Matthias Sildnik „Development Fever” 04—26.03 at EKA Gallery

Matthias Sildnik „Development Fever”
04—26.03
Opening: 04.03 at 5 pm
EKA Gallery, Kotzebue 1, Tue-Sat 12—6 pm

Join us for the opening of „Development Fever“ by Matthias Sildnik on March 4, at 5 pm at EKA Gallery! The exhibition is part of the Art and Design PhD curriculum studies and runs until March 26. 

The feeling like you’re downloading a new app. Anticipation, tension, satisfaction. The new information is without taste, smell and brightly coloured. Sometimes causing anxiety, sometimes joy, surprise or anger. Consuming digital information has become as natural as eating. Forgetting to eat results in hunger. Information hunger causes anxiety.
Human consciousness as a knowledge-consuming system is limited. Memory, sense and attention are setting limitations not only to the volume but also to the functions of the information. Human consciousness is critical and paranoid, it doesn’t draw conclusions only from facts. Speculation and critical analysis have become dangerous in the era of post-truth. We can only draw one conclusion if we take these threats seriously.
Having evolved through evolution, human consciousness now limits social and economic development. Only radical innovation and revolutionary technology can tame its dangers. If we could send the truth pass the consciousness directly to executive parts, we could call off the news channels. Disconnecting consciousness from executive autonomy is the hardest part. It would be separate, just an observer, without its harmfulness. From here, it’s just a matter of carrying it out. Do we identify parts in the brain causing consciousness to remove them? Or we could channel randomised noise, old news or audiobooks by Foucault straight to the consciousness. Then they have time to think “How to explain human nature to Foucault?”.

PS
This cyber-bolshevist brainstorm belongs to the artistic research project that probes similarities between technological capitalism and Leninism. Usually, digital developments are analyzed within the framework of criticism of capitalism. Nevertheless ideas such as digital Maoism (Jaron Lanier), Google Marxism (George Gilder), digital Gulag/Google archipelago, corporate socialism (Michael Rectenwald) and woke capitalism (Ross Douthat), describe tendencies within technological developments that are closer to socialist totalitarianism than to free-market economies. This exhibition consists of forms that emerge when these two opposing currents crossbreed and give life to entirely new existence.

Matthias Sildnik (b. 1987) has graduated from the Installation and Sculpture department BA (2010) and MA (2014) at the Estonian Academy of Arts. His work has been exhibited in Estonia and abroad in solo and group shows. Sildnik studies the impact of high technology on daily life. He uses mediums such as digital graphics, statistical analysis and installation as dissociative synthesis environment. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Art and Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Between 28.02–6.3 an international master class “Expedition to Narva” will take place under the leadership of Ene-Liis Semper, Professor of Scenography at EKA, which will end with a pop-up exhibition on March 4.

The workshop will take place in cooperation with the good partners of EKA: Paris ENSAD, Helsinki Uniarts and Vilnius Academy of Arts. In addition to Ene-Liis Semper, the course will be supervised by Patrick Laffont de Lojo from ENSAD, in addition, the workshop will also be assisted by Maria Hansar, PhD students at EKA and Madlen Hirtentreu.

Ene-Liis Semper has commented the upcoming workshop as follows: “Narva is a town with a strange time shift. We are going to Narva, we are researching local conditions, we are working on site-specific installations or videos, we are making summaries and a pop-up exhibition at the Narva Estonian House.

The exhibition “Open Windows” will reopen on the windows of the Library of EKA on February 21, at 4 pm.

Through the exhibition of EKA windows, different specialities of EKA introduce their most outstanding projects and the latest creations of students. The exhibition can be viewed on the windows of the EKA Library on Põhja pst and Kotzebue streets and will remain open until March 14.

Specialities represented: Installation and Sculpture, Room Design, Product and Environmental design, Visual Communication, Photography, Jewellery and Blacksmithing, Scenography, Fashion Design, Textile Design, Accessory Design, Graphics, Graphic Design, Animation, Ceramics, Industrial and Digital Product Design, Glass, Architecture, Interior Design, Painting, Art and Visual Culture, Cultural Heritage and Conservation

The exhibition of open windows of EKA made its debut in 2021 and received a warm welcome from those interested in art and art education. The Estonian Academy of Arts, located on the edge of Kalamaja, will once again enliven the city’s cultural landscape at street level. Get with it! 

