The European Glass Festival presents:
MELTING BORDERS: Baltic Glass Artists in the Spotlight at the European Glass Festival

This year’s European Glass Festival in Wroclaw, now reaching its 8th milestone, turns its eyes toward the Baltic shores. Showcasing both accomplished and emerging artists from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, we hope to shed light on recent developments in the Baltic glass scene. 

Näituse idee aluseks on sulamine kui mitmetimõistetav metafoor: see võib tähistada nii klaasi füüsilist sulamist kui mõtteliste piiride hägustumist; aine üleminekut ühest olekust teise, aga ka piire ületavat koostööd, koosolemist ja õlatunnet, mida praegusel hetkel eriti vajame.

The exhibition takes as its starting point the concept of melting: this could signify both the transition of matter from one state to another, but also cross-border cooperation, togetherness and mutual support, which we all need in the present moment.

The main exhibition takes place at the Session Room of the Wroclaw Central Train Station, opening October 17, and at  Legnica Art Gallery, October 18. Various other solo and group projects will also open from Oct 17 to Oct 20 in Wroclaw and elsewhere (see programme below). The exhibitions will stay open until November 27.

Participating artists:
Estonia – Sofi Aršas, Aleksandra Ehrensvärd, Piret Ellamaa, Erki Kannus, Merle Kannus, Kati Kerstna, Eve Koha, Eeva Käsper, Kairi Orgusaar, Rait Prääts, Tiina Sarapu, Eili Soon
Latvia – Inguna Audere, Ieva Birģele, Baiba Dzenīte, Inita Ēmane, Dainis Gudovskis, Bārbala Gulbe, Marta Ģibiete, Anda Munkevica, Artis Nīmanis, Ramona Pēkšēna, Anna Varnase, Ernests Vītiņš
Lithuania – Rasa Grybaitė, Valmantas Gutauskas, Domas Ignatavičius, Remigijus Kriukas, Rūta Lipaitė, Eglė Pilkauskaitė, Irina Peleckienė, Julija Pociūtė, Artūras Rimkevičius, Indrė Stulgaitė, Dalia Truskaitė, Valda Verikaitė

Curators:
: Anita Bialic, Marta Ģibiete, Bārbala Gulbe, Merle Kannus, Kati Kerstna, Julija Pociūtė, Dalia Truskaitė.

PROGRAMME

Main exhibition of European Glass Festival:
“MELTING BORDERS” / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Wrocław Central Train Station – Session Room
“MELTING BORDERS” / 10.18.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Art Gallery in Legnica

Established artists exhibitions:
„VALUES 1&2” / Kati Kerstna / 10.17.2022 – 11.20.2022 / The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw
„FLOWER POWER MAKES YOU…” / Marta Ģibiete / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Krupa Gallery
„TO” / Dalia Truskaitė / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Krupa Gallery
„THE BLACK HORSES” /Anda Munkevica, /10.17.2022 – 01.15.2023/ Glass Heritage Centre Krosno

Debut solo exhibitions of young artists:
„VENUS DREAM” / Baiba Dzenīte / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Vivid Gallery
„MORPH” / Aleksandra Ehrensvärd / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / BB Gallery Wrocław
„DISRUPTIVE COLORATION” / Eglė Pilkauskaitė / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / Arttrakt Gallery

Other exhibitions:
“Lithuanian stained glass in architecture. Konstantinas Šatūnas and Algirdas Dovydėnas” / 10.17.2022 – 11.27.2022 / The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw

Seminar featuring the participation of artists taking part EGF 2022 exhibitions:
“Baltic Glass in Modern Art” / 10.19.2022. / The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw

Info:
https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanGlassFestival/
https://www.facebook.com/BalticGlassArt/
http://www.europeanglassfestival.com

