At the exhibition the artist has displayed a selection of her older works; a somewhat spontaneous assortment of paintings spanning 2016–2023. However, for this exhibition the artist has asked other people (mostly from outside the art field) to creatively rework her pieces: to repaint, cut up, sew through, sand, scrape, perforate and so on.
This developed into a sort of three-stage process of trust: the author giving up her works, the predicament and eagerness of the exhibition’s co-authors to “intervene” in the pieces, and finally the acceptance and exhibiting of the modified works. On the one hand, this is all a gesture of renouncing control, of transferring one’s creative process to someone else, and the concurrent notions of overcoming fear and probing the borders of trust. On the other hand, it’s an experiment governed by specific parameters and rules, which are defined by the selection of paintings provided, the techniques allowed for their modification, the participants chosen for the experiment, and finally the arrangement of the returned works in the exhibition space.
Tea Lemberpuu (b. 1980) graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts (BA), majoring in painting, where she is currently studying for a master’s degree in contemporary art. She has been awarded the EKA young artist award. Lemberpuu is a member of the Tartu Artists Union.
Graphic design: Karola Ainsar
Co-creators: Kadri Aua, Margus Kangur, Triin Kask, Grete Kungla, Keiu Käära, Sander Lillemäe, Andrius Matšenas, Kaitel Männikust, Piret Pall, Ene Pedason, Kairi Rebane, Age Rosenberg, Urmas Rosenberg, Märt Samma, Dmitri Sarle, Gloria Soobik, Stella Timmer, Aliis Vene and Hindrek Vou
Text: Tõnis Jürgens
Audio: Kristiina Kraus and Indrek Tammoja
Big thanks: Ruutu10, Martin Junna, Karolina Tiigimäe and Tiit Sibul
Special thanks: Kairi Rebane and Ulvi Haagensen
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
