Kondas Centre is happy to invite you to the opening of Reet Talimaa’s and Kai Kiudsoo-Värv’s joint exhibition Light Shines Through on Saturday the 2nd of April at 4 p.m. 

The exhibition’s title Light Shines Through states the simple truth that only light enables us to see nature and Creation. Each spring light is wonderfully reborn. This knowledge carries us through the long darkness, because the miserably dark season always seems to go on forever. Living in a northern country our rhythm of life is inextricably linked with the duality of light and darkness.

Light bears, grows and affirms life in both the direct and indirect sense. Light is the window of life, every human’s window to the world. Creator’s hope, the heart of light.

The troubled and bellicose times we live in remind us an old story about Martin Luther who in rensponse to the question what would he do if he knew that the world would end tomorrow replied that he would plant an apple tree.

We as artists use the time we’ve been granted for doing exhibitions. We are sisters who grew up in Tallinn. Glass artist Kai Kiudsoo-Värv’s hometown remains to be Tallinn, while the textile artist Reet Talimaa has been living in Viljandi for a little more than twenty years.

As sisters our creative searches and experiments are naturally bound together, though not so much in a tangible imagery but in the same kind of thinking and world view we share. Therefore we have decided to bring together works of art which have been created in different times and by different motivations. In 2007 we exhibited our works together in a small town of Den Helder in the Netherlands. This is our first joint exhibition in homely Estonia.

We devote this exhibition to our beloved mother, Sirje Kiudsoo, joyful spring child.

Reet Talimaa, textile artist
Kai-Kiudsoo Värv, glass artist

International Year Of Light closing ceremony / event Merida, Mexico, February 3-6 th, 2016.Cultural centre EL OLIMPO, “Light For The Peace”.

International Year Of  Light organizing committee selected via international competition 15 artists to make their solo exhibitions at the International Year Of Light Closing event/ ceremony Merida, Mexico, February 3-6, 2016.

Mery Crystal Ra about her glass-light interactive exhibition thoughts: “It is easy for us to imagine an instance in which the invisible meets the visible. Imagine a beam of light, which is normally invisible, striking a reflective surface and bouncing into our eyes. The light that was invisible is now visible. From our perspective as observers, it has been transformed. Now please imagine an instance in which the invisible meets the invisible. Imagine light striking glass. If the glass is perfectly transparent, it is virtually invisible. When a beam of light strikes it, we will have no way of knowing”.

Meeli Kõiva aka Mery Crystal Ra is one of the few artists in the world who has skillfully clued together the handwriting of the artist with the most modern unique innovative glass, lighting and video technologies.

Meeli Koiva (Mery Crystal Ra) is a globally renowned light-glass artist and innovator. She’s one of the winners of the 2013 and 2014 Light In the City / Northern Light, European light artists competition. She has been an innovator and a visionary in the field of light / glass art for the last 30 years. A pioneer in combining glass and light to create extraordinary works of art, she creates highly imaginative and novel pieces in Europe and in the US for private residences and public buildings. Even before the Light art boom of the last 30 years she was a trailblazer and source of influence in light art, reshaping the space and surface of structures. She has created glass-light sculptures for the European Parliament main building exhibition in Brussels, Belgium (2006) and Glaston Corporation headquarters in Finland, Tampere (2012), interactive glass-light meditation exhibition at the International Year Of Light 2015 closing event in Mexcio, February 2016. She is a speaker / keynote speaker, having made presentations at the universities, seminars and conferences. She is creative director at Crystal Energy Ltd. in Helsinki, NYC, Paris.

Meeli Kõiva aka Mery Ra Crystal was selected with her speech and solo exhibition  to participate at the UNESCO International Year Of Light closing ceremony / event February 3-6, 2016, Mexico.

3 artists invited by UNESCO International Year Of Light organising committee to make speeches at the International Year Of Light 2015 closing event, February 4-6, 2016, Merida, Mexico: Mery Crystal Ra (Europe), Marcus Neuestetter (South Africa), Tania Aedo (Mexico).

