Category Archives: Annual exhibitions

2025 THE SECRET SOUL OF SHINY THINGS

Annual exhibition of the Estonian Glass Artists’ Union
THE SECRET SOUL OF SHINY THINGS
Artium Cultural Centre, Viimsi – lobby and Viimsi Art School Gallery
April 5-30, 2025

We live in interesting times. A sense of danger can force one to withdraw into one’s shell, or seek meaning and omens in the surroundings, to look for analogues in history, to notice a repetition of patterns. Today’s uncontested truths may be revoked tomorrow, someone’s confident glamour can turn out to be a one-day wonder. Art, while attempting to reflect the prevalent atmosphere, or posing difficult questions, does not claim to possess a monopoly of truth anymore; rather, it finds itself in the same boat as the audience.

Artists who survived the hardships of World War II frequently sought comfort in the poetry of the mundane; for them, soulllessness and brutality had lost their charm. Jackson Pollock and others were inspired by C.G.Jung to seek universal archetypes in native cultures. Carlo Carra wrote: “In the most ordinary things, we find a simplicity, through which we can sense a higher, meaningful content, and this is what art is all about.”

Through its peculiar properties, glass is a perfect means to create illusions. Under the shiny, flawless surface, dramas of light and darkness take center stage. Other media, including painting, can but dream of such expressiveness! Seemingly lifeless, frozen glass can pulse with life, a strive to break out of its confines, giving cause to speak of the artwork’s soul – floating high and far on the wings of light, coming alive not just as an object, but also the surrounding space. The “harsh reality” staged in the exhibition hall, where the “souls of artifacts”  are literally piled upon Cramo scaffolding, illustrates the state of affairs in Estonian glass art.

Participants: Eve Koha, Tiina Sarapu, Agnes Torm, Kati Kerstna, Rait Prääts, Riho Hütt, Kairi Orgusaar, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, Erki Kannus, Maarja Mäemets, Birgit Pählapuu, Piret, Ellamaa, Eeva Käsper, Anne-Liis Leht, Eili Soon, Kersti Vaks, Malle Karik-Hallimäe, Tiia Põldmets, Heli Press, Sigrid Luitsalu,Kaie Vakepea, Kateriin Rikken, Merle Kannus, Sofi Aršas.

Curator: Sofi Aršas sofiarchas [at] gmail [dot] com
Exhibition & Lighting Design: Kati Kerstna, Jaan Elken
Graphic Design: Merle Kannus
Thank you: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Viimsi Artium, Viimsi Art School, Cramo Estonia AS, Estonian Glass Artists’ Union.

2023 LEGENDARY TIMES

Annual exhibition of the Estonian Glass Artists’ Union
LEGENDARY TIMES
Kondas Centre, Pikk st 8, Viljandi
Open 12.11.2023 – 9. 03.2024, Wed-Sun 10.00-17.00

The Earth has been shaken off its axis, and we find ourselves once more living in an era of legends and fairy tales. Before our very eyes, new heroes and new villains are born; an evil cook turns his ladle in the Kremlin, and a ghost dashes about in the sky above Kiev.

A legend can sometimes be scary and nightmarish, but ultimately, its purpose is to give hope – to segment a confusing time into intelligible stories with a beginning and an end; to give meaning to lives lost, to show light at the end of the tunnel. In both love and war, the victory belongs to one who tells the more credible story.

A legend can let you escape daily drudgery, to visit mysterious sights and creatures. A legend allows you to see connections between the past and the present; to view a landscape from the perspective of an eagle or that of a frog; to learn from others’ mistakes once in a while. Thus, it shapes every human being’s unique inner cosmos, and gives birth to new legends.

Participants: Sofi Aršas, Aleksandra Ehrensvärd, Piret Ellamaa, Riho Hütt, Erki Kannus, Merle Kannus, Malle Karik-Hallimäe, Kati Kerstna, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, Eve Koha, Kai Koppel, Maarja Mäemets, Kairi Orgusaar, Rait Prääts, Tiia Põldmets, Kateriin Rikken, Kai Roosaar, Torsten Rötzch, Maret Sarapu, Tiina Sarapu, Kalli Sein, Eili Soon, Piret Uibotalu, Anna-Maria Vaino, Kersti Vaks.

Curators: Merle Kannus, Malle Karik-Hallimäe, Sofi Aršas.
Lighting: Kati Kerstna.

Sponsored by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the Kondas Centre.

2023 GENIUS LOCI IV at Reigi Parsonage

GENIUS LOCI IV: „Life. 1628. 1928. 2023”
Reigi Parsonage, Hiiumaa, 2.07 – 20.08. 2023

Participants:
Pilvi Ojamaa, Mare Saare, Peeter Rudaš, Rait Prääts, Kersti Vaks, Eve Koha, Kai Koppel, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, Tiina Sarapu, Eeva Käsper, Merle Kannus, Maret Sarapu, Malle Hallimäe-Karik, Piret Ellamaa, Liisi Junolainen, Eili Soon, Kairi Orgusaar, Kati Kerstna, Sofi Arshas, Kalli Sein, Kaire￾Leen Varik, Birgit Pählapuu, Anne-Liis Leht, Maarja Mäemets, Andra Jõgis, Sigrid Luitsalu, Anna-Maria Vaino, Kristiina Oppi, Marilin Laas, Tiia Põldmets.
Torsten Rötzsch (Saksamaa), Jennie Jessen (Gotland, Rootsi),
Michelle Ryan (Iirimaa), Julija Pociute (Leedu)

Curators: Maret Kukkur, Kalli Sein
Design: Pille Jänes, Maret Kukkur, Valev Sein.
Lighting: Airi Eras, Helikast OÜ (Taavo Taelma)
Graphic design:  Edward Johansson, Ahvaland
Organization: HIKU, Hiiumaa Creative Union.

