Friday, 28 June, the international exhibition of technological art Enter Woodland Spirits will be opened as part of the main programme of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, offering people ways to revive folk wisdom and make the spirituality of nature tangible. Nearly twenty artists from the Nordic and Baltic region will participate in the exhibition, including fourteen new works inspired in several cases by Estonia’s natural heritage. Enter Woodland Spirits takes place in two historic neighbouring buildings in Tartu: the Estonian Literary Museum and the University of Tartu Natural History Museum.
Closely intertwined with the exhibition project is the newly created anthology Estonian Nature Folklore, which highlights the rich folklore collections and their value from an ecological perspective: the way of thinking of the people of the Nordic countries, which reveals both utilitarian and sustainable aspects, as well as a respectful relationship with nature as a soulful, powerful partner.
The international technological art exhibition Enter Woodland Spirits explores how technology-driven art can revive the wisdom of folklore and make the essence of nature tangible and perceptible.
Enter Woodland Spirits takes visitors on a journey through two historic buildings, with the possibility to encounter installation environments, sound and video works, works generated by AI or through manipulating with augmented reality, kinetic sculptures and other hybrid forms where the art experience is multi-sensory. Site-specific artworks can be encountered from the largest auditorium of the University of Tartu to the mysterious attic of the Literary Museum.
The nearly 20 participating artists from the Nordic and Baltic countries embrace the essence and reverence for nature in their work. The exhibition will feature Bryndís Björnsdóttir and Þorsteinn Eyfjörð from Iceland, Oskar Koliander from Denmark, Tori Wrånes, Ingrid Torvund and Jonas Mailand from Norway, Hans Rosenström, Niskanen & Salo in collaboration with Inkeri Aula, Pia Sirén and Nastja Säde Rönkkö from Finland, Linda Boļšakova and ART+ from Latvia and Norman Orro with Joonas Timmi, Zody Burke, Johannes Luik, Emer Värk, Roman-Sten Tõnissoo and Mari-Leen Kiipli from Estonia.
Initiated by the Estonian Literary Museum in 2019, the Enter Woodland Spirits project is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme line Tartu with Earth.
Enter Woodland Spirits
In the Estonian Literary Museum and University of Tartu Natural History Museum buildings.
Opening on 28 June at 5 pm, the exhibition is open Tue-Sun 10 am to 6 pm until 25 August 2024.
The exhibition is supported by the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, Nordisk Kulturfond, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, OCA Norway (the Office for Contemporary Art Norway), the Danish Arts Foundation, the Nordic-Baltic mobility program for culture, ECOC 2024 Duo Networking project / EEA and Norway Grants, Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Icelandic Artists’ Salary Fund, The Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), Upgreat, A. Le Coq, Estonian Academy of Arts.
Concept and organising by Henri Hütt, Evelyn Raudsepp, Taive Särg, Ave Goršič.
Exhibition website: https://folklore.ee/loodus/projektist/naitus
Anthology: https://folklore.ee/loodus/
Tartu 2024: https://tartu2024.ee/metsavaimud/
