A record number of 470 artists or artist groups applied for the open call of the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial. Among the applicants, 28 artists were selected whose works will be exhibited at the exhibition The Fine Lines of Constructiveness, opening 4 October 2024 at Kai Art Center in Tallinn (until 16th February 2025).
Applications were open to artists from the Baltic and the Nordic countries. According to the curator of this year’s main exhibition, Maret Sarapu, the open call gave a rich and comprehensive overview of Nordic and the Baltic art practices currently in play. The final 28 artists and collectives that were selected for the main exhibition were those which presented works that explored Sarapu’s curatorial approach to constructiveness.
“Applied arts and making by hand is something people often turn to in order to find release. Solutions can be found in thinking without articulating, as can solace in people gathering to make something together — by making an object, another world is unconsciously created in the process. A better world can also be created intentionally, by consciously seeking and making practical choices along the way. Thinking with the hands helps us intuitively and practically explore ideas and solutions that may not emerge when we take a verbal or abstract approach.
By the time I started working on the curatorial theme of this year’s triennial, Russia’s war in Ukraine had been going on for less than a year and there was still hope that it would not drag on for years. However, by the time the open call was announced, it was clear that the future was grim and we needed to invest in ways to cope. The decision to create an open call specifically for artists from or based in the Baltic and the Nordic countries was made due to a recognition that we do not know our closest neighbours well enough. And we could do better. As Covid restrictions are still in the not-too-distant past, we need to consider our daily needs and those of others around us as well as care for our mental wellbeing.
Constructiveness in art means a willingness to experiment, innovate and make something new, to look for unexpected collaborations, to approach issues in a practical manner. Being constructive is something clear, straightforward and optimal. All things superfluous have been cut. This can be found in ideas and actions that contribute developmentally and creatively. Constructiveness can emerge when means are scarce, energy low or when it is understood that we need to be gentle with one another. It can also appear in natural clear-mindedness. Reconstruction perhaps refers to something that needs to be done after the war is over, at the same time, it is a process we go through constantly, every day, on a smaller or larger scale. How can artistic creativity offer solutions and support, especially in difficult situations such as war and social crises? What options are there for constructing something, to be constructive and creative? How can we invigorate our mind, body and soul? How is constructiveness reflected in love?.” (An excerpt of ‘Thinking and Feeling Hands” a text by Maret Sarapu, from the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial catalogue).
Participating artists: Karin Roy Andersson (Sweden), Riikka Anttonen (Finland), Ieva Baltrėnaitė-Markevičė (Lithuania), Sofia Björkman (Sweden), Per Brandstedt (Sweden), Vincent Dumay (Sweden), Signe Fensholt (Denmark), Hanne Haukom (Norway), Liisa Hietanen (Finland), Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė (Lithuania), Kati Kerstna (Estonia), Lauri Kilusk (Estonia), Karel Koplimets (Estonia), Arja Kärkkäinen (Finland), Krista Leesi (Estonia), Alves Ludovico (Finland), Jennie McMillen (Sweden), Anda Munkevica (Latvia), Kadi Pajupuu (Estonia), Anu Penttinen (Finland), Tiina Puhkan (Estonia), Saara Renvall (Finland), Vilde Rudjord (Norway), Taavi Teevet (Estonia), Margit Terasmees (Estonia), Ketli Tiitsar (Estonia), Linda Vilka (Latvia) and an artistic collective with members Ellisif Hals, Yuvia Maini ja Cassius Lambert (Sweden and Norway).
As in previous years, the triennial is accompanied by a satellite programme consisting of exhibitions, performances, installations and other events that link to the theme of this year’s triennial and highlight applied art and contemporary craft in a broader sense.
The main exhibition of the triennial, entitled The Fine Lines of Constructiveness takes place at Kai Art Center from 5 October 2024 until 16 February 2025.
