Events

The Estonian pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO is hosting an exhibition of works by Õhuloss, a group of artists connected through their idealism and refined playfulness.

11.09.2010

The group consists of six artists who are connected to the Estonian Academy of Arts: Kadri Mälk, Tanel Veenre, Piret Hirv, Kristiina Laurits, Eve-Margus Villems, and Villu Plink. The artists began organizing joint exhibitions under the name of Õhuloss in 1999. Since then, the group has exhibited their works in Estonia as well as Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and now China.

The exhibition in the VIP area of the Estonian pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO comprises 51 jewellery pieces created by the artists of Õhuloss. The exhibits are connected by a similar artistic sensibility and the artists’ tendency to experiment with materials. The jewellery artists have given a new life to many objects that were originally used for other purposes. In addition to traditional precious materials, including gold, silver and semi-precious stones, the artists have made use of exotic components and materials such as old gramophone records, vanilla pods, animal liver, bird feathers, and moleskin.

At the opening of the exhibition, both Toomas Tiivel, the Commissioner General of the Estonian pavilion at the EXPO, as well as the artist Tanel Veenre pointed out the fact that the items on display are related to the main theme of the pavilion through innovation, the re-utilization of materials, craftsmanship and imagination.

The opening was attended by a number of Chinese artists and art historians from institutions of higher education in Shanghai, the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, and the Shanghai Conservatory, as well as journalists, diplomats, businesspeople from different Chinese companies, and guests from the EXPO pavilions of Ireland, Latvia, Chile, Peru, Finland, Germany, Colombia, China, Japan, Iceland, Canada, and Spain. The exhibition will be on display until the end of September.