3rd ANNUAL EXHIBITION 'BIOTOPIA'

 

22.11–17.12.1995
Curators Sirje Helme, Eha Komissarov  

An open participation call for Estonian artists for the 3rd annual exhibition of the SCCA, Estonia was announced. The theme of the exhibition was “Biotopia (Biology, Technology, Utopia)". It concentrated on the situation, which arose from the totally new and hard to embrace – the gap between traditional humanistic cultural conception and recently developed possibilities to manipulate with life on a geno-technological basis, to create and change materials on the basis of primitive components. To what extent is the natural and logical connection between birth and death, the natural understanding of life endangered by now? Is there any control over the new forms of life? There may be a situation, where life is more dangerous than death... What could be the task of the artist while describing these processes and bringing them into consciousness? What are the possibilities of the dialogue between humanistic utopias and techno-utopias? The exhibition took place in the Tallinn Art Hall, the Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, the gallery of the Institute of History, the City Gallery, Vaal Gallery, Sammas Gallery and the Dominican cloister. 28 artists participated: Siim-Tanel Annus, Jaan Jaanisoo, Kai Kaljo, Ando Keskküla, Ilmar Kruusamäe, Raoul Kurvitz, Kai Kuusing, Andrus Kõresaar, Marko Laimre, Peeter Laurits, Barbora Lengvinaite, Elo Liiv, Raik-Hiio Mikelsaar, Kadri Mälk, Andro Kööp, Urmas Puhkan, Jüri Ojaver, Terje Ojaver, Margus Punab, Rauno Remme, Piret Räni, Jaak Saks, Reti Saks, Ene-Liis Semper, Liina Siib, Tõnu Smidt, Tiina Tammetalu, Tommy & Laurentsius (Toomas Tõnissoo, Lauri Sillak), Mare Tralla, Mart Viljus, Toomas Vint. The prize jury (Maria Hlavajova, Krista Kodres, Zelimir Koscevic, George Legrady, Andres Tali) awarded prizes to Mart Viljus (“Animal”) and Andrus Kõresaar (“Insect Hierarchy”).

Catalogue: BIOTOPIA (BIOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, UTOPIA), 1996, ISBN 9985-60-208-0