'DEAR FRIEND' at the EKA Gallery

Dear Friend,

We have been thinking about you and we are looking forward to meeting you at the Dear Friend exhibition from 15–29 September 2022 at EKA Gallery. We hope you have time to pass by! The gallery doors open on 15 September at 18:00.

Since 2019 we have been writing, folding, publishing, sharing and posting the Dear Friend publication. There are four seasons of published letters. This Fall seemed like the right time to meet after a few years of correspondence. It is a chance to talk about publishing, writing, small publications, doing things together, and why not just about how we are doing.

The exhibition features all the published Dear Friend letters. The letters are available for you to read, take home or mail to another friend. Next to the letters there are projects and publications by our penfriends. These are mostly publications that connect with the Dear Friend project contextually, formally, community-wise and beyond borders.

There is also a public programme that includes presentations of periodical publications and books; from 20–23 September readings and recordings of letters, programme Tracks as envelopes by oH radio; 24 September Dear Friend symposium, a day full of presentations and discussions; 29 September Dear Friend letter writing workshop and more.

A catalogue will be published alongside the exhibition, with contributions by Singapore-based design writer Justin Zhuang, designer and writer Else Lagerspetz, and artist Lieven Lahaye. It will include published letters and a selection of photos of the activities. The book launch will take place at the symposium 24 September.

SYMPOSIUM
24 September 12:00–18:00, EKA Gallery

Dear Friend symposium is a gathering where through presentations and discussions we explore practices and questions around experimental and self-publishing, mailing as a form of publishing, and design as writing.

12:00 gathering
12:30 Henk Groenendijk’s presentation “undisclosed relations”
13:00 Arja Karhumaa talks about design as writing
13:30 open discussion
14:00–15:00 break/Lunch
15:00 Nell Donkers’ presentation on de Appel’s publication The Remote Archivist
15:30 Paul Soulellis’ talk about Queer.Archive.Work and the resting reader
16:00 open discussion
17:00 presentation of the Dear Friend catalogue

Exhibition concept/curation:
Ott Kagovere & Sandra Nuut

Exhibition design
Ulla Alla & Nika Gabiskiria

Letters by
Alicia Ajayi, Stuart Bertolotti-Bailey, Claudia Doms, Nell Donkers, Maarin Ektermann, Rosen Eveleigh, Maryam Fanni, Saara Hannus, Eik Hermann, Paul John, Maria Juur, Ott Kagovere, Maarja Kangro, Arja Karhumaa, Kristina Ketola Bore, Nicole Killian, Rachel Kinbar, Tuomas Kortteinen, Keiu Krikmann, Kadri Laas, Else Lagerspetz, Lieven Lahaye, James Langdon, Jungmyung Lee, Kai Lobjakas, Michelle Millar Fisher, Maria Muuk, Sheere Ng, Sandra Nuut, Laura Pappa, Jack Self, Indrek Sirkel, Paul Soulellis, Triin Tamm, Laura Toots, Alice Twemlow, Loore Viires, Sean Yendrys, Justin Zhuang

Letter visuals by
Mai Bauvald, Pärtel Eelmere, Martina Gofman, Kersti Heile, Laura Merendi, Mikk Oja, Rex, Johanna Ruukholm, Robin Siimann

Thank you
Louis Biasin, Pärtel Eelmere, Maarin Ektermann, Mark Foss, Mette Mari Kaljas, Else Lagerspetz, Laura Merendi, Emma Reim, Maret Sarapu, Indrek Sirkel, Taylor Tex Tehan, Laura Tursk, Pille-Riin Valk

Detailed programme: (facebook link)
Dear Friend web archive: https://gd.artun.ee/dearfriend/

Supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Academy of Arts, European Regional Development Fund

See you soon!
Sandra & Ott

PUBLIC PROGRAMME

15.09–29.09 Dear Friend exhibition

15.09 18:00 opening of the Dear Friend exhibition

16.09 17:00 artist Lieven Lahaye presents a new issue of Catalog

20.09–23.09 11:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00 oH radio’s Tracks as envelopes, public readings of Dear Friend letters in the exhibition space. Come read one!

22.09 18:00 presentation of Exercises in Practical Mischievery by Laura Pappa, Carlo Canun, Maki Suzuki

24.09 12:00–18:00 Dear Friend symposium and catalogue presentation. Come and join!

28.09 18:00 publication launch by EKA GD MA students

29.09 18:00 Dear Friend letter writing workshop. Please join!