Feeling Queezy?! at EKKM

Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia and Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia present:

Feeling Queezy?!

Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM), Põhja pst 35, 
2 August – 7 September 2014, Tue-Sun 13-19

Opening on Friday, 1 August at 6 PM. Performances by Mischa Badasyan, Sandra Jõgeva, Kaja Kann, Flo Kasearu & Epp Kubu, Mimosa Pale and music by DJ-s Hašš and Neo Zion!

Curator: Rebeka Põldsam (Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia)
Artists: Antonia Baehr, Adam Christensen, Dénes Farkas, Kadi Estland, Danielle Kaganov, Neeme Külm, Jannicke Låker, Maren Poel, Kristin Reiman, Jaanus Samma, Ariel Schlesinger, Laivi, Triin Tamm, Anu Vahtra
Designer: Brit Pavelson

The exhibition is accompanied by a performance programme on 1.08 and 16.08 curated by Arthur Arula and Kertu Moppel and an English-Estonian bilingual reader Feeling Queezy?!

“Feeling Queezy?!” sets out to create a secure environment in which to experiment with overcoming fears, aiming to galvanize the viewer’s aspirations for self-awareness – the base for all emancipation. ‘Queezy’ is a term which combines the words ‘queer’ and ‘queasy’. The exhibition reads this term as the feeling that you are an outsider or a freak, which luckily mostly manifests itself as but a passing queasiness. 'Queezy' was originally coined in a 2012 essay by writer Jennifer Boyd.

The exhibition aims to evoke the bodily experience of Otherness in visitors encountering the artworks. Depending on lived experience, every visitor will relate differently to the abstract installations that induce connections between the mind and body. Works at Feeling Queezy?! often create unnerving situations, which can be reflected upon in the quiet of the exhibition environment.

Everyone may approach the exhibition Feeling Queezy?! differently depending on their interests in life and preferences in regard of experiencing the world. Another important endeavor of Feeling Queezy?! is for the visitor to acknowledge both the things that personally touch them and the things which remain afar. It might not always be easy, but the most important message of “Feeling Queezy?!” is that one needs courage. Sometimes it takes courage to get out of bed in the morning or take the summer’s first dip in the sea, however, the most difficult task is to look life in the eyes and not lose oneself. Everyone face complicated situations and perspectives, but in the end it comes down to overcoming your obstacles and fears one way or another.

Performance programme is curated by scenographer Arthur Arula and theater director Kertu Moppel. On Friday, August 1st you will see performances by Mischa Badasyan from Berlin, (http://www.mischabadasyan.com/), Mimosa Pale from Finland/Berlin (http://mimosapale.com/), Madam Adam from Copenhagen/London, and Estonian artists Sandra Jõgeva, Kaja Kann and Flo Kasearu&Epp Kubu. Performance programme continues on Saturday, August 16th with Billeneeve, Zierle&Carter, Andreas Paschias an many others in collaboration with Müürilehe Festival.

The Feeling Queezy?! reader is a collection of some of the most important contemporary essays concerned with queer theory and art, which have been the theoretical framework and inspiration for this exhibition. Essays by Jennifer Boyd, Renate Lorenz and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Translated to Estonian by Martin Rünk, Ellu Maar, language-edits by Ester Kangur and designed by Brit Pavelson.

The exhibition is organized in cooperation with Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia and Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia.

We thank: Estonian Cultural Endowment, Nordic Culture Fund, AVA Ekspress, EKKMi installatsioonitiim Marten Esko, Neeme Külm, Johannes Säre ja Kadri Villand, Maria Arusoo, Viktor Gurov, Anders Härm, Ahto Kasuk, Rainer Kattel, Sten Ojavee, Koit Randmäe, Srije Rump, Kalle Tikas, Härmo Väljaste, Michael O'Rourke, transcript Verlag, Duke University Press, A&A Lingua, Artishoki biennaal, Kuku klubi, Matjaz Mausser Collection, Gregor Podnar Galerija, Nordic Baltic Queer Art Network, Müürileht, all friends and colleagues who supported us!

More information:
Rebeka Põldsam
Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia
rebeka@cca.ee
+372 631 40 50

www.cca.ee
www.ekkm.ee
http://feelingqueezy.tumblr.com/