“A nurse is driving a fire engine…” Erika Pedak & Tambet Pedak

On Friday, 14 November at 5:00 p.m., Erika Pedak and Tambet Pedak will open their joint exhibition “A nurse is driving a fire engine…” in the monumental gallery of the Tartu Art House.

“A nurse is driving a fire engine because someone has stolen something.” This is what a five-year-old child thought upon hearing a threatening siren. That was a long time ago. Since then, a lot of new emergency signals have been added. Are we capable of adequately sensing the nature of those sirens? Or are we under a spell, like those sailors in the ancient Greek myth, lured by the songs of the bird-women, the sirens?

People’s perceptions differ. Interpreting the surroundings through metaphors gives us hints about the artist’s perspectives. While realising their ideas and fantasies, they are fully immersed, not caring about pleasing everyone, constantly searching, without rules or recipes, failing and finding, each in their own way. How and whether the audience understands their work at all is unclear. Still, the artist grows thanks to their audience, and vice versa. Together we create new perspectives on the world and ask questions of those who hear and see, and much more.

Erika Pedak (b. 1948) is a textile artist (graduated from the State Art Institute in 1985) and a textile historian (graduated from Tartu University in 2007). The artist actively participates in exhibitions. Pedak has been selected twice as a Textile Artist of the Year by the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association. She started her art career knitting tapestries and has long practised her author’s technique while using a wide variety of materials. Since moving to the island of Saaremaa, Erika Pedak has successfully practised wet felting technique. The artist’s son Tambet also finds inspiration in the technique.

Tambet Pedak (b. 1973) is an interior architect (graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2000). He has worked in the ARS Project and since 2004 he has run his company, Luuk. Tambet Pedak has designed various interiors both in public space and for private properties (including several private houses), on his own and in collaboration with other interior architects. He is currently living and working on his family’s farm in Saaremaa, Estonia.

The exhibition will be open until 14 December.

Additional information:
Maret Tamme
Producer of the Tartu Art House
E-post: produtsent@kunstimaja.ee
Tel: +372 5800 3882

www.kunstimaja.ee
facebook.com/kunstimaja

Tartu Art House (Vanemuise 26) is open Wed-Mon 12.00–18.00. All exhibitions are free of charge.
The exhibition activities in the Tartu Art House are supported by the Tartu city government and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.