Tallinn Music Week Arts programme features punk baroque, ghost town poetry and a street art tour

07 March 2019

Music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place from 25th to 31st of March, this year again includes a special contemporary art programme—TMW Arts—curated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center. A gallery evening, with extended opening hours, called “Tallinn Thursday” features exhibitions from both Estonian and international artists spread across seven galleries.  A street art tour will also take place in Telliskivi Creative City.

The deadline for TMW 2019 press accreditation is 25th of March.
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The main part of TMW Arts takes place on the evening of Thursday, 28th of March, with a special programme and gallery evening with extended opening hours called “Tallinn Thursday.” Starting from 5 pm, visitors can enjoy fresh works at seven galleries around Tallinn by both Estonian and international artists. Audience members can take part in exhibition tours, and meet the gallerists and artists until late evening hours. A bus will be arranged to aid with transportation between the galleries.

“Escape room nr. 1”, an exhibition by Maarit Murka, mostly known as a painter, will be presented at Vaal Gallery. The exhibition is a game of perceptions and senses, examining how urbanisation results in loss of wildlife, and how self-explanatory elements turn into something absurd. The gallery tour includes meeting the artist and a presentation of the dynamic installation “Talking Heads”.

Visitors can enjoy a group exhibition by Helena Keskküla, Anna-Mari Liivrand, Inga Meldere, Ann Pajuväli, Jaanus Samma and Sigrid Viir at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery. The exhibition shows the parallels and similarities between the work of artists from different generations. The exhibition will be introduced by Lilian Hiob of Temnikova & Kasela Gallery.

The NEO*EKS*PRE*POST art group was one of the first flagships of the trash aesthetic in these parts, stepping into the light for the first time more than 30 years ago. Now they will be landing at Haus Gallery on Uus street with their exhibition “PUNK-BAROKK,” carrying a load consisting of abstract paintings by the president of the group Andro Kööp and sculptural shapes courtesy of Urmas Puhkan, all this flown under the banner of rebellious metropolitan beauty and punkish baroque. On the gallery tour, the artists will lead visitors through the glamorous chaos set up in the basement space.

“Ideal Black” is a photo exhibition at Okapi Gallery by Temuri Hvingija, Shalva Khakahanašvili and Zura Arabidze, who share a country of origin in Georgia. The artists are also connected through a love for the colour black, which is reflected in their works. At the gallery tour, the artist and Okapi Gallery gallerist Temuri Hvingija will introduce the exhibition.

With the photo exhibition “Without” at Positiiv Gallery, documentary photographer and travel journalist Silvia Pärmann examines the particular dramatic poetry present in abandoned environments, and the magic and pain of “dark tourism” attractions. At the gallery tour, visitors will meet the artist, who will introduce the exhibition and her work.

The debut exhibition of the new jewellery collection “Loneliness is the Slowest Death: A Requiem to Longing” by American Erinn Michelle Cox—a student at the Estonian Academy of Arts in the Master’s programme of Jewellery and Blacksmithing—will be displayed at EKA Gallery, located within this year’s TMW conference centre, the Estonian Academy of Arts. At the gallery tour, visitors can meet the artist, who will introduce the exhibition and her work.

A presentation entitled “There’s a Story in a Documentary Photo” will take place at Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre, located in Telliskivi Creative City. The focus is on the story and works of an extraordinary character and photographer Juhan Kuus. At the gallery tour, Toomas Järvet, one of the leading figures behind the Center, will share stories of Kuus and the influence of his legacy on Estonian photography.

The Arts programme continues at Telliskivi on Saturday, 30th of March, with a street art tour from 4 to 6 pm. Telliskivi Creative City is one of the most joyous places in Tallinn, where street art or graffiti can be enjoyed at every step. The tour gives insight into how these paintings have occurred and what they are telling you. We will look into the interior of the works of art, while trying to remember whether there was ever a pre-street art era in Telliskivi. The tour is organised by Tartu Pseudo Tours.

The TMW Arts gallery exhibitions will remain open for your visit after the Tallinn Thursday event, with regular opening hours during TMW festival week.

The TMW Arts programme was created in cooperation with the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center. Find more information here.

TMW 2019 Festival Pass (€55), Conference + Festival pass (€225) and Supporter Pass (€150) are on sale at the festival webshop.

Single tickets for TMW music festival events are available at Piletilevi.