2024 Erki Kannus ROUTE66

Erki Kannus solo exhibition ROUTE66  is open at the Rapla County Centre for Contemporary Art from Feb 3 to 25.

Erki Kannus (1958) celebrates his 66th jubilee with this exhibition, displaying both very recent and very early paintings, drawings and objects.

The artist describes how the exhibition came together:
“In Spring 2023, I re-bought an old print of my own creation, that had been in the collection of Matti Milius, dissolved after the collector’s death. This is one of my earliest works ever displayed, from 1977 or ’78, and the only surviving work from that time. Back then, we used to be a group of art school graduates, enchanted by Constructivism and Suprematism. Leonhard Lapin was our great friend and mentor.
I have returned to those themes now and again, and now, finding inspiration from my past, I painted a whole new series.
I’m also a lifelong fan of Surrealism and the DADA movement. I’ve tried to understand the state of mind behind the creation of these works, to see what feeds the imagination. I’ve tried to find my own surreal visions, since I find this world relatable, attractive, and safe. Sometimes, I can make it work.

2024 Kati Kerstna VALUES at S12 Gallery, Bergen

In the exhibition “Values,” the Estonian artist Kati Kerstna (b.1970) raises questions about what is truly valuable. How valuable, diverse, or poor would the world, or a specific environment, be if certain elements were missing? Or if there were more of them? Would existence even be possible at all?
Kati Kerstna is known for combining artistic expression and environmental advocacy, creating thought-provoking works using glass, light, and mixed media. Since graduating from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2001, she has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, addressing themes such as environmental pollution, global warming, and deforestation through her innovative installations.
In S12, Kerstna presents the works Values 1 & 2, two large hands made of glass hanging from the ceiling, in the dark gallery space. The first work, Values 1, is about bees – Kerstna emphasizes that it may sound like a cliché, and we have all heard it many times before, but without bees, life would not be possible on this planet. Staying alive depends on the diversity of species. VALUES 2 presents the plants of the famous square meter of Laelatu wooded meadow, Estonia. In 2001, 76 different plant species were identified and recorded there, placing this square meter as the second most diverse in the world in terms of species richness.
Through this exhibition, Kerstna challenges viewers to reflect on the consequences of imbalance in natural biological diversity and its impact on life as we know it today.
On Saturday, February 10th, at 2:00 PM, there will be an artist talk with Kati Kerstna. In addition to discussing her own work, she will present a selection of Estonian glass artists.

2024 Kateriin Rikken SIP vol 3

Kateriin Rikken’s solo exhibition “Sip” is on display for the third time, at the Taltech Libary, from Jan 15 to Mid-March.

 

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.