ESTONIAN TEXTILE ART EXHIBITION IN KAUNAS
Monika Järg
The Kaunas Biennial TEXTILE is the audience magnet all over Europe and has set a series of visitor records. It has become a trendsetter for authors as well as the audience all over the world. The Biennial is accompanied by satellite projects in various galleries and urban space of Kaunas, the themes of which are associated to the main concept of the event. One of the invited satellite projects is the exhibition of contemporary Estonian (textile) art in Gallery Meno Parkas, curated by textile designer and artist Monika Järg, and organised though the partner of Kaunas Biennial – Estonian Artists’ Association.
The concept of the exhibition focuses on textile as a means of expression in contemporary Estonian art world – in concept, material and technology. Each of them plays its own important role: without a concept the works made in textile will simply remain good handicraft, while works based on a concept have an enormous semantic field both for those who grasp things fast and rather focus on external qualities, and those who dive deep.
Taking the curator’s own experience as a starting point, the exhibition will try to interpret and map the occurrences of Estonian textile art, at the same time clearly crossing the borders of the discipline, without considering them important, leaving them unnoticed and perhaps even ignoring them.
As an artistic means of expression, textile is a narrating medium, and in its true essence it cannot merely be an external effect. One of the aims of the exhibition is pointing out the tendencies in the field. The selected set of works highlights the directions that are deemed important by the curator and possess quality, sustainability and depth. There are different styles and messages, different materials and techniques – on the one hand, carrying on the tradition and on the other, being precisely what makes us artists in different fields with their own set of expressive means. Textile is like a medium here; is not an aim or necessity of its own, but an inherent part in the artist’s message and ‘handwriting’, and also in being an artist in a more general sense.
However, one of the most important selection criteria is relating to the surrounding world. How do we address the society, one another and – most importantly – ourselves? How do we communicate? Works are arranged in sets, some of which have emerged from an earlier experience and some being a vision of potential dialogue born in the curator’s mind and stemming from the different styles of authors. It is a dialogue with authors, works, the audience and society.
The context of the Kaunas Biennial allows one to be an artist in the best sense of the word; the audience does not expect what they already know and what is offered by general education. Rather, they can be experimented with, tempted, provoked and offered challenges, discussion topics and unexpected experiences (both positive and negative). Thus, the exhibition might primarily communicate a message that an artist is not necessarily a suffering outcast in the society, but an opinionated subject clearly expressing his/her views; someone who should – and must – be considered.
Participating artists: Maasike Maasik, Tiina Puhkan, Triinu Tulva, Kadi Pajupuu, Marilyn Piirsalu, Anu Põder, Urmas Viik, Eva Jakovits, Kärt Ojavee, Lylian Meister with Katariina Meister and Indrek Liit, Aune Taamal, Monika Järg, Kirill Safonov.
Most of the artworks will be new, specially prepared for this event.
Partners:
Estonian Artists Association www.eaa.ee
Gallery „Meno Parkas“ www.menoparkas.lt