The series of open architecture lectures will take place this spring under the title “Close enough” and will bring architects from Latvia and Lithuania to the stage in Tallinn. We will examine how our neighbours operate topics arising from similar built environments and history. The lectures are intended for students and professionals from any and all disciplines – not just in the field of architecture. All lectures take place in the large auditorium of EKA, are in English and free of charge.

On March 31, the Latvian architectural collective ĒTER, led by Kārlis Bērziņš, Dagnija Smilga and Niklāvs Paegle, will arrive in Tallinn. ĒTER is an architectural practice founded in 2018 in Riga, focusing on space inspired by nature, technology and modern culture. When looking at the city, culture and living patterns, they preferably move in uncharted areas. As a natural part of the architectural firm, they see strategic and conceptual thinking, inventing their own tasks and involving international experts. ETER are architects, researchers and teachers whose fields range from the Baltic coast to the Alps.

Why are the Baltics our focus for this spring? Read lecture series’ curator Johan Tali’s short interview to find out.

The series of open architecture lectures will take place this spring under the title “Close enough” and will bring architects from Latvia and Lithuania to the stage in Tallinn. We will examine how our neighbours operate topics arising from similar built environments and history. The lectures are intended for students and professionals from any and all disciplines – not just in the field of architecture. All lectures take place in the large auditorium of EKA, are in English and free of charge.

The first lecture in the lecture series will be on March 3 at 6 pm by Petras Išora and Ona Lozuraitytė, who launched Isora x Lozuraityte Studio for Architecture in Vilnius in 2014. Creative duo exercise a cooperative practice, linking the spheres of architecture, public infrastructure, art, ecology, landscape. The two designers have been engaged in a number of interdisciplinary collaborations at a variety of scales, both nationally and internationally. The studio is characterised by cooperation and collaboration with other practises or subjects in art and architectural fields, is focused on urban narratives, public spaces, landscape projects, public infrastructure, social and cultural projects, experiments with the matter in exhibition, interior design, exterior and architecture of the wider environment.

NB! This lecture is part of the EAA Open Day program, the rest of the program can be found here.

The rest of this Spring’s architecture lecture programme can be found here.

“Slow Manoeuvres”
The Youth Exhibition of 18th Tallinn Print Triennial

On Friday 25th of February at 18.00 The Youth Exhibition of 18th Tallinn Print Triennial “Slow Manoeuvres” will be opened on the first floor of the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM). The exhibition will remain open until 11th of March.

The Youth Exhibition is the satellite event of Tallinn Print Triennial traditionally curated and organised by young artists. In this edition the main focus of the exhibition is on artists that use printmaking but alongside them also artists whose practice varies from textile to text.

The current exhibition concentrates on those young artists who, in their work, deal with slow and sustainable practices or with sustaining identity and humanic values in a world with rising levels of anxiety. Thoughts about coping with the present and questioning the possibility of the future are apparent in their work through the contacts they have with themselves and their surroundings.

“Slow Manoeuvres” are slow and thoughtful movements – takeoff with a notion of the importance of the journey. Artists are keeping their focus close to them. They create from and recreate what already exists and, through fragility, small narratives and insignificant techniques seek ways to move on.

Curators: Riin Maide (EKA Contemporary Art, MA) and Brit Kikas (EKA Contemporary Art, MA)

Artists: EKA Master’s students in Contemporary Art Sophie Durand, Lily Marleen Bloodshed, Maria Izabella Lehtsaar, Rodion Furs; Master of Contemporary Art Jose Aldemar Muños; Master of Textiles Ingrid Helena Pajo; EKA Graphics’ students Ella-Mai Matsina, Merilyn Lempu; and Saara Liis Jõerand

The author of the graphic design is Cristopher Siniväli and the text editor is Kristiine Kikas.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Fine Arts department and the Graphic arts department of Estonian Academy of Arts, Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia.

We would really like to thank Artsmart, Cristo Madissoo, Dana Loren Vares, Eve Kask,  Jaanus Odras, Jamie Avis, Kelly Kütt, Kirke Kangro, Liina Siib, Ligia Fernandes, Maria Erikson, Maris Paal, Paul Rannik, Sveta bar, Tallinn Print Triennial, VAAT brewery.

