PRESS RELEASE
Co-exhibition Human Development Report part II by ANDRUS JOONAS (1970) and SIRAM (1968) will be opened in Hobusepea gallery at 5pm on February 2nd, 2011.
Current exhibition is the follow-up to the project Report on Human Development that took place in Tartu Art House in January-February 2010. The phrase „report on human development“, mainly used in politics, statistics, sociology and economy, can be referred to the documents that have been commissioned by state or international organizations; the document that statistically emphasizes the tendencies characterizing certain processes in the human association under discussion.
The human association of the present exhibition involves two individuals – Siram and Andrus Joonas - who refer to summarizing the survey results according to the specific-to-general pattern, similarly to the frequent surveys in society and the statistics as a result. While doing this, the artists remind the viewers that despite the fact that every individual is an extremely important element in statistics, they are dealing with a particular individual outside statistics. Development of personality tends to take place independently from the statistical average, whether diverging from it or moving in the opposide direction. Not to speak about those processes that the statistical searches won't cover or what will be left outside of their interest.
The subjects depicted here are quite large-scale – freedom, love, happiness, success, etc. - that according to the artists are difficult to define. However, the meaning of these subjects seem to be familiar to everybody which makes it easier to identify with and to recognize. Joonas and Siram state that art is one of many possibilities to document nonstandard processes, as reflecting an individual's mental development is one of the inevitable epiphenomena of art.
„Man's life includes numerous stories that never come to life but they reflect the wishes of how everything could be. At some point, we understand that we are not the center of the world, that everything we do has a result, that we are not immortal or invulnerable, and that other people are not for consuming. These stories and scenarios that people wish to realize are mostly influenced by our social and cultural background.
When art fixes those stories, it can happen that an artistic generalization will arise. This is the phenomenon when the viewer feels the joy of recognition while looking at art, even if he or she knows nothing about the stories, symbols, processes and development phases, artist's biography and experiences that have been depicted. In this case, art can be with full right called the report on human development, even if scientific methods or results are not used – the processes of human development are still reflected on the level of an image.“
Exhibition will be open until February 14, 2011.
Supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Estonian Artists' Association.
SIRAM
Born in Tallinn, Estonia 1968/09/06
2 grown-up children.
Lives and works in Pärnu, Estonia, Europe.
Computer skills are OK. Has got driving licence. Speaks some languages.
Performance
2010 Wonderbird and Golden Chicken, with Andrus Joonas, Põltsamaa Night of Art, Estonia
2010 In Your Service, open night of Pärnu Artists House, Estonia
2010 Blue, Annual Exhibition of Painters' Association, Pärnu Museum of New Art, Estonia
2010 Depositing wreathes to the places of gallantry under fire. Veterans´ Day, Pärnu, Estonia.
2010 Human Developement with Andrus Joonas, Tartu Art House, Estonia
2009 The Bathers, together with Artcontainer group, Balta Nakts, Riga, Latvia
2009 Artist's Positions, annual exhibition of Estonian Artists' associacion, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
2009 Superwoman, with Mare Tralla at 6th Shiryaevo International Contemporary Art Biennaale, Russia
2009 Vellano Arte, Vellano, Italy
2009 Mothers' Day Parade , Pärnu, Estonia
2008 Performances in Non Grata group, Hyde Park Fine Art, Tampa and Undercurrent Arts, Miami, FL, USA
2007 Everything About Men, Tõrva, Estonia
2007 Birthday, performed together with Andrus Joonas at Privat Message, Siauliai Art Gallery, Lithuania
2007 My Body Is My Castle, performed together with Mare Tralla at 5th Shiryaevo International
Contemporary Art Biennaale :between europe and asia HOME , Russia
2006 Suspense / Rebirth, annual exhibition of the contemporary art in Pärnu Looja Loo Lugu, Loo Lugu
Looja, Loo..., , Pärnu Museum of New Art, Estonia