Mery Crystal Ra introduced her radical artist`s practice, talked about her unique international light-glass projects and presented her innovative glass paintings, glass-light sculptures and videos. Her speech was titled: ” TWISTED LIGHT, SCRATCHED GLASS AND INFINITE LUMINOSITY: WELCOME TO MY UNIVERSE.” The invisible meets the visible. The light that was invisible is now visible. Has the light been transformed by its passage through the glass? Twisted Light and Scratched Glass: Art at the Intersection of Absurdity and Hope. Unknown spaces – powered via light. Working with glass opens creative windows into amazing spaces of light and colour. Interior as a fun playground communicating art through synergy of light, glass, video, digital printings and luminescent inspiration. The interaction of light and glass becomes a meditation. Sometime the leap from physical science to artistic creativity comes quickly, and sometimes it happens slowly.

Awesome power of glass and luminescence. Future of the mankind: humans versus robots. Unknown spaces – powered via glass. Working with glass opens creative windows into amazing spaces and light color. Interior as a fun playground communicating art through synergy/energy of light, glass, video, digital printings and luminescent inspiration. Changing art communication. Active creative reshaping process of the space via light and glass to get an integral surface for new and surreal unexpected action and positive transformation. The awesome power and fragility of glass: a relevant metaphor and guiding principle for artists, citizens and nations”.

The International Year of Light has been a great success, over 5000 activities, involving millions of people in more than 120 countries worldwide. The last twelve months has seen academic and industry organizations joining forces toraise awareness of the many ways in which light, optics and photonics impact our lives in areas such as energy, education, climate-change, and health.

The sheer diversity of events that have taken place has been truly remarkable. The opening ceremony in Paris in January 2015 set the scene, and throughout the year we have seen a huge range of activities including: education and outreach for students and the public; specialist workshops in science and industry; forums on the historical development of science; conferences on sustainable development; public light festivals and displays; works of art, music and literature. Events have been targeted at all levels – from preschool children learning science for the first time, to politicians, diplomats and even royalty convening high-level meetings on the importance of technology for the future.

Discussions are now underway to ensure that the resources and partnerships established over the last two years will continue. We shall hear in the coming days at the Closing Ceremony of many of the success stories of the International Year of Light, and the speakers and topics have been chosen so that we can consider together how best to build on the results of 2015 to create a legacy that can truly transform our society.

INTERACTIVE LIGHT-GLASS-LIGHT EXHIBITION -MEDITATION: “LIGHT FOR THE PEACE” by MERY CRYSTAL RA.

International Year Of Light closing ceremony / event Merida, Mexico, February 3-6 th, 2016.Cultural centre EL OLIMPO, “Light For The Peace”. International Year Of Light organizing committee selected via international competition 15 artists to make their solo exhibitions at the International Year Of Light Closing event/ ceremony Merida, Mexico, February 3-6, 2016. Meeli Kõiva aka Mery Crystal Ra is one of the few artists in the world who has skillfully clued together the handwriting of the artist with the most modern unique innovative glass, lighting and video technologies.

Meeli Koiva (Mery Crystal Ra) is a globally renowned light-glass artist and innovator. She’s one of the winners of the 2013 and 2014 Light In the City / Northern Light, European light artists competition. She has been an innovator and a visionary in the field of light / glass art for the last 30 years. A pioneer in combining glass and light to create extraordinary works of art, she creates highly imaginative and novel pieces in Europe and in the US for private residences and public buildings. Even before the Light art boom of the last 30 years she was a trailblazer and source of influence in light art, reshaping the space and surface of structures. She has created glass-light sculptures for the European Parliament main building exhibition in Brussels, Belgium (2006) and Glaston Corporation headquarters in Finland, Tampere (2012), interactive glass-light meditation exhibition at the International Year Of Light 2015 closing event in Mexcio, February 2016. She is a speaker / keynote speaker, having made presentations at the universities, seminars and conferences. She is creative director at Crystal Energy Ltd. in Helsinki, NYC, San Francisco.

International Year Of Light closing ceremony Pogramme:

“REACTIVE RIVER” glass – light sculpture and video by Meeli Koiva (aka Mery Crystal Ra) was selected by international competition inside top 25 art + light art projects in the world: 25 LIGHT ART PROJECTS WHAT ILLUMINATE OUR WORLD.