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS:
Baltic Culture Fund
Estonian Glass Artistsä Union – www.klaasikunst.ee
Galeria BB – www.galeriabb.com
Fundacja “Fly with Art” – www.flywithart.com
Akademia Sztuk Pięknych im. Eugeniusza Gepperta we Wrocławiu – www.asp.wroc.pl
Związek Polskich Artystów Plastyków – Okręg Wrocławski – www.zpap.wroclaw.pl
Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. – www.pkp.pl
Galeria Sztuki w Legnicy – www.galeria.legnica.eu
Galeria Arttrakt – www.arttrakt.pl
Fundacja Krupa Gallery – krupagallery.pl
Galeria TYC ART – www.tycartglass.com
Vivid Gallery – www.vividgallery.pl
Centrum Dziedzictwa Szkła – miastoszkla.pl

The symbolism of fly is rather ominous, but despite this or precisely because of this, it is also a muse for many writers: as a symbol of feud and bloodlust or nuisance and disgust, as a sympathetic interlocutor or as an all-seeing eye on the wall. In the case of Pählapuu, the fly represents a riot against everything and everyone, but also a call for mutual understanding.

The flies come out if it’s warm enough. Do we like it? No! We start rebelling against them, we start fighting them because we don’t like them. They buzz! They land on our food! They defecate everywhere! They are parasites! They must be destroyed! But do you always have to rebel against everything? How would you feel if you had to live every day knowing that someone could just beat you with a whip? The series, dealing with the theme of provocation and rebellion, uses the image of a fly that has woken up from sleep, and raises the question, could we perhaps coexist peacefully instead of destroying someone?

Although Pählapuu is primarily a glass artist, her work is closely intertwined with photography and installation. The installative “Riot of the Flies” also consists of winged creatures in flameworking and neon techniques, which are placed on a photo background, white acrylic or metal frame. Located on various surfaces in the gallery, they undoubtedly create a brooding and harassing feeling: the flies have risen up against humanity’s spitefulness, so the rebellion has become two-way. At the same time, their milky or transparent color symbolizes peace, although the white color can always change. In this way, the viewer is left free to see other interpretations and meanings that are not strictly framed. In any case, the author urges us to look beyond our own nose, consider others and get out of our personal comfort zone.

The works of the series “Riot of the Flies” have previously been presented, among others, at a group exhibition in Georgia and at the ArtVilnius art fair, but the theme of rebellion has inspired Pählapuu before as well: in the series “My Silent Protest” she expressed the inner and nonviolent resistance of human nature in a combination of neon glass and photomontage, the power of thought, which can be more powerful than a protest march on the streets.

Birgit Pählapuu (1981) holds both a master’s degree (2016) and a bachelor’s degree (2010) from the Estonian Academy of Arts in glass art. In addition, she studied at the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design (2008) and obtained a bachelor’s degree (2002) in international business management from the Estonian Business School. She has participated in master classes of flameworking and courses in videography, etching and glass fusing in Estonia, Finland and Italy. Pählapuu has participated in domestic and foreign exhibitions since 2008 and has organized exhibitions since 2017. In 2007 she was awarded a creative scholarship named after Maks Roosma and since 2010 she has been a member of the Estonian Association of Glass Artists. In addition to her personal career as an artist, Pählapuu is one of the founders and leaders of Okapi Gallery, thus contributing to the promotion and development of the work of her colleagues.

Ivar Kaasik / Kai Kiudsoo-Värv / Yao Tan / Jacqueline Yajing Yao
A-Gallery WINDOWS
31.08.22-29.10.22

On Wednesday, August 31 four exhibitions will be opened on A-Gallery WINDOWS: Estonian artists Ivar Kaasik and Kai Kiudsoo-Värv, French artist Yao Tan and Chinese artist Jacqueline Yaing Yao.
The exhibitions will stay open until October 29.

Ivar Kaasik
LIFE AND DEATH. THE END AND THE BEGINNING
The exhibition is a meditation on the themes of death. The artist used recyclable materials to create this jewellery, thus giving new life and meaning to existing matter. Some of the materials regenerate themselves naturally in the wild by recreating themselves over and over again. Until humans draw a line and end its life. Only to begin again and again.