2006 Performance in Non Grata group, “Agora” Festival, Carren Pool, Williamsburg, New York, USA
2006 Performance in Non Grata group, “Art of The Invisibles” Grace Exhibition Space, New York, USA
2006 A Cup Of Tea, festival Eclectica, Tartu, Estonia
2006 Life Story, festival Amorph06!, Helsinki, Finland
2006 Casinos and Drugstores, performance festival Diverse Universe II, Pärnu, Estonia
2006 The Heritage, Performance Club Nyrjähdys, Lahti, Finland
2006 Health Protection - Self Defence, Printmaking In festival, Pärnu Museum Storage, Estonia
2005 Several performances: Non Grata Presents, Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile
2005 Performance in Non Grata group, event Creative Insurgence, Brighton, UK
2005 Performance in Non Grata group, Be Queer festival, Duncerque, France
2005 Perverse together with Andrus Joonas, FLÜ performance week, Rael Artel Gallery, Pärnu, Estonia
2005 Mother and Father with A. Joonas and R. Kokla, Valmiera, Latvia
2005 Varto! with Karolina Kiil, Performance festival Ritual, Pedvale Open Air Museum, Latvia
2005 Performance in Põltsamaa, Estonia
2005 Event Art of the Invisibles with Non Grata group, Neukölln-Berlin, Germany
2005 6 hours performance with Non Grata group, exhibition Free Will, Treptow Bunkers, Berlin, Germany
2005 Are You Afraid of Me? and Do You Like Me?, Performance festival Diverse Universe I , La-Bas and
Lahti events, Finland
2004 Are You Afraid of Me?, European Performance Art Festival, Lublin, Poland
2004 Several performances Non Grata Presents, Gwangju Biennale, South Korea
2004 Doctors 986 in Non Grata group, SoToDo Performance Congress, Seoul, South Korea
2004 Doctors2674 in Non Grata group, Lendava, Slovenia
2004 Peoples´ aims don´t come true allways in Pedvale Open Air Museum, Latvia
2004 Cleanness and Discretion - vol 2, performance festival Time. Space. Movement unplugged, Paide,
Estonia
2004 Lost in the Structures and Cleanness and Discretion - vol 1, Performance Week, KU Gallery, Tallinn,
Estonia
2004 rate.me, Performance Night in the Gallery of Tartu Children Art School, Tartu, Estonia
2003 The Will of People in group Tuupolev, exhibition The Clash Of Civilizations, Pärnu City Gallery
2003 White Ship in group Tuupolev, performance festival Time. Space. Movement, Paide, Estonia
2002 – 2003 Performances in group Tuupolev on the Performance Nights in the Gallery of Tartu Children
Art School, Tartu, Estonia
2002 On-going performance Ad Free Zone in group Tuupolev, Paide, Türi, Riga, Frankfurt, Berlin etc
2001 Magic Ring in group Tuupolev, 9th March Performance Festival, Tartu
1999 Action Freedom Of Speech (online performance, video, published manifesto)
1994 Where are you – C?, (together with Marco Laimre), M/F Kronborg, Tallinn, Estonia.
Solo
2010 Human Development Report, with Andrus Joonas, Tartu Artists' House, Estonia
2009-... Very Usual Views, several public places in, Estonia
2009 The Schedule of Exhibitions of Pärnu Artists’ House 2009, Pärnu City Gallery, Estonia
2008 Karma Balance, Artcontainer, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 Victim of Life, Pärnu City Gallery Artists' House, Estonia
2004 Published book The Holy Truth, a collection of articles
2004 Free Zone, The Kids of Rock´n´roll, Freedom of Speech and road exhibitions presenatation in Open
Space, Berlin, Germany
2004 The End Of Art. The Era Of Spirituality Begins, Gallery of Tartu Children Art School, Tartu, Estonia
1992 Print exhibition Kalamaja, diele of the Museum of Histoy, Tallinn, Estonia
Group
2010 Pērnavas mākslinieku darbu izstāde, Art and History Museum of Jelgava, Latvia
2010 Baltijos meno faktorius, Siauliai Art Gallery, Lithuania
2010 Objective Monumentalism, pART Gallery, Põltsamaa, Estonia
2010 Our Nouvenirs, Pärnu City Gallery, Estonia
2009 Self Exposure, Artdepoo Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2009 Under The Flags, Pärnu Art Hall, Estonia
2008 - ... Annual Exhibitions of Pärnu Art, Estonia
2008 Printmaking In, Pärnu City Gallery, Estonia
2008 Wake Up!, Rotermann Salt Storage, Tallinn, Estonia
2008 We Are Fallen Angels Who Must Rise Up, Pärnu Art Hall, Estonia
2008 Kirikyyt 15, Viljandi Town Gallery, Estonia
2007 Printmaking In, Pärnu City Gallery, Estonia
2007 About Bread, Love and Winchester, Pärnu Art Hall, Estonia
2007 Pärnu Art of 21st Century, Old Mud Baths, Pärnu, Estonia
2006 Installation in Old Mud Baths, exhibition Incubator Non Grata, Pärnu, Estonia