Info:
Maret Kukkur – 5330 3209, kukkur [at] planet [dot] ee
Kalli Sein – 5032246, kalli [at] ideeklaas [dot] ee

Photo by Mati Hiis.

Press:
ERR
Hiiu leht

2022 Annual Exhibition COLOUR – RED 2.0

Kohtla-Järve Oil Shale Museum’s  White  Hall
15.05 – 11.06. 2022

This is a second edition of the travelling exhibition, whose first instance could be seen at the ARS Project Space, Tallinn, in 2020.

Participants: Aleksandra Ehrensvärd, Anna-Maria Vaino, Birgit Pählapuu, Eili Soon, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, Kairi Orgusaar, Kati Kerstna, Kersti Vaks, Malle Karik-Hallimäe, Maret Sarapu, Merle Kannus, Piret Ellamaa, Piret Uibotalu, Rait Lõhmus, Riho Hütt, Tiia Põldmets, Tiina Sarapu, Sofi Aršas. 
Curator and organizer: Maarja Mäemets

Sponsored by the Cultural ENdowment of Estonia.

Photos: Rait Lõhmus

2017 annual exhibition COLD-HOT. Estonian Glass art 80.

The Estonian Glass Artists’ Union will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of professional glass art in Estonia with an international exhibition and conference. A joint Estonian-German exhibition titled Cold-Hot opened November 10, 2017 at the Tallinn Creative Hub

https://www.facebook.com/pg/EestiKlaasikunstnikeUhendus/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1792246734121302

https://www.facebook.com/merle.kannus/media_set?set=a.708580822672686.100005623243371&type=3

Curator of the exhibition: Sofi Aršas

Designer of the exhibition: Riina Degtjarenko

Graphic design: Piret Räni

2016 annual exhibition Civilization 2: the Trousers of Time

EKKY_civ2Civilization 2: The Trousers of Time

Tallinn Seaplane Harbour aquarium

8.04 – 17.07.2016

 

Annual exhibition of the Estonian 

Glass Artists’ Union

Tallinn Seaplane Harbour’s aquarium

April 8 – July 17, 2016

This year’s annual exhibition of the Estonian Glass Artists’ Union takes place in an unusual environment – the deepwaters of Tallinn Seaplane Harbour’s aquarium. And so, our first audience consists of the Carp , the Bream , the Roach, the Bleak and the Silver Bream. The juxtaposition of artificial objects and wildlife creates a completely new space, which can be viewed as a separate universe, parallel to the  one we inhabit.

A short explanation of the title might sound like this:

Physicists and jokers use the expression “the trousers of time” to describe a moment when, at the cusp of two possible scenarios, Time splits in two, with both outcomes existing as parallel universes.

The world we find ourselves in is just one of out many imaginable worlds. By sheer happenstance, dandelions are yellow, fish have fins, and we walk on two legs on dry land, using light to perceive our environment, calling each other by first and last names,  inventing things like the Internet and art. Who knows how thing might – or might not – turn out in the other leg.

“Civilization 2: The Trousers of time” scrutinizes those haunting  “what-ifs” and “why-nots”, trying to grasp the wider gamut of existence – maybe to get a glimpse of what’s happening in the other leg. Current events are seen from a detached viewpoint, and other alternatives get pointed out – with the conclusion that the world we have isn’t necessarily the worst possible outcome. Yet, here and now, with every choice we make, the Trousers of Time keep splitting.

Osalevaid autoreid ühendab peale elava fantaasia veel ka materjal: klaas, mis ilmselt on üks väheseid veekeskkonnas tsivilisatsiooni ehitamist võimaldavaid olluseid. Selle proovilepanek harjumatus optilises keskkonnas on avastusretk ja väljakutse ka meie jaoks.

A few years ago, the city council of Monza, Italy, barred pet owners from keeping goldfish in curved bowls… saying that it is cruel to keep a fish in a bowl with curved sides because, gazing out, the fish would have a distorted view of reality. But how do we know we have the true, undistorted picture of reality?

/ Stephen Hawking /

Participants:

Sofi Aršas, Piret Ellamaa, Riho Hütt, Malle Karik-Hallimäe, Merle Kannus, Kati Kerstna, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, Eve Koha, Kai Koppel, Ivo Lill, Merle Lobjakas, Rait Lõhmus, Kairi Orgusaar, Rait Prääts, Birgit Pählapuu, Kateriin Rikken, Maret Sarapu, Tiina Sarapu, Kalli Sein, Anna- Maria Vaino, Kaire-Leen Varik

Curators:

Merle Kannus, Kai Kiudsoo-Värv

The exhibition is sponsored by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

2011 Annual exhibition of Estonian Glass Artists´ Union PAIR

616The Annual exhibition of the Estonian Glass Artists’ Union under the name „Pair“ brings together artists, showing essential events and developments both in the community and inside themselves.

Sometimes it is not enough to express one’s idea just by one artifact. A pair is needed, to forward the intended information, either by harmonious or contrasting interconnection. A work of art may define oneself by another work of art. One may be too lonely. Two would complement, support each other, become a perfect entirety. Continue reading →