Tony Sikes, editor of CODA Magazine, LIGHT AS ART III: This month marks the second anniversary of CODAmagazine, and we celebrate this event with our third annual Light as Artissue. OMG, what a stunner it is! There’s no better way to witness the transformative power of light than in the hands of artists and designers. What they accomplish is no less than magic: Emotion. Excitement. Engagement. Wonder.As always, this issue of CODAmagazine shares the best of the best.

It’s a spectacular display of the latest innovation in light technology and artistry—and we are oh so proud to share these amazing projects with you. Please join us every month and subscribe toCODAmagazine on Flipboard to receive the best design + art projects from all over the world, delivered to you, free of charge.

Meeli Kõiva aka Mery Crystal Ra is one of the few artists in the world who has skillfully clued together the handwriting of the artist with the most modern unique innovative glass, lighting and video technologies.

Meeli Koiva (Mery Crystal Ra) is a globally renowned light-glass artist and innovator. She’s one of the winners of the 2013 and 2014 Light In the City / Northern Light, European light artists competition. She has been an innovator and a visionary in the field of light / glass art for the last 30 years. A pioneer in combining glass and light to create extraordinary works of art, she creates highly imaginative and novel pieces in Europe and in the US for private residences and public buildings. Even before the Light art boom of the last 30 years she was a trailblazer and source of influence in light art, reshaping the space and surface of structures. She has created glass-light sculptures for the European Parliament main building exhibition in Brussels, Belgium (2006) and Glaston Corporation headquarters in Finland, Tampere (2012), interactive glass-light meditation exhibition at the International Year Of Light 2015 closing event in Mexcio, February 2016. She is a speaker / keynote speaker, having made presentations at the universities, seminars and conferences. She is creative director at Crystal Energy Ltd. in Helsinki, NYC, Paris

On Ghost Waters – a unique exhibition of glass sculptures by Ivo Lill at Red Hall
Exhibition in the Red Hall of the Telliskivi Creative City, 12-27 September 2015
Glass: Ivo Lill, photography: Ülo Josing, design: Maret Kukkur

A placidly rippling river transforms into a quicksilver ghost stream coursing through an abandoned industrial environment. Glass glitters along the banks and the rippling reflections on the surface exert a will-o’-the-wisp-like pull down into the depths of the water. Long, colourful shadows are cast on the dingy walls. As one drifts down the ghost waters, bleak reality disappears, opening the way into a mythological fantasy world – but like ghost waters anywhere, only until the cock crows… Continue reading →

Opening of Sofi Arshas’ personal exhibition Heavenly Cocoon and Earthly Additions: Situation II takes place on Friday, 27^th of March at 17.00 at the Hop gallery in Tallinn.

Sofi Arshas is a glass artist, graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts, Department of Glass Art, in 1992. She has participated in exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad since 2001, including 9 personal exhibitions.

Current exhibition is a sequel to the installation Situations, which was exhibited in the Tartu Art House at the end of last year. The author continues featuring situations related to sense of danger and security, and this time she adds an interactive aspect with a possibility to observe the relations between an individual artwork and the exhibition as a whole when the focus changes from one object to another.

In addition to the central video work, the exhibition also consists of smaller glass objects which carry a symbolic message and are in close connection with the above-mentioned. The glass objects create as if a separate exposition apart the installation. Exhibition inside exhibition.

Distant messages from Calvinist era through the still lifes painted by Pieter Glaesz create a bridge between the past and the present, thereby addressing everyone who would like to reflect on existence in this troubled world.

The secured world shrinks tighter as a pile of sand after a cyclone.

The importance of casual things is doubtful and uncertainty about tomorrow makes the surroundings fragile and crumbling from your hands.

Human life as a glass ball  that can break at any moment, an open book where the story ends with the pages, or a goblet where a single sparkling drop of wine is like the last breath of joy of life. Everything changes and transforms and switches forms. I would like to wrap myself in a pale blue cocoon and let myself to be carried to the heavenly landscapes. Simply just to be.

The exposition includes video, photo and melted and blown glass.

Estonian Ministry of Culture and Estonian Cultural Endowment support exhibitions at the Hop gallery.