04.09.–02.11.
Curator: Rael Artel
For Tartu Art Museum, showing contemporary art by the most important artists from our neighbouring countries, alongside our own collection of Estonian contemporary art has developed into a tradition. This year we have chosen Pilvi Takala from Finland, one of the most distinctive and productive artists amongst the younger generation active and in the international art scene today.
Pilvi Takala’s primary creative method is performative interventions into everyday rituals among different communities and through them experimental research into public space and prevailing social attitudes. She does not produce conceptual objects nor does she objectify concepts, her artistic practice is practice in its most direct sense – it is consistent, continuous and based on carefully planned activities. It is often simultaneously an action and a state of being that is presented in art spaces through edited and post-produced documentation. Each of her new works pushes the limits of her practice further, testing different strategies, and solving more and more complex situations. Pilvi often positions herself in the midst of experiments. Sometimes a seemingly trivial gesture leads to a conflict situation or confrontation, sometimes it gives an exciting inside view into a community’s attitudes and behavioural patterns. The artist’s intervening gestures are generally carefully staged-managed events, documentation of which we experience in the exhibition.
Pilvi Takala (born1981 in Helsinki, lives and works in Helsinki and Istanbul) graduated from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (2006), and was a resident at the Rijksakademie, Amsterdam (2009-2010). She has participated in the international art scene since 2004, with solo shows at Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm (2013), Kunsthalle Erfurt (2012), SKOR, Amsterdam (2010), and Kiasma, Helsinki (2009) among others. Her works have been presented in numerous art institutions around the world, including MoMA PS1, New York (2013), Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2013), 53. October Salon, Belgrade (2012), 4th Bucharest Biennial (2010), 5th Berlin Biennial (2008) and 9th Istanbul Biennial (2005). She was the 2013 winner of the Emdash Award, Frieze London.www.pilvitakala.com
This exhibition at Tartu Art Museum is Pilvi Takala’s first comprehensive solo exhibition in the context of an art museum and it is a great honour and pleasure for us to host her and to produce this exhibition.
The exhibition “Attires and Attitudes” is accompanied by a publication that contains an interview with Pilvi Takala about her practices of art and life. 32 pages, in English and Estonian available here: http://issuu.com/raelartel/docs/takala_tam_catalogue-issuu_27082014 .
Tartu Art Museum is grateful to Pilvi Takala and her family for this collaboration.
Exhibition team:
Director of Tartu Art Museum: Rael Artel
Exhibition curator, booklet editor: Rael Artel
Exhibition and booklet designer: Epp Õlekõrs
Installation team: Hanna-Liis Kont (coordinator); Arvi Kuld, Kristjan Nagla, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo (technicians), Angela Adamson (volunteer)
Special thanks: Vanessa Carlos, Naomi Pearce, Will Rees, Carlos/Ishikawa, London
Supporters: Estonian Cultural Endowment, Frame Visual Art Finland