2005 Installation Welcome to the Suo, exhibition The Great Estonian-Finnish Expedition, Helsinki Art
Academy, Finland
2005 Monument Capitalism, Limestone sculpture workshp, Orgita, Estonia
2005 Sculpture workshop in Tammiste, Estonia
2005 TrichtLinnBurg, futuristic newspaper La Dolce Vita , Tallinn, Estonia
2005 Exhibition Pax Rauha, installation House & Car, performance with Non Grata group, Imatra, Finland
2005 Festival Printmaking IN, Pärnu, Estonia
2004 Free Zone on the exhibition “Alle Gegen Alles”, UDK Berlin, Germany
2003 I Have No Secrets I, exhibition “Rehabilitation”, Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2003 Ad Free Zone performance and screening of The Will of People on Kaunas Performance Festival,
Lietuva
2003 Installations Iraqi Pavilion on Venice Biennale and Friendship of the Nations in group Tuupolev,
exhibition The Clash Of Civilizations, Pärnu City Gallery
1996 Exhibition OUT 30.02.96 , slide installation The Model of the Metropolis, [‘mobil] gallery, Tallinn,
Estonia
1995 Exhibition I See, installation The Tops and Roots of the Estonian Art, [‘mobil] gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Video
2008 La Cinema Extraordinaire!, NG Art Container, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 Video Chile Love Story, Privat Message, Siauliai Art Gallery, Lithuania
2007 Video Cleanness and Discretion, Samara Video Festival, Russia
2006 Video Are you Afraid of Me?, performance video festival InPort, Tallinn, Estonia
2005 Videos Lost in the Structures and Cleanness and Discretion on Pärnu International Film and Video
Festival, Pärnu, Tallinn, Estonia
2004 Screening of The Will of People at VIDEO 2004, Bergen Kunsthall, Norway
2000 Exhibition ArtGenda, video Freedom Of Speech, Lasipalatsi, Helsinki, Finland
1998 Author of the scenario of the video documentary The Kids Of Roc-n-roll
Curatorial work
2010 Objective Monumentalism, pART Gallery, Põltsamaa, Estonia
2010 Veterans´ Day performance event, Pärnu, Estonia.
2009 Mothers' Day performance event, Pärnu, Estonia
2008 - ... coordinator of koolkond
2007 - ... Curator of the Pärnu City Gallery, Estonia
2006 Curator of the 12th International Pärnu Film ande Video Festival, Pärnu, Estonia
2006 Co - curator of the performance festival Diverse Universe II, Estonia
2005 Co-curator of the Printmaking IN festival, International Film and Video Festival, Pärnu, Estonia and
performance festival Diverse Universe I, Estonia-Finland
2004 Curator of the performance festival Time. Space. Movement unplugged, Paide, Estonia
2004 Co-curator of the Perormnce Week, KU Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2003 Curator of the exhibition of the students of Art Studio of the Viljandi County gymnasium, Draakoni
Gallery, Tallinn and Viljandi Town Gallery, Viljandi
2003 Curator of the exhibition The Clash Of Civilizations, Pärnu City Gallery
2002 Curator of the exhibition of the students of Art Studio of the Viljandi County Gymnasium, Kilpkonna
Gallery, Viljandi
2002 Coordinator of the art festival Eco-Kirikyyt, Viljandi
2000 Curator of the exhibition God and The Artist in Tallinn Art Hall
2000 Curator of Estonian-Flemish exhibition 10 PAAR, Kuressaare, Estonia and Kuurne, Belgium
2000 Curator of the Estonian exposition on Salon CDH 2000, Moscow Central Artists House, Russia
1999 Curator of the Estonian exposition in the Eastern-European photoexhibition Together Again?, gallery
Image, Aarhus, Denmark
1999 Curator of the Estonian exposition in the festival of visual arts Eystrasalt, Replica Theatre,
Stockholm, Sweden
1998 Art curator of the festival Kirikyyt, Viljandi, including road exhibition Speed II and the conference
Local – Global
1998 Curator of the exhibition All Together Much & Now, Estonian Art Museum Rotermann hall
1997 Curator of the art projects of the Festival of Visual Arts in Tartu, Dionysia ´97, including road
exhibition Speed
Education
2003 - 2006 Academia Non Grata
2006 - Research residency at NIFCA, Helsinki, FInland
1997 Attended courses of the Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University, Introduction to Raising
Sponsorship for the Arts
1996 ArtsLink five-week residency in the USA (The Friends of Photography, SF) as art manager
1996 Graduated from Estonian Academy of Art as art historian, BA
1992 – 1994 Studio 22 run by Tõnis Vint
1985 – 1988 Preparing courses in Estonian Academy of Art
1987 Graduated from secondary school
1984 Tartu Art School
Working experience
2007 - ... Curator of the Pärnu City Gallery