The exhibition is accompanied by a public programme. 

Curatorial tours:
02.03.2022 at 6 pm in Estonian

09.03.2022 at 6 pm in English

On Friday, 4th of March 2022 at 4pm a screen printing workshop will be held where participants have a possibility to try out silkscreen printing with natural or homemade inks. 

The exhibition and public programme is free for everyone. Due to the limited number of places for the workshop, we ask you to register in advance on the FOLLOWING LINK

We can only welcome visitors who present a proof of being vaccinated against or recovered from Covid-19.

Wearing a mask is mandatory!

EKKM, Kursi 5, Tallinn.

The exhibition is open:
26.02.–11.03.2022
Tue–Fri  2 pm–7 pm
Sat–Sun 12 am–7 pm

______

riin.maide@artun.ee
brit.kikas@artun.ee +372 5343 7533

On Tuesday, February 22, at 6 pm, Adrià Carbonell will give a public lecture “Contra Naturam: The Emergence of Modern Urbanism in Barcelona” in the hall of EKA (A-101)

Adrià Carbonell is an architect and urbanist. He is a lecturer in architecture at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and has previously lectured at KU Leuven, Tallinn University of Technology, Umeå Universitet, and the American University of Sharjah. He is co-founder of the research collaborative Aside, where he writes on the interplay between architecture, territory, politics and the environment. He has co-edited the book Infrastructural Love: Caring for Our Architectural Support Systems (Birkhäuser, 2022). His writings have been published in PLAN, ACE: Architecture, City and Environment, ZARCH Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Architecture and Urbanism, San Rocco, MONU, Cartha, among others. His current research addresses two guiding questions in innovative urbanism: how to reframe cosmopolitical spatial practices and how to challenge existing urban inequalities through processes of territorial redistribution.

Lecture is in English and open to the public.

The lecture will also be broadcast on EKA TV

The lecture is organized by the Faculty of Architecture of EKA together with the Estonian Association of Architects.

The lecture is supported by European Regional Development Fund.

Julius Pristauz’ Open Lecture “What is a performer without a stage? ” on February 17, 2 pm in room C201.

The spectrum of Julius Pristauz‘ work spans artistic and curatorial activities, all connected through an active interest for the construction and gender aspect of identities.  

For this guest lecture, Pristauz will give an introduction into his own artistic practice and talk about selected exhibition projects and recent collaborations. Addressing issues of representation and visibility, he will consider different modes of exhibiting. Hybridity and sharing are key strategies in Pristauz’ work. Therefore the talk should lead into an open discussion in which we can reflect on the state of young contemporary art together. 

The exhibition … and Other Shades of Light at Tallinn Art Hall brings together artists Kristi Kongi and Krista Mölder. Light plays a special role in both artists’ works, which combine in a unique constellation in this exhibition. The exhibition will be open from Saturday, 18 December.

Both Kristi Kongi (b. 1985) and Krista Mölder (b. 1972) have attracted international attention and earned countless awards, and they are among the brightest ambassadors of Estonian art. Here they are together for the first time in front of their home audience.

“Colours, their flicker, variability and sensual influence play important roles in the work of both artists, with one of them preferring unworldly vibrant colours, while the other favouring subdued Nordic tones,” says Siim Preiman, the curator of the exhibition. “The trail of thought of both artists begins with a spatial experience. They both can create immersive art spaces, as well as flat hanging rectangular objects. Each visitor to the exhibition can discover for themselves whether this get-together is pleasantly harmonious or excitingly dissonant.”

More info

The co-exhibition “A Visitor” by EKA painting alumni Eero Alev, Marleen Suvi and Brenda Purtsak to be opened today 6 PM in Hobusepea gallery. 

I don’t know what it feels to be dead, said a six-year-old girl to her father once. Her father listened, pondered, and remembered – neither did he know, but he yearned to. First, these twenty something thousand days given to us seem to last forever, but the more one moves along the axis, the days grow considerably shorter. We have a beginning and we have an end. Our visiting hours are limited and at some point, even without knowing it, we will leave all this behind. What did we find? Were we searching for something at all? How much did we ask and what did we give?

We arrive from somewhere we remember nothing about, and we are going somewhere we know nothing about.

Exhibition will stay open until March 7, 2022.

More info on Facebook