Laura Toots

born in 1986 in Tallinn, Estonia
lives and works in Tallinn
laura.toots@gmail.com
www.lauratoots.com

Education

2008 – 2011 Estonian Academy of Arts, Photography MA
2010 Aalto University School of Art and Design, in Finland, Photography (exchange studies)
2009 Bergen National Academy of the Arts, in Norway, Fine Arts (exchange studies)
2005 – 2008 Estonian Academy of Arts, Photography BA

Solo exhibitions

2012 Desire Path. Draakon Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 Not Necessarily So. Hofberg 10, Linz, Austria (with Paul Kuimet)
2010 Distant pieces (no big stories nowadays). Tallinn City Gallery, Estonia

Group exhibitions

2011 Acts of Refusal. Fleeing, Dreaming, Repeating, Watching (among others). Tartu Art House, Tartu, Estonia, curated by Ellen Blumenstein and Kathrin Meyer
2010/2011 Kunst macht frei – Contemporary Estonian Art. Modern Hungarian Gallery, Pécs, Hungary, curated by Gabriella Uhl and Reet Varblane
2010 Next to Nothing. Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Anders Härm
2010 My Nature. Vuotalo Gallery, Helsinki, Finland, curated by Hanna-Maria Weselius
2010 What Drives Baltic. Supernova Gallery, Riga, Latvia, curated by Anneli Porri and Zane Onckule
2008 Publicly personal – Idea and influence. The Keila Cultural Centre, Keila, Estonia
2008 Making of Contemporary Art. Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Anneli Porri
2008 Doings or Not. Vžigalica Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, curated by Laura Kuusk and Margit Säde
2008 Relevant erasable. Y-gallery, Tartu, Estonia, curated by Merilyn Püss
2007 Meeting the expectations of readers. Rael Artel Gallery: Non-Profit Project Space, Tartu, Estonia, curated by Rael Artel
2007 Something is Wrong. Tartu Artists' House, Tartu, Estonia, curated by Marco Laimre
2007 Something is Wrong. Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Marco Laimre
2006/07 Self-portrait. The Regional Museum of Stalowa Wola, Stalowa Wola, Poland

Projects

2011 Whispering Spaces – Apartment exhibitions of Tallinn Month of Photography, curated by Helen Melesk and Hello Upan
2011 Doings or Not: Circumstance-specific. Tamse, Muhu island, Estonia (with Laura Kuusk)
2009 Allveelaev – podcasts. (with Flo Kasearu and Kristiina Hansen)
2008 Drawing Class. Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Tallinn, Estonia
2006 PIIIRITUS/BOUNDLESSNESS. Culture Factory Polymer, Tallinn, Estonia

Workshops

2010 November – Envisioning Information, Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden, held by Paolo Ciuccarelli and Luigi Farrauto
2009 October – This week, with what we have, Jutland Art Academy, Aarhus, Denmark, held by Emma Heddich
2007 October – Subjectivity; Articulating the Embodied Voice in Art, Malmö Art Academy, Sweden, held by Andrea Ray

Residencies

2010 July-October – Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz, Austria
2009 July – Ted Noten Atelier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Prizes and scholarships:

2009 Wiiralt scholarship, Estonian Ministry of Culture
2009 Scholarship of Estonian Academy of Arts Fund, Estonian National Culture Foundation
2008 Young Artist's Award of Faculty of Fine Arts of Estonian Academy of Arts
2007 Scholarship of Irina and Georgi Saare Fund, Estonian National Culture Foundation
2005 Scholarship of Irina and Georgi Saare Fund, Estonian National Culture Foundation

Memberships

Since 2011 member of FOKU - Estonian Union of Photography Artists

Bibliography

Articles
Reet Varblane. Rada läbi illusoorse ruumi. – Sirp, 16.03.2012
Mari Peegel. Laura Toots perealbumi radadel. – Eesti Päevaleht, 10.03.2012
Kadri Veermäe. Laura Tootsi äge terav pilk. – Postimees, 08.03.2012
Martin Rünk. Kõik on nii nagu enne, aga miski pole enam endine. – Sirp, 06.08.2010
Zane Onckule. The Universe has no sense of humour. Baltic art. – Studija no. 71, 2010
Anna Tuvike. Laura Tootsi näitus Distant Pieces (No big stories nowadays). – Artishok, (http://artishok.blogspot.com/) 21.03.2010
Maria-Kristiina Soomre. Suhestuv esteetika Kumus. – Agent no. 18, 2009
Andrus Laansalu. Vanad indiaani lood. – Maatriks no. 16, 2008
Merilyn Püss. Oluline mahakustuv. – Cheese no. 28, 2008
Laura Kuusk. Fotograafid loevad ja tekstlevad. – Cheese no. 2, 2008
Marge Monko. Midagi on valesti. – Cheese no. 25, 2007
Anneli Porri. EKKM, mis siis valesti on?. – Sirp, 02.11.2007
Andrus Lauringson. Puudumine teeb meeled teravaks. – Sirp, 24.11.2006

Catalogues
Sosistavad ruumid. edited by Helen Melesk and Hello Upan, Tallinn, 2012
Acts of Refusal. ART IST KUKU NU UT, Tartu, 2011
Kunst macht frei. Janus Pannonius Museum, Pécs, 2011
What Drives Baltic. Gallery Supernova, Riga, 2010
Hotell Pärnu. Rael Artel Gallery: Non-Profit Project Space 2004-2008. edited by Rael Artel, Tallinn, 2009
Speed dates. Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen, Bergen, 2009
Self-Portrait. Muzeum Regionalne w Stalowej Woli, Stalowa Wola, 2006

Published texts
Laura Toots. Minu läbi loetud. – kunst.ee 1-2, 2009

Books
Laura Toots, Miklos Gaál. Perceiving Something Different After Something Significant Although Things Remain the Same. Lugemik publishing, Tallinn, 2012

Works in collections

The Carousel Collection
KUMU Art Museum, Estonia
Private collections