Concert, Culture.ee's interview, Festival, Music

An interview with Pille Lill about the behind the scenes world of organizing a music festival

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The Tallinn Chamber Music Festival will take place on August 19–30. Festival features performances by foreign guests such as Nordic youth symphony orchestra Orkester Norden, piano trio Teos (Finland/Estonia) and chamber orchestra Baltic Neopolis Virtuosi (Poland) and a great number of Estonian top soloists.... Read more

Art, Concert, Festival, Music

Ave Palm on the festival Into the Valley

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Last weekend, the long-awaited electronic music festival Into the Valley took place in Rummu quarry. The organizers are from Sweden and are gathered under the name of Music Goes Further. The previous venue for the festival was an Amphitheater in the former limestone quarry in Dalhallas, Sweden. As the initiator of the festival, Mattias Hedlund has said, the goal of the festival is to create a 100% comprehensive experience from the beginning to the end and to maintain an equally high level not only musically but also in everything else. He adds that visitors should experience something new each and every time, as choices of music and experiences are made according to the country and the environment in which the event is organized. Thus, collaboration with local artists was also carried out in Estonia, and local food could be enjoyed at the festival venue.... Read more

Art

LEANA JALUKSE: „MONET2KLIMT“ – REAL IMPRESSIONS IN A VIRTUAL EXHIBITION HALL

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Claude Monet is my absolute favourite. I’ve visited his house, flower and water garden in Giverny – for the second time already in recent weeks – and I’ve almost never missed an opportunity of visiting a gallery or a museum holding his works. Both at the Metropolitan in New York and Hermitage in St. Petersburg, I only ran to the rooms where his paintings were displayed, as I was too busy to see the entire collections.... Read more

Weekly recommendations

7 events and places to visit in Estonia for the Midsommer’s Eve weekend

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This night is special for us Estonians, because the night lasts only for seconds and the light never dies. This time it is especially nice, because the midsummer’s night is on Friday, so one can celebrate the sun for the whole of the weekend. We have picked out seven special places for you to visit during this wonderful weekend.
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Festival, Literature

5 recommendations for the HeadRead literature festival(English speakers edition)

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One of our favourite times of the year has almost arrived and we are happy to share some recommendations for that, so you could also have the pleasure of the written word heard out loud. The literature festival “HeadRead” will start tomorrow and here are five hints, where to go and what to do, but there are many more exciting things happening, so keep your eyes open and let the literature feast begin!

 ... Read more

Uncategorized

23 events to visit tomorrow, on the Night of Museums

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Night of Museums and Toy Museum’s birthday party “Games in the Night and Honey in the Day”
The 23rd birthday of Tartu Toy Museum, “Games in the Night and Honey in the Day”, will be extra sweet and agreeable to the museum bears, as at 11 AM already the Estonian Beekeepers’ Association will be visiting. We will talk about honey, bees, and apiotherapy and a transparent beehive with real bees will be on display. In addition to talking, there will be something sweet to taste.... Read more

Museum, Varia

Night of Museums 2017 – Games in the Night

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On Saturday, 20th of May 2017, Estonian museums will open their doors for visitors for a night full of special events and exhibitions, celebrating the Night of Museums in Estonia for the 9th year running. In 2017, the much-loved Museum Night will take place under an umbrella theme of Games in the Night – or, in Estonian, Öös on mänge. Last year, more than 100.000 people took part of the Night of Museums, to enjoy both free access and the special programmes and excursions offered by museum teams all over Estonia. Around 200 different museums, art galleries, manor houses and other organisations are expected to open their doors for the 5-hour long event.... Read more

Art, Urban, Varia

Gallery: The Pop-up, that was

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The students of the Estonian Art Academy had some Pop-up cafes opened at the Tallinn old town, on the Nunne street and one of them  got shot down a few hours ago, but  here are  some pictures of what was. We are sure this is not the last of the quirky architectonic formations by the young architects at hand, so let’s keep our eyes open.... Read more

Concert, Music, Performance

KAAREL KÜNNAP: JOURNEY TO THE INSIDE OF THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC

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As it turned out five minutes after overhearing a worried conversation by the front desk there was no case for concern – it wasn’t so important to figure out, which floor the opening act of the event took place exactly, as Pavel Tšeretšukin’s and Paša Semjonov’s environmental electronic impro „Hämaruse varjus“ (“In the Shadow of Darkness”) could be heard anywhere in the atrium cutting through all the floors. The lights were lowered to the minimum and the performers had set up their equipment consisting of several synthesisers, computers, and other sound gear introvertly on a narrow indoor balcony, facing the empty space rather than the audience. The listener could follow them from the side or, as many did, close their eyes and focus on the sounds in one of the comfortable places in the atrium. As I visit this building rarely, I preferred to walk up and down the stairs and examine how the gently amplified drone spiced up with sunnily high and pre-recorded nature sounds bounced around in the strange deconstructivist geometry of the postmodernist architecture, potted palms, and Estonian painting classics hanging on the walls, among them the works by Sirje Runge and Andres Tolts. There was also a possibility to ascend along a spiral staircase to an ivory tower with a view, the existence of which I had thus far considered to be a figure of speech regarding academic institutions. The music and the environment melted together seamlessly and set the dreamy mood for the evening.... Read more

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Anneliis Lepp: Experimentarium aka Tallinn Music Week in the House of the Blackheads on March 31 and April 1

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Selecting the concerts at this year’s Tallinn Music Week, their alternativeness and innovativeness were the weightiest factors for me. Two concert programmes, which matched this requirement perfectly, were Üle Heli x Nonclassical x Japan Sound Portrait Night and Klassikaraadio’s (Classical Radio) contemporary music night. Of course, this does not mean that the other spectacles were somehow less appetising, but in comparison to the concerts that took place in the Blackheads several of them seemed artists-wise more easily available.... Read more

Performance, Theatre

ANNELIIS LEPP’S REFLECTION ON IGGY LOND MALMBORG’S PRODUCTION „PHYSICS AND PHANTASMA“

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I happened to read an article by communication expert Raul Rebane recently, in which he describes today’s life in Estonia as not having the ability to dream. We have reached a crisis of dreaming, he says. True, at the first glance, everything seems to be achieved and once the summit of dreams has been reached, one does not really know what to want more.... Read more

Festival, Music

/TMW/Gallery: A TMW Talk with Simon Reynolds, Kieron Tyler and Kevin Cole on the topic on genres

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These days it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. An artist can simultaneously be tagged with “indie, R&B, chamber pop, urban, synthpop”, and even some TMW acts chose about dozen genre tags when submitting their profiles. Are they all a strain of post-genre acts, existing beyond genres that seemed set in concrete as little as 15 years ago? That and many other questions were answerd yesterday, at the TMW Talk.... Read more

Column of a young culture lover, Film

Column of a young culture lover: MIRJAM (11) about the film “My Life as a Zucchini”

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I went to see the film “My Life as a Zucchini”. It talked about a boy named Zucchini. Actually, it was his nickname. So, Zucchini was taken to an orphanage as I think he had accidentally killed his mother. I didn’t really understand whether he had killed his mother or not. Anyway, in the orphanage, he made many new friends. One of them was the “boss” or at least that’s what he called himself. In the beginning, he seemed to be a bad character, but it turned out later that he wasn’t. There was also a policeman, who brought Zucchini to the orphanage. The policeman was lonely and came to talk to Zucchini in the orphanage. Then a new girl named Camille came to the orphanage, who became very good friends with Zucchini.... Read more

Film

Helina Koldek: On “Moonligh”

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„Moonlight” follows the life of an insecure and vulnerable boy during different periods of his life. The action takes place in the tough, vice- and crime-imbued Miami, but the people who yearn for sentiment, should not be disheartened and discouraged to go to the cinema, as the film focuses more on human relationships and on how to become or remain oneself in this maze of connections.... Read more

