Estonian art news February/March 2018

CCA, Estonia publishes a newsletter on contemporary art news in Estonia in every two months. February/March 2018 newsletter can be found here.

TOP PICKS

Katja Novitskova solo show 
@Kumu art museum
22.02 - 10.06

Katja Novitskova will present her first solo show in Estonia Katja Novitskova. If Only You Could See What I’ve Seen with Your Eyes. Stage 2, curated by Kati Ilves. The show is based on the exhibition of the Estonian Pavilion at the 57th Venice biennial of 2017. If Only You Could See What I’ve Seen with Your Eyes in the Estonian Pavilion addressed the relationship between the domain of seeing, big data-driven industries, and ecology, in times of biotic crisis. Katja Novitskova works from new forms of imagery taken from the realm of present day visual representation. Novitskova’s works have gained much international recognition, her recent solo shows besides the Estonian Pavilion include Earth Potential at New York City Hall Park (2017) and 洛基的城堡 at Cc Foundation & Art Centre, Shanghai.

International exhibition curated by Katerina Gregos
@Tallinn Art Hall
16.02 - 29.04

The State is Not a Work of Art  is an international group exhibition curated by Katerina Gregos and part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Estonian independence. The exhibition aims to probe the complexities and problems involved in the idea of a nation and national identity, examine the current volatile situation in light of the resurgence of nationalism and populism in Europe, and offer a more nuanced view of the issue beyond the usual polarised rhetoric. Bringing together a diverse group of over twenty international artists, and several new commissions, it charts the changing political landscape on the continent and its borders, as well as the problem of divisive identity politics.

Eve Kask's solo exhibition 2+2=...
@Tartu art museum
26.01 - 13.05

Eve Kask’s solo exhibition, 2 + 2 = … presents the artist’s most outstanding works of recent years and, being located on the border between truth and fiction, is related primarily to the phenomenon of post-truthfulness. Kask, as an artist who has lived in both Soviet and independent Estonia, has a good overview of how the two different political regimes operate. Thus, she also views the Soviet era as an example of a post-truth society, and examines which mechanisms of that society have been carried over into Estonia’s current socio-political situation. Humour and fiction are the main tools that Eve Kask uses in her work. Having graduated from the Art Institute in 1984 as a graphic artist specialised in book design, Kask is often fascinated by the book format and textual solutions, and her recent work also includes graphic art, photos and spatial installations. The curator of the show is Brigita Reinert.

Estonian art legend Leonhard Laping in Kumu
@Great Hall of Kumu art museum
09.02 - 13.05

The solo show of Leonhard Lapin Void and Space will examine different stages of the artist’s career over more than 50 years. Lapin is an important figure in Estonian culture and art history, one of the founders of Estonian pop art and the neo-avant-garde. His oeuvre stretches from graphic art and painting to installation and performance, from architectural criticism and essays on art to poetry.

See the full list of recommended art events in the newsletter here.