Silicate embodies the evolution of 20th-century Estonian architecture. Among the few widely available materials during Soviet deficits, silicate played a crucial role in shaping both monumental and everyday architecture – from the heyday of functionalist villas to self-built garages, from standardised apartment buildings to military infrastructure.
Through a kaleidoscopic lens, the exhibition marries perspectives from material science, architectural history, and cultural anthropology to critically examine the contested status of silicate and its potential for future application. Interwoven throughout are the insights of alumni and research conducted by students and scholars of the Estonian Academy of Arts.
In an era of increasing resource constraints, the exhibition invites viewers to consider whether, and how, material contaminated by Soviet association can be reborn anew.
Curated by: Henri Kopra ja Iiris Tähti Toom (Spatialist Studio)
Technical support: Erik Hõim
Graphic designer: Spatialist Studio and Fatima-Ezzahra Khammas
The exhibition is supported by Estonian Association of Architects, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Tallinn City, Bauroc and Sadolin Estonia.
Opening drinks from Põhjala Brewery.
Spatialist Studio’s exhibition “Silicate Ontology I. A material and social history 1900-2025”
EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
11.–27.04.2025
Photos by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
View from the exhibition ‘Silicate Ontology I. A Material and Social History 1900-2025’, EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2025. Photo by Ako Allik
