The festival incorporates various art events, intriguing and educational discussions, exciting workshops and at times unbelievable performances in various locations all over the city. The most outstanding event of Art Week is The Big Art Day when galleries and art institutions participate with displays in the busiest location in the city.
From 2021, Art Week will be held in towns and cities all over Estonia, starting with Pärnu. This trend goes hand in hand with the former art week tradition of the Estonian Artists’ Association, which has been organised since 1960. In 1974 it was decided that art week should be held in a different location every year, for example Hiiumaa was visited by 12,032 people in 1980 which was a record for this small island. Having brought the format of Art Week back to people’s minds in the capital, the organisers of the event wish to bring art to a wider audience outside Tallinn.
The organising team of Art Week believes that the programme enlivens the city’s cultural life and strengthens the city’s art scene, reaches a wider audience, revitalises tourism in the neighbouring region and, of course, inspires artists.
Read the 2022 curatorial concept here.
Organizing team:
Andra Orn, Curator
Andra Orn is the founder and leading curator of NGO Nordic Baltic Art Center NOBA, the organizer of the Art Week. She has organized art festivals and international art competitions, curated exhibitions, compiled art books and contributed with articles to cultural publications. Andra has started a number of art events such as Tallinn Biennial, Art Week, Nordic & Baltic Young Artist Award, Restart Reality digital street art project in 11 cities in Europe, Smarten City in Tartu and Ülemiste City mural in Tallinn etc. Andra has graduated from the University of Tartu with BA in Journalism and Communication and is writing a Master’s thesis at Tallinn University in the field of cultural theory and philosophy.
Triinu Soikmets, Strategic Project Manager
Triinu is a freelance writer and curator focusing on visual culture and its socio-psychological context. She has worked as a developer, marketer, assistant at psychiatric clinic and a gallerist, volunteering in both cultural and social fields. Triinu has studied philosophy, marketing communication and pedagogy at the University of Tartu, art theory at the Estonian Academy of Arts, literature at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, art therapy at Tallinn University and horticulture at Luua Forestry School. In addition, she has taken courses in painting, drawing and ceramics and participated at photo exhibitions.
Jaan Malin, Curator of Performing Arts
Jaan Malini alias Luulur is an Estonian poet, artist, curator, writer, editor and publisher focusing mostly on syrrealistic creativity, including research of Ilmar Laaban’s heritage. He has published poetry, prose, plays, a novel and a sound recording, his creation has been translated into several languages. Jaan has taken part in art exhibitions, organized festivals, event series and home-salons. He was a member of the Young Authors’ Society in Tartu and is a member of Estonian Writers’ Union, Estonian Artists’ Union, Estonian Literary Society, international performance society DAstrugistenDA and sudents’ society EYS Veljesto. He has won the 3rd place at the Eurpean Poetry Slam Days, earned the prizes of President of Republic of Estonia and Tartu Cultural Endowment.
Egle Loor, Communication Coordinator
Egle is responsible of NOBA’s communication activities by organizing events, coordinating content creation and media relations, writing articles, compiling newsletters and managing social media. She has a Master’s degree in Marketing and Management from TalTech. Egle has been active in the field of communication for more than 15 years, focusing on cultural projects such as Tallinn Fashion Week, World Cleanup Day, Spring Exhibition etc.
