On Saturday, October 5th, the main exhibition of the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial ‘The Fine Lines of Constructiveness’ will open at Kai Art Center. This year’s triennial focuses on artists from the Baltic and Nordic countries, showcasing the diverse oeuvre of 27 solo artists and one artist group. The curator of the exhibition is glass artist Maret Sarapu.
The main exhibition of the Applied Art Triennial ‘The Fine Lines of Constructiveness’ highlights interest in new symbioses, ways of use, and a concern for sustainability. “Constructiveness can be characterized by clarity, straightforwardness and optimality. It is aimed at development, creative progress, (re)constitution. Constructiveness may emerge when means are scarce, energy is low, or when the need to sustain one another has been acknowledged,” says the curator Maret Sarapu about the main theme of the triennial. “The artists exhibited at the triennial are interested in experimenting with new symbioses, finding new ways of usage, and there is clearly also a concern for sustainability – what happens to the material before and after the life span of the object,” commented Sarapu.
Many of the exhibited works use time-consuming technologies, which, in addition to highlighting the importance of sustainability, raise the question of whether handicraft as a soothing activity is a basic need, a luxury, or, paradoxically, both. The triennial includes textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry, and installations – while many of the works are experimentations with a view of the future, they also value techniques from thousands of years ago. For example, the Swedish artist Karin Roy Andersson discloses how to sculpt pieces from reindeer skin while taking a responsible approach towards nature and animals without producing waste. Riikka Anttonen (Finland) emphasizes in the form of marble mosaic technique how queer history dates back much further in the past than people would like to acknowledge. Sofia Björkman (Sweden) has revived the therapeutic art of basket weaving, employing biodegradable materials. Vincent Dumay (Sweden) builds columns using the thousands of years old rammed-earth technique, while Hanne Haukom (Norway) uses similarly ancient craft techniques to create her vase-like forms.
The following artists are participating in the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial: Karin Roy Andersson (Sweden), Riikka Anttonen (Finland), Ieva Baltrėnaitė-Markevičė (Lithuania), Sofia Björkman (Sweden), Per Brandstedt (Sweden), Vincent Dumay (Sweden), Signe Fensholt (Denmark), Ellisif Hals in collaboration with Yuvia Maini and Cassius Lambert (Sweden/Norway), 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), and Linda Vilka (Latvia).
During the opening weekend of the main exhibition, the audience is invited to join the curator’s tour as well as to meet the artists. On Saturday, October 5th from 12pm–1pm, an exhibition tour with the curator Maret Sarapu will take place, and from 1:30pm–5pm, a program of artists’ presentations will be hosted in the Kai Art Center auditorium. The presentation program will be held in English and the artists introducing their practices will be: Saara Renvall, Arja Kärkkäinen, Karin Roy Andresson, Alves Ludovico, Liisa Hietanen, Jennie McMillen, Ieva Baltrėnaitė-Markevičė, Linda Vilka, Anda Munkevica, Kadi Pajupuu, Lauri Kilusk, and Ketli Tiitsar. The presentation day will be led by Keiu Krikmann.
On Sunday, October 6th at 2pm, a workshop titled We Really Are Allowed to Get Tired by the Latvian artist Linda Vilka will take place in English. The artist explores mental and physical conditions related to fatigue, encouraging viewers to acknowledge their feelings and to find ways to cope with exhaustion. The aim of the workshop is to approach tiredness through creative self-expression.
The main exhibition of the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial The Fine Lines of Constructiveness is open at Kai Art Center from October 5, 2024 until February 16, 2025. Kai Art Center is open every Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm-6pm.
The Tallinn Applied Art Triennial is an international art event that has been taking place since 1997, organized by the NGO Tallinn Applied Art Triennial Society, formed by Maret Sarapu, Merle Kasonen, Anu Almik, Keiu Krikmann, and Katre Ratassepp. The aim of the triennial is to contribute to the development of contemporary and conceptual applied art. The triennial is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Tallinn Culture and Sports Department, DHL Express Estonia, Puumerkki, Raitwood, Mull Drinks, and OnTheGoSystems.
