The Kai Art Center is part of the project “In Search for a Garden beyond the Human Gaze. – a Nordic-Baltic perspective,” initiated in 2023. The project’s goal is to foster interaction and explore various approaches to addressing climate change. The project establishes a network between Kai Art Center in Tallinn, Färgfabriken in Stockholm, CAC in Vilnius and Kim? Contemporary Art Center in Riga. As part of the program, the partners visited Estonia on March 6-7, exploring local art institutions and exhibitions and participating in a curated program by Kai Art Center
The project aims to share experiences and create new knowledge about the concept of a garden and institutional methods in the era of climate change. The network investigates approaches available to art institutions in the context of climate change, pollution, and threats to biodiversity, as well as what necessary transitions might mean for us as public spaces or for art and society at large. We believe that curated spaces can play a key role in developing knowledge, awareness, and skills that go beyond the usual media coverage of climate change.
During the two-day visit, the group explored several exhibitions together and visited: Adamson-Eric Museum, Flo Kasearu’s House Museum, the outdoor galleries in Telliskivi, Estonian Art Academy gallery, Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Temnikova & Kasela gallery and Tütar gallery. Visitors had a special artist tour at Kai Art Center visiting the duo exhibition Cyanoceans by tuomas Laitinen and Kristina Õllek.
The group participated at a public talk at Kai Art Center by Tartu-based landscape architecture trio Curated Biodiversity. Anna-Liisa Unt, Karin Bachmann and Merle Karro-Kalberg, who are operating under the auspices of Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture, shared their experience of making cities more livable for humans and other species. Additionally, the partners met with Karin Vicente, who introduced the “Sustainable Exhibition Model” developed by KUMU and explained the background of its practical application.
The activities of the network are funded by the Nordic Culture Point.