Art

Anneliis Lepp: No point in doubting

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Not so long ago I ate a fortune cookie a girlfriend gave me, hoping that it will predict something nice. I felt like one would on Midsummer Night, going to sleep with a posy of flowers under the pillow in the hopes of a brighter morning. Anyway, I had to be disappointed again, as the cookie which was supposed to tell me fortune or at least convey a useful aphorism, only said “Doubt everything!” As if I didn’t doubt enough anyway, I thought to myself.... Read more

Dance, Performance

Katrina Helstein: Keity Pook and Sigrid Savi – two faces of Janus

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In September, I was one of the people to go and check out the candidates of Premiere on the Stage of Independent Dance – five choreographers who wished to develop their productions. Two out of the five were picked out. It is odd, but these two seem to be of one and the same person, or, to be more exact, one story from two different viewpoints. Keity Pook and Sigrid Savi – both young fair-haired females – came across as the two faces of Janus. One, Keity Pook, solves nerve twitches twirling beneath the skin, forming a social network impersonated in a metaphoric vision. The other, Sigrid Savi, solves the physical world or the surrounding macro-level, creating a kind of cupola around herself, in which she also draws the viewer, creating a new network in the process.... Read more

Festival, Film

Helina Koldek: 3 × DocPoint

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A grand total of 45 films were screened at this year’s DocPoint, with “Raving Iran”, “Given”, “The Happy Film”, “Noma: My Perfect Storm”, “Lo and Behold, Reveries of a Connected World”, and “Venus” proving the most popular at the box office. I did not make such popular choices, so I only happened to see one film out of these six – “Venus”. However, here is a review of three films that impressed me the most of the ones that I did see.... Read more

Film

Helina Koldek: „Elle” – a grim pleasure in a spicy sauce

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Opening credits. As the name of Paul Verhoeven appears on the screen, the first voices can be heard: the clatter of breaking crockery and noises accompanying a violent attack. A black screen and then the look of a cat observing the scene. A glance, an observation, a desire to find out, curiosity. Regarding „Elle”, it applies for both the characters as well as the viewers of the film. The look might also be the most sensual part of this film that is often referred to as erotic, but largely deals with violence. However, this easily perceptible sensuality that constantly hangs in the air loses a large part of its essence in the string of restless scenes instilling different moods. As such, neither the emotions nor motives are quite unambiguously perceptible, but carry a contradiction transferred from an earlier situation. This all raises questions and is thrilling, but, at the same time, the fast movement of changeable mood levels can prevent the viewer from relating to the characters.... Read more

Dance, Music

Hendrik Kaljujärv’s meaning-layered „Overexposure“

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Hendrik Kaljujärv has once said in an interview to Priit Raud that the multitude of information and meanings of contemporary time was one of the impulses for this production. Kaljujärv says that it is not a problem for him, although it may be for many, including the writer of this review. I can feel how, having to deal with the immense amount of information, the decision-making ability is the greatest virtue. I would like to know about everything that exists and is available, but, in the process, the focus might disappear altogether. One must find a specific direction in order not to dissolve into the macrocosm. It seems that this is what Hendrik Kaljujärv attempted to say in his production, when he indicated a specific direction by making the same motion repeatedly over a few minutes. Therefore, keeping the focus and determination are crucial in today’s evolutional struggle for survival. I remember a conversation with a parent who said that it was so difficult to raise a normal child these days. Indeed, how do you maintain or guarantee normality, when the society around you seems to be quite schizophrenic? Or what can be considered normal after all at the era that has been labelled post-truth?... Read more