Jacqueline Yajing Yao
SPACE
This exhibition reflects how everyone has their own world – a space where they become themselves. It is both spiritual and precious. While some may open their world to share themselves, others are more protective. Yao’s works take inspiration from this space of separation. A place where relaxation and breath can lead to a deeper connection with self. Space is a conceptual word. It’s an open concept that is interpreted in a variety of meanings. Here, the artist would like to leave this wide space to everyone; to experience the relaxation, the breath… anything that can be connected and imagined.

Kai Kiudsoo-Värv
MOMENT
The exhibition focuses on the colors of images in the artist’s memory found while going through her phone. The purple glow of a willowherb on the edge of a venom-green meadow, a mustard-yellow horizon above a turquoise sea, a pea-green minibus driving past a bright yellow house, snow-white and scarlet dishes on an indigo table… Which moments of life do you recall? The colours, smells and flavours that embody the emotions you have experienced. Some of these colour schemes from memories were transformed into jewellery with the help of goldsmith Indrek Ikkonen, while others were made by the author herself.

Yao Tan
XY
The collection speaks about the subtle ambiguity between females and male. “”Infra-mince”” of which Marcel Duchamp spoke counted which is barely perceptible, barely identifiable, this notion represents a tiny and singularizing difference. The inspiration came from bodily sources, such as vulnerability, mutations, dualities, and formal metamorphosis. Her jewels are like chimeras, tactile and sensitive objects, and always questioning the relationship to our carnal desires. In this series, she looks for ways to interpret issues related to eroticism in a sensitive and poetic, but also ironic and sometimes violent way.

More about the exhibitions and the artists can be found on our website: https://agalerii.ee/en/en-kaasik-yao-varv-tan/

On Friday, 2 September at 6 p.m. Tiina Sarapu and Julija Pociūtė opened their joint exhibition “Dust” in the large gallery of Tartu Art House.

The exhibition explores forgetfulness: the forgotten spatial practices and forgotten places; actions preserved as scattered memory images, or actions, dreams, completed for yourself and packed away in a box.
“Dust, the symbol of forgetting, reveals hidden dimensions of the banality of everyday, moments and places considered insignificant. Dust accompanies glass artists while working, being a remnant of their work, but also hiding the transparency of the glass,” the curator Karin Paulus explains.
Dust also refers to something being worn out and forgotten, marking the inevitability of reality and the constant changing of the world around us.
With their installations, the artists always reconsider the material reality and search for the meanings of the relationship between man and the environment. Julia Pociūtė shows the contradiction of dust by creating enchanting capsules where she stores stories and objects. Tiina Sarapu reflects on the path and work of a person: where does a journey that has come from primeval nature, passed through cultivated meadows, and probably passes by solar parks takes us?
Julija Pociūtė (b 1981) is a Lithuanian interdisciplinary artist. She obtained her master’s degree at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2007. Since then, she has actively participated in art field: participated in group exhibitions, in art festivals, organised more than ten solo exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. Her works are in the collections of several museums of Denmark, Spain and Lithuania.
Tiina Sarapu (b 1971) graduated the Estonian Academy of Arts, specialising in glass art, and worked there as an associate professor (2003–2017). She has participated in many exhibitions both at home and abroad receiving recognition at international glass art competitions. Her works are in several museum and private collections. In 2019, Sarapu’s solo exhibition “Case Study 2” was held in the monumental gallery of Tartu Art House.
The exhibition is dedicated to this year’s International Year of Glass.

Graphic design: Meelis Mikker
Thanks: Klaasissepa OÜ, ECCOM OÜ, Department of Interior Architecture of the Estonian Academy of Arts
The exhibition was created with the support of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Lithuanian Council for Culture and Nordic Council of Ministers.
In a collaboration with Gallery Meno parkas.
The exhibition is open until 2 October.

Audience program at the exhibition:
There will be a meeting with the artists on 2 September at 5:00 p.m.
There will be a curator tour on 7 September at 5:30 p.m

To celebrate Kai Koppel’s 70th jubilee, glass artists gather at the Eveld Okas Museum in Haapsalu for the hot glass workshop GRAND PARTY.

Also on the programme: opening of Kai Koppel’s exhibition THINGS ARE UNNECESAARY.

Participants:
Kai Koppel, Petr Kuchta, Remigijus Kriukas, Anda Munkevica,
Viivi-Ann Keerdo, Eve Koha, Ingrid Allik, Sofi Arshas,
Kairi Orgusaar, Herbert Orgusaar, Merle Kannus, Erki Kannus,
Kai Roosaar, Kati Kerstna jt.

Workshop: 2.-6. 08
Exhibition opening: 7. 08 at 16.00
Exhibition stays open 9.-19. 08

Sirja-Liisa Eelma and Tiina Sarapu
BLACK MIRROR
31.05 – 25.06.2022

Black surface absorbs light and colours; while looking at black surface, one can see info infinity, unknowing, solitude and protective tenderness. Mirror gives you the honest truth. The danger to get stuck in reflections and in the reflections of reflections is as big as the temptation to touch the snoozing screen of a smartphone in order to open completely different kind of worlds.
Landscape painter of 17th century Claude Lorrain made use of black mirror as an optical aid. Compared to a clear mirror, the details are more subtle and the reflection of black mirror is more simplified. The black reflection brings forth the tonal range as well as reduces the intensity of tones.
The encounter of the reflecting and painted worlds refers to the multilayeredness of existence. The layer of glass in front of the painting is protecting the artwork but also creating the distance between the painting and the viewer. This way, the viewer misses the opportunity of directly experiencing the materiality, fragrance and smell of the paint. The reflections, flickers of light and shadows of the glass function either as disturbance or as an unstable and captivating finesse on the surface of painting.
Sirja-Liisa Eelma (b. 1973) is a conceptual painter whose visual language is characterized by visually minimalistic structures. Her painting series, based on the slow transformation of a repetitive image, focus on the themes of emptiness, ambivalence of meanings as well as defining the visible and the invisible.
Sirja-Liisa Eelma has graduated from the department of painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts (MA, 1996). Since 2018, she has been studying in the doctoral school of the Estonian Academy of Arts. In 2016, her artistic practice was recognized with Konrad Mägi Award. Eelma’s artworks belong both to private collections as well as the collection of the Art Museum of Estonia. She has held numerous personal exhibitions as well as participated in group and curatorial exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad.
Tiina Sarapu’s (b. 1971) artistic practice can be characterized by minimalistic approach towards form. The perfectly composed form is almost always extremely simple and well interpreted. While having been exhibiting her artwork mainly as an installation artist during the past few years, Sarapu has often transferred the meanings of an initial idea to various contexts (several installations with music stands and mirrors), created illusory spaces, visualized sounds, extended the borders of perception. As an conceptual artist, Tiina Sarapu is using glass in order to express the idea of the multilayeredness of life while working with the oppositions present in glass as a material. (Reeli Kõiv)
Tiina Sarapu has obtained MA degree in the department of glass art at the Estonian Academy of Arts in 1996. In 1996–2017, she was teaching in the same department and in 2003-2017 worked there as an associate professor. Sarapu has participated in numerous exhibitions, symposiums and workshops both in Estonia and abroad. She has received acknowledgement in international competitions of glass art. Sarapu’s artwork belongs to the collections of several museums and private collectors. She received the honorary title of Acknowledged Glass Artist 2005–2005 and Acknowledged Glass Artist 2018–2019; in 2007, Sarapu received Kristjan Raud Art Award, in 2019 she deserved the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and was awarded the Artist Laureate Salary in 2021–2023.

Exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
Exhibitions in Draakon gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian

Kati Kerstna VALUES 1 & 2 
1.07 – 26.07.2022

Kati Kerstna is an artist who mainly works in the media of glass, light and graphic design. She represents the voice of enviromentalism in her artistic practice. In order to forward her ideas and messages, Kerstna combines various materials and media. During the recent years, the artist has been focusing on the themes of environmental pollution, global warming, deforestation etc.
With her present exposition, Kati Kerstna raises the following questions: What is really valuable? What are real values? The possible answer would be an imaginary vision addressing the future without evaluating a specific phenomenon or object.
How valuable, diverse or poor would the world or a specific environment be if …. would be missing? Or if there would be more ….? Would it be possible to exist at all?
The artist states that in order to enrich the concept of diversity one could automatically interpret this as a diversity of species and life, intelligence and emotion. Instead of a heap of material things.
VALUES 1 is about bees – it might already sound as a cliché and we all have heard it for too many times – but without bees life would not be possible on this planet. And staying alive depends on the diversity of species.
VALUES 2 presents the plants of the famous square metre of Laelatu wooded meadow, Estonia. In 2001, 76 different plant species were listed there, that making the exact spot the second leading square metres in the world famous for its diversity of species (the first place goes to a square metre located in the mountains of Argentina with its 89 different species). The plant species in the whole Lealatu wooden meadow is reputedly the most diverse plant community in both Estonia and the whole Northern Europe.
Kati Kerstna has used glass as material both from recycled sources as well as from her previous artworks. She mostly expresses herself through kinetic installations where glass has been combined with other materials, electronics and light. Involvement of light is an important part in forming a whole – concerning both single installations as well as light design at various exhibitions.
Kati Kerstna (b. 1970) has graduated from the department of glass art at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Since 1995, she has participated in exhibitions in various galleries and museums both in Estonia and abroad. Kerstna has also curated several extensive exhibitions (both domestic and international) in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Germany and Russia.
Thank you: Toomas Kukk (magazine Eesti Loodus), Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Erki Kannus (EKDesign)
Exhibitions in HOP gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Ministry of Culture and Liviko Ltd.

Rait Prääts
CHIP CRISIS
6.05.- 31.05.2022

According to the artist, a rapidly developing world of artificial intelligence (AI) has been formed inside of the naturally evolutionized word. Augmented reality is born. Through his current exhibition Chip Crisis, Rait Prääts attempts to examine this new form of reality as well as find intersections and differences. The artist’s research is not completed yet, but the first outcome can be already revealed.

Most of pleasures and some of temptations belong only to the natural world. For instance, there are no such things as the abundance of fragrances and tastes, the pleasure of touching, enjoying nature, soft caress of spring breeze, passion of kisses, excitement of sex, awareness of being mortal, relaxation from smoking a cigarette, pleasures experienced with narcotic substances and alcoholic drinks in artificial world. At the same time, more and more experiments attempt to enter the evolution of natural world. It can be stated that the human species increasingly looks at nature and other information on various screens. Changing the genetics of species is in its baby steps, lots of species have already been changes and some species already extinct. Today it is unknown whether algorithms and chips develop more towards progress or destruction. At the present day, natural and AI worlds share numerous intersections that can be called augmented reality. The latter can be conceived as an extraordinary development leap that has brought along both good and evil – for instance, the crisis of truth, increasing desire for wealth, ethical crisis, wars, hybrid wars, destruction of technology and nature, energetic crisis, crisis of primary products, chip crisis, the possibility to delete everything by pushing a button. If trying to find anything positive in the abovementioned crises, then the chip crisis is currently intensely blocking the abilities of the bloody aggressor in the War of Independence in Ukraine. There are signs that Ukraine is able to protect its independence when receiving hi-tech support. For making final conclusions the studies are still in a very early phase. But it can be stated with confidence that augmented reality is born to stay and to develop.

Rait Prääts (b. 1952) has graduated from the Estonian State Art Institute in 1975. Prääts is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association, Estonian Glass Artists’ Union and Estonian Sculptors’ Union. He has participated in exhibitions since 1975 both in Estonia and abroad. The artist has held 21 personal exhibition. Together with his wife, graphic artist Sirje Eelma, Rait Prääts has held an exhibition series „In one house“ consisting of 16 parts. Rait Prääts’s artwork are also in several public places in Estonia, Finland, Georgia and France. He has taught at the Estonian Academy of Arts and organized the festival Kunstisuvi (Summer of Art, 1995–2008). Prääts’s artwork are in numerous private collections and various museums.

Special thanks: Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Estonian Artists Association, Gallery Okapi.

Exhibitions in HOP gallery are supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Liviko Ltd.