On May 9, the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art will open Estonia's pavilion at the Venice Biennale with an exhibition by Merike Estna titled "The House of a Leaking Sky." The exhibition will take place in a former church that has now become a community center, housing a children's basketball court that is used in winter when the weather is poor.

The Venice Biennale is overshadowed by political tensions and confrontations that have arisen due to the participation of Russia, accused of genocide, and the United States, which has attacked Iran, as well as Israel.

Twenty-two European countries have rallied against Russia's participation, demanding that the biennale organizers remove Russia from the event. The organizers have responded by saying that art is free and that cultures must remain in dialogue.

Maria Arusoo, commissioner of Estonia's pavilion, acknowledged that political tension is palpable in Venice.

"It is always felt. I would even extend it further. In addition to the Venice Biennale being an important art event, it is always also a very political event, no matter what the biennale wants to say. As an institution, the biennale tries to claim that it is not political, but clearly everything is political. And unfortunately, we are not talking about just one aggressor state. In fact, this atmosphere has been very charged at several biennales already," she noted.

Regarding Russia's participation, the Baltic states have been in very active communication with one another, discussing what steps to take and how to amplify the voices of the Baltics and Ukrainians in an international context.

"There are different positions. Some say we should withdraw and not take part in the biennale if the biennale allows Russia to participate. We are also in contact with the commissioner and artistic team of the Ukrainian pavilion, and we align ourselves with those whose position is that we must not withdraw because of the Russians, nor should we amplify Russia's actions. On the contrary, we must make our own voice heard, make our own projects visible, talk about the art projects of the Baltic states and other Eastern European countries, and be internationally visible, critical, and open," Arusoo explained.

She pointed out that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is now even more prominent, and that while in 2022 almost all participants spoke out regarding Ukraine and Russia, far fewer people are doing so this year.

"This is also the inevitability of wars: if one war lasts long enough and does not affect you directly, you move on to the next topic. But that makes our role as Baltic states, together with other Eastern European countries, all the more important—to ensure that this war is not forgotten and does not, so to speak, become normalized."

The artwork takes shape before visitors' eyes

The Estonian pavilion will be covered with 25,000 glazed floor tiles, and a monumental painting made up of 22 canvases will be created on site. According to the artist Estna, both works explore how to remain alive after completion.

 "The moment we stepped into this space, it was immediately clear to all of us that this was the space where the exhibition should be," said Estna. "Just as my works are visually very layered, with different ideas accumulating on top of one another, this space contains architectural references to the different activities that have taken place here or are still taking place."

For example, the floor offers endless perspectives for the viewer when walking on it. A painting, on the other hand, is most alive when it is still being created. "That is what I am trying to show in this pavilion, while also emphasizing the importance of process in everyday life, rather than valuing only the final result."

Estna will paint the giant painting in front of the biennale audience every week from Wednesday to Sunday. According to the artist's expectations, the painting should be finished by mid-October. "But the exact timing is open and depends on how things progress and work out," she emphasized.

The concept for the painting will also emerge on site. "I don't want to execute a pre-planned painting there; I want the painting to be born in the pavilion from beginning to end," Estna said.

Estna cannot predict how viewers will influence the painting process. However, she plans to wear headphones while painting in order to listen to music.

"Usually I also listen to music in my studio when I paint. It helps me concentrate and distance myself a little into my own mental space," she said. "Most of the time I listen to music without lyrics. More of a world of sounds is creatively a good environment for me. I listen to a lot of classical music and sometimes techno—quite different things, depending on my mood."

Although the creative process is only just beginning, Estna knows what she wants to communicate to the audience. In addition to valuing process and movement, the focus is also on women artists whose hidden creative output she has referred to in previous interviews.

"Starting with a white canvas is, at the same time, a reference to a historical phenomenon in which many historical women artists, from whom seemingly no signed works have survived, are so-called artists without works. Likewise, I, as an artist, begin in the pavilion without a painting."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!