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BEAUTY ON

2016
  • Ann Mirjam Vaikla

Performer: Sandra Veermets
Construction: Silver Roostik and Vallo Hansen
Sound: Tarvi Kull and Kaspar Kalluste
Light: Siim Porila (Silman Elekter)

 

The exhibition is supported by: Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Rundum is supported by Ministry of Culture of Estonia

Special thanks: Kulla Laas, Urmo Vaikla, Tüüne­-Kristin Vaikla, Tiiu Kokla, Sandra Veermets, Silver Roostik, Vallo Hansen, Tarvi Kull, Kaspar Kalluste, Siim Porila (Silman Elekter)

Photos ©Kulla Laas
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On Wednesday, 13. April at 18:00 Ann Mirjam Vaikla will open “BEAUTY ON” in the Rehearsal Space series at Rundum artist-run space (Pärnu mnt. 154).

Exhibition open: 14. – 24. April 2016 Thu to Sun 12.00-18.00.

BEAUTY ON

From the flak tower the air raids were and unforgettable sight, and I had constantly to remind myself of the cruel reality in order not to be completely entranced by the scene: the illumination of the parachute flares […], followed by flashes of explosions which were caught by the clouds of smoke, the innumerable probing searchlights, the excitement when a plane was caught and tried to escape the cone of light, the brief flaming torch when it was hit. No doubt about it, this apocalypse provided a magnificent spectacle.

[…]

There was a sinister atmosphere full of biting smoke, soot, and flames. Sometimes the people displayed that curious hysterical merriment that is often observed in the midst of disasters. Above the city hung a cloud of smoke that probably reached twenty thousand feet in height. Even by day it made the macabre scene as dark as night.

– Albert Speer “Memoirs”

BEAUTY ON is the second part of the work, which was first realized in 2012 for the group exhibition BEAUTY OFF held at the Norwegian Theatre Academy. The spatial installation, focusing in the nature of grotesque touches on the border lines of the familiar and unfamiliar, disturbing and enjoyable, human and inhuman, the real and the fantastic, comical and fierce, the sublime and the low.

Ann Mirjam Vaikla (b. 1990) has graduated from the Norwegian Theatre Academy (Østfold University College) in 2015 where she studied scenography. Her former studies began at the Estonian Academy of Arts, and in addition she has studied in Vilnius and at the Art Academy of Latvia. In 2013 she underwent a professional internship with contemporary artist Ragnar Kjartansson at the Reykjavik City Theatre. After her studies she has participated in group exhibitions at the 5th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, the 13th Prague Quadrennial, and the Watermill Center in New York. The present exhibition “BEAUTY ON” is the artist’s first solo exhibition.