“The Human Experience” – Mall Laur
What does it mean to be human? How often do we even think about it in this turbulent world, where every day can bring the unexpected? We live in cities, feed little birds, and find peace in nature, where the eternal cycle repeats: awakening in spring, flourishing in summer, vibrant colours before decay in autumn, and tranquility in winter.
Suddenly we notice omens in nature, hints of what might come. And one day you wonder — do the greens hear the prayers of wild animals? The sun joyfully reflects from the bottom of the sea, but why is the mermaid so serious? Puppies frolic around your feet, but might a human make a careless step?
Being human also embraces other aspects: temptation, symbols of masculinity, pleasure — even if it comes at someone’s expense — going into battle without thought, the inability to decide, blind pilgrimages without noticing those around, threats, secret desires, the evil eye, the finger of fate, and finally the creation of myths. We grow old, we wither like roses, even though our spirit remains vivid.
These are just some of the ways my works can be interpreted. My paintings are born spontaneously, without a fixed plan, driven by the mood of the moment — quickly. I have no formal art education, but I have attended some courses.
By training, I am an English philologist, and language has been my lifelong working tool. I have conducted linguistic research, taught English from kindergarten to university, in business and continuing education courses, and worked as a terminologist and translator in Estonia and abroad. I began painting several years ago while living abroad, prompted by an overwhelming longing for home.
“Variants” – Valdek Laur
We tend to think that consciousness and intellect are highly developed qualities unique to humans, and that this makes us stand out and rise above the rest of nature.
Yet intellect and purposeful behaviour are far from being exclusive to humans. Even intracellular gene networks show basic information processing abilities. Fungal mycelia maintain constant information exchange with their symbiotic forest neighbours, regulating the movement of various chemicals in response to environmental changes. No, humans are far from unique, and only in today’s world are we beginning to understand the real consequences of this illusion.
Variants is a dialogue between different domains — the artist’s macro photographs of fungi alongside images created from the same photos by a generative algorithm. Here, the human is merely an observer, a spectator. Stepping away from self-centredness and striving to see the environment as part of the dynamic development between its participants is something that helps us grow as humans, enabling us to understand not only the environment we live in but also our relationships with one another — and their importance, or lack thereof.