2004 - 2007 Work in Academia Non Grata as rector, Pärnu, Estonia
2003 - 2004 Working as dean of the Pärnu College of Estonian Academy of Art Academia Grata
2001 – 2003 Teaching contemporary art in the Art Studio of the Viljandi County Gymnasium
2000 - 2001 Estonian correspondent of the Nordic Art Magazine NU:
2000 - 2003 Working as the head of the department of tourism and PR in Viljandi Town Government
1999 One of the authors and of the art program Detektor (with J. Zoova and H. Soans), Estonian TV
1997 – 2000 Publicist of the gallery Raatuse, Tallinn, Estonia
1994 Author of the program JaEi together with M. Laimre and M. Tralla, Estonian TV
1993 – 1996 Working at the Mustpeade Maja Gallery, Tallinn
1993 – 1995 Publicist of the gallery Draakon, Tallinn, Estonia
1993 - …Writings about the art in newspapers and magazines
1992 - 1999 Working at the daily Sõnumileht
1992 Author of the program Eight Steps on the Way of the Art, Estonian TV
1986 – 1990 Designer in Kullo Childrens’ Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Membership
2007 Member of the Pärnu City Art Council
2004 Member of the Art Year council by the Ministry of Culture of Estonia
2004 Member of the Academia Gustaviana Society
2003 Member of the council of Estonian Museum of Art
2003 Member of the commission of the cultural awards of the weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress Areen
2003 - 2005 Member of the Art council of Estonian Cultural Endownment
2003 Member of the Estonian Socio-Ecological Club [bravenewworld]
2001 Member of the board of the Viljandi Artists Associaton
2000 – 2001 Member of the commission of the Estonian State Culture Awards
1999 Member of AICA
1997 Member of Estonian Artists Union
1993 - 1997 Member of the the Student Board of the Estonian Academy of Arts
Elu ilma cv-ta.
Performanc`e dokumentatsioon.
See oli Novembris 2000.
Ma mäletan täpselt seda päeva.
Olin just lõpetanud, “Valgete Aledoiade„ seeria, selle seeria olin maalinud iseenda vanade riiete peale ja kuigi alguses oli olnud plaanis teha lilli, olin miskipärast täiesti sihikindlalt katnud lõuendi valge õlivärvi kihtidega ja nii see jäigi. Ja siis ma tundsin, ma tundsin midagi suuremat, mida, seda ei saagi sõnadega seletada, see on seletamatu. Juba järgmisel päeval kirjutasin ma avalduse cv-st loobumisest, ma tegin avalduse internetis ja hakkasin seda avaldust laiemalt kasutama. Nii see läks
seitse aastat järjest, mulle endale muutus see loomulikuks, teistes tekitas see väga erinevaid arvamusi ja ka erinevat suhtumist.
Novembriks 2007 tundsin, et see vorm enam ei tööta, järgnes suur kõhkluse ja kahtluse periood, mis lõppes uute avaldusega ja erinevate variantide katsetamisega, märtsis 2008 jõudsin sisemisele veendumisele. Elamisel cv-ga või cv-ta ei ole olulist vahet, kuivõrd mõlemad on illusioonid ja ei väljenda ega ka kinnita seda, kes ma tegelikult olen.
Aga see on juba teine lugu.
Antud näitusel on eksponeeritud kirjutised ja joonised on pärit minu toa seintelt, selle sama perioodi jooksul. On: tsitaate raamatutest, palveid, fotosid ja märkmeid.
Jaanuar 2009
Lugupidamisega,
Andrus Joonas
Life without cv.
Performance documentation
It was in November 2000.
I remember this day precisely.
I’ve just finished the series of “White Aledoias”, this series was painted on my old clothes, although first I’ve had a plan to paint flowers but later on, in some reason, I’ve covered canvas decisively with the layers of the white oil paint and that how it stayed. And then I felt something greater, it’s not possible to explain it in the words, it’s inexplicable. Already next day I wrote announcement of disclaiming my CV, I’ve made the announcement in the internet and started to use this announcement widely. So it has been going on for seven years, it turned to be a natural thing for me. In other persons it gave a rise to really different opinions and attitudes.
In November 2007 I felt that this form is not working any more, and then a long period of hesitations and doubts followed, ended up with new announcements and experimenting with different versions. In March 2008 I came to strong persuasion - living with the CV or without the CV has actually no big difference, though both are illusions and neither expresses nor confirms, who I really am.
But this is another story.
On this exhibition are exhibited writings and drawings from the walls of my room during the same period of time. There are quotations from the books, prayers, photos and notes.
January 2009
With regards,
Andrus Joonas