Metropol Gallery presents:
FÜÜRER PRAISS 2022
ALEXEI GORDIN and STEVE VANONI
September 10 – October 9, 2022
Opening event on Saturday, September 10 at 6 pm
This time Metropol Gallery award gala* comes with autumn leaves already and there is no hidden message in it – the calendar is just another invention of people, just like nations and the rules of sports competitions.
Prize nominees of 2022 have been selected by the gallery committee under the subtopic
“Friendship of Nations”:
Alexei Gordin (b.1989) is a Russian-born Estonian painter who studied in Tallinn and Helsinki. He’s satirical reflections on life and the art world have received a lot of attention. In his works, poisonous humor is set in a pop-naive package and it hits the mark painfully. Alexei also likes to wander in abandoned buildings and experiment with different art mediums, he navigates between all layers and at the same time doesn’t belong anywhere definitively.
At current exhibition, among others you can see paintings that have not been suitable for any exhibition and videoworks not yet presented in Estonia.
Steve Vanoni (b.1956) is an American artist and musician who has been living and working in Estonia for a dozen years and has been a long-term resident of Metropol art commune. He is a veteran of self-initiated art spaces and practices, and still an active player on the field. Steve’s performances are mostly playful and involving the audience and his original painting and sculpture technique is recognizable from afar. As an
experienced saxophone player he has contributed to music of several Estonian music collectives and is also well known character in the local film scenery.
During Füürer Praiss exhibition Steve will present selection of large-format paintings and graphic works.
Joint exhibition will take place at two gallery spaces of Metropol house – Metropol 6 m2 and
Metropol Cabinet.
Opening event includes the award ceremony executed by Käpardid Puppet Theater and two musical performances by well-known collectives PVC16 and Товарищ Астроном.
* FÜÜRER PRAISS is an art prize awarded by the Metropol Gallery committee since year 2016. Aim of the award is to recognize nominated artist’s effort in combining different parts of art scene and celebrate
their creative work. The nominee is worthy of creating his/her own school of followers or already has it.
Once a year, two artists are selected to make a joint exhibition in the gallery and collaborate in the
name of “victory”. The special prize is original works of art created especially for the nominees.
Winners of FÜÜRER PRAISS so far have been Andrus Joonas and Vilen Künnapu (2016), Jüri Ojaver and Mari Kartau (2017), Peeter Allik and Mari Prekup (2018), Margus “Sorge” Tiitsmaa and Roi Vaara (2019), Johanna Sipilä and Toomas Kuusing (2021). In 2020, due to COVID restrictions, the prize was not awarded.
Gallery Metropol is located at Vana-Kalamaja 46, Tallinn.
To visit the exhibitions after opening, ring the doorbell, or better yet, arrange a visit
by phone +372 5217649 or +372 53750662 or send a message in social media beforehand.
Supported by Estonian Cultural Endorsement, author of poster Kaarel Kütas.
More information:
Kaarel Kütas kaarel.kytas@gmail.com, Triinu Jürves trjyrves@gmail.com
FB event → facebook.com/events/1428746120972007
FB→ Metropol galerii
IG → metropolkapp
* In German, f ü ü r e r means leader (führer), which is derived from the verb führen ‘to lead’.
