Aili Vint and Kris Lemsalu at Bozar, Brussels

Estonian artists Kris Lemsalu and Aili Vint (curated by Maria Arusoo) are participating at Komplot's exhibition "Disorder". The show documents practices that speak about insularity, isolation as much as connection, network and friendship between colleagues living in Europe. Both artists will show one work: Aili Vint's "Improvisation IV" (1965) and Kris Lemsalu's "Maria und Erik" (2015-2016). 

Artists: Bora Akinciturk, Nils Aliz-Tabeling, Julie Béna, Francisco Gamacho Herrera, Arnaud Eubelen, Jade Fourès-Varnier & Vincent de Hoÿm, Julien Goniche, Kaspars Groševs, Katerina Kana, Hardijs Lediņš & Imants Žodžiks, Kris Lemsalu, Salvatore Moro, Alex Morrison, Adler Murada, Cécile Noguès, Jaakko Pallasvuo & Viktor Timofeev, Carl Palm, Marthe Ramm Fortun, Elise Van Morik, Aili Vint.

Curators: Maria Arusoo, Sonia Dermience, Diesel, Valentinas Klimašauskas, Montecristi Project, Maija Rudovksa.

The exhibition is part of the project "Somewhere in Between. Contemporary Art Scenes in Europe" in Bozar. The exhibitions runs from June 19 to August 19.

The topic of death often appears in Lemsalu’s works, as it is also apparent “Erik und Maria” in the form of skull-head of Erik or the dried blood on the tampons, forming Maria’s dress. The sculptural pair can be seen as an art historical still life or nature morte, with its morbid silence, only interrupted by a constant mobile ring. 

“Improvisation IV” is an exceptional work in Aili Vint’s practice. Here she has abandoned her then-praised colourful gouache painting style that characterized her works through the 1960s and has used the duplication technique inherent to pop and op art, but in a more dark, mystical way.  

In conjunction with the exhibition there will be a series of compositions, musical and dance performances, readings, lectures and roundtables under the name of "Variations on Vulnerability". There Maria Arusoo will present a talk on June 20 based on her practice and projects at CCA, Estonia. The list of performers also includes  Seloua Luste Boulbina, Doireann O'Malley, Karol Radziszewski, Valentinas Klimašauskas with Marta Trektere and Kaspars Groshevs, Jaakko Pallasvuo, Anni Puolakka and Viktor Viktor Timofeev, Kiwa Noid, Roel Heremans , Christine Eyene, Maija Rudovska, Alexis Blake, Nataly Kozhuhovskaya, Jenny Moore and Sarah Anderson, Jamila Johnson, Andros Zins-Browne, Michaël Van den Abeele, Michal Novotny.

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Aili Vint (1941) is one of the key figures of Estonian avant-garde of the 1960s. As part of artist group ANK'64 Vint experimented with pop and psychedelic art, using its techniques to create her own unique bodily landscapes.

Kris Lemsalu (1985) is an artist that combines ceramics with installation and performance art. She often uses personal stories, situations, moments when travelling as a base of her works. In 2019 Lemsalu will represent Estonia at the 58th Venice art biennial. 

Maria Arusoo (1983) is director of Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia and curator. Her recent project include "Soft Scrub, Hard Body, Liquid Precence", an exhibition of Merike Estna and Maria Metsalu at Art in General, New York in 2017, and a group exhibition "Winter is Coming (Homage to the Future)" at Georg Kargl, Vienna in 2016.