It is possible to participate both on site at EKA (room A101) and watch the broadcast http://tv.artun.ee/ .

We look forward to hearing from all current and future cooperation partners of EKA and those interested in future design!

Watch a video reminder of last year’s event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykpI2Jevyn0