Art, Cultural heritage, Dance, Film, Literature, Music, Theatre, Varia

FESTIVALS IN ESTONIA 2017

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JANUARY
1.–7.01., Tallinn 6TH BACHFEST TALLINN
1.–8.01., Tartu 4TH TARTU WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
7.–15.01., Pärnu PÄRNU CONTEMPORARY MUSIC DAYS
20.01.–2.04., across Estonia FESTIVAL „SCHOOL DANCE“
21.01., Tallinn INTSIKURMU WINTER FESTIVAL
21.–22.01., Elva MONOMANIA
25.–29.01., Tallinn DOCPOINT TALLINN
27.01.–5.02., Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Jõhvi, Saint Petersburg MUSTONENFEST... Read more

Film

Helina Koldek: The best of the best of the Black Nights Film Festival 2016

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As such a massive and versatile festival is difficult to sum up on just a couple of pages, I will only focus on the films that impressed me the most at this year’s PÖFF. While putting together my programme, I tried to make as versatile choices as possible this time, but by the end of the festival it still appeared that I had remained myself and watched a string of morbid horrors. The day was partly saved by the fact that I had decided to see as many debuts as possible, including some brighter pieces, but my favourites are still on the darker or the more psychedelic-fantastical side of life and humanity. In the following paragraphs, I award a few completely unofficial prizes of PÖFF, which unfortunately do not bring any benefits to the authors or filmmakers.... Read more

Festival, Music

Ave Palm: Review and gallery from the Üle Heli festival

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Last weekend, the Üle heli festival took place for the second time. If the last year’s starting point was “creating the worlds”, which enabled the musicians to show how they described the surrounding world through the sound, this year’s programme was based on “level zero”, meaning that the development, progress, or a new direction compared to earlier works of musicians was considered when programming the festival. Therefore, several works were premiered (Mart Avi’s album „Rouge Wave“, Rainer Jancis’s album „Hibernatus“, Edasi’s album „Fake Wheel“), there were works that had been made especially for the festival (Ajukaja’s „Magus müra“, Djerro „Aeg“) and audiovisual performances were created as well (Erik Alalooga’s „Katastroof ja dünaamika“).... Read more

Music, Performance, Theatre

Katrina Helstein: stylish and soundless – Eplik and „Stiil”

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On October 27, I went to listen to Vaiko Eplik and watch the recording of Mati Unt’s production “Stiil ehk Mis on maailma nimi” (“Style aka What is the Name of the World”, premiere October 31, 2003). Both were in Von Krahl’s Kinosalong (Cinema Saloon) programme. I was not the only one, there were around 100 people there. However, I was one of only three that stayed until the end. Kinosalong is one of the most fantastic and beautiful events, consisting of music and a theatre recording. Think about it: the first hour was filled by jokes and brackets by Eplik who also sang – the second hour offered the recording of „Stiil ehk Mis on maailma nimi” by Mati Unt, one of the most exciting directors of Estonia. In conclusion – nothing could be more stylish or beautiful than these two things put together. Nor funnier, in a way.... Read more

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Mari Emmus: Cosmos – entertaining stories about Estonians and Russians

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Some topics are more complicated than others. You know, the ones that are mostly treated in opinion pieces and talking of which most likely raises everyone’s blood pressure – cohabitation law, pay gap, or integration politics. But who can bother to voluntarily deal with those difficult subjects. Especially now in the autumn when the days are getting shorter, heating bills are getting larger, and all the last year’s reflectors have gone missing again. One would want something lighter, easier, and more entertaining. ... Read more

Film

The Unbearable Emptiness of Pretending

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Vallo Toomla’s debut feature “Pretenders” tells the story of Anna (Mirtel Pohla) and Juhan (Priit Võigemast), who go to the country house of their rich friends to vacation and mend their relationship. However, the situation is far from an intimate idyll and, as if this was not enough, they offer accommodation to a couple caught up in a storm, who think they are the owners of the house. Anna and Juhan go along with the game, but there is no doubt that settling into the role of the masters of the house is only a drop in the ocean of pretence.... Read more

Music

Ave Palm: Record Launch of Chamber Choir Sireen

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The launch of the debut album Terra Incognita of chamber choir Sireen took place in the House of the Blackheads in the Old Town of Tallinn. The concