Curators’ words from The Sea exhibition
Although the sea as a given theme seemed a little clichéd, there were multidimensional approach angles to the subject in the works offered. The Estonians’ artworks highlighted relaxed irony and conceptual humour. In Estonian visual art, narrative and storytelling have been essential, while Finnish art has strived for more abstract imagery. Now these seemed to happily mix on both sides of the sea.
– Mika Vesalahti
Starting an art-based collaboration between our two neighboring countries, we are at the beginning of a long and exciting journey. In order to select the works of the first joint exhibition, I grasped the special features of Finnish art that powerfully stood out in the context of Estonia’s selection of paintings. As a whole, I have noticed a strong ontological content in Finnish art; as if the works are emphasizing the forms of pre-word cognition and the phenomenal connection between man and nature. Every painting is a mystery, every spatial object – a “thought machine”.
– Tiiu Rebane
Since the liberation of Estonia, I have followed the Estonian art field with great interest. As an artist by myself I have also been able to organize several exhibitions of Finnish artists in Estonia. However, I have always dreamed of our joint exhibitions and now, through this project of the Helsinki Artists’ Association’s HAA Europe, it has been a great pleasure for me to be involved in collaboration with the artists of the Estonian Painters’ Association. This cooperation has also taken place at a time when there is horrible war in the middle of Europe. I’m grateful for all the directions that make this co-operation possible, despite the situation at Ukraine, I still be happy to continue the co-operation, and I welcome everyone to our interesting and high-quality summer exhibitions at Malmitalo Gallery and HAA Gallery (Rantakasarmi).
– Satu Kalliokuusi
The Estonian-Finnish joint exhibition MERI, meaning „sea“, was already baptized, when I was involved in the project.
Meri means the same in both Finnish and Estonian, which is like a 50/50 draw to start with, and as such a very good choice of word! However, the themes of painting exhibitions are as they are – what is depicted in the painting does not necessarily coincide with the content or the field of meaning of the work.
The sea separates us as countries, and also unites us – life is indeed a paradox. In terms of its composition, seawater is naturally/chemically the closest substance to human blood. Life on Earth is believed to have originated in the water, in the primordial oceans of the world. Maybe because of this, a large part of the Nordic people is drawn to spend holidays by the warm sea, their feet literally in the waves? An explosive rise in consumerism associated with mass tourism and weak legislation on nature and environmental protection have taken the pollution of the world’s seas to the point where it would be unreasonable to ignore the situation.
Similar thematic developments, as I have just described, were clearly distinguishable in the works of art. Fifty shades of blue in all the possible variations had been captured in the paintings. I was also fascinated by the bold generalisations and determination of Finnish artists in working with abstract material.
The Finnish videos from a metaphysical holiday novela in Brazil (and scuba diving with sharks) up to a short video capturing the consistency of water as a material complement the joint exhibition with the position of a so-called investigative artist – which is very good!
-Jaan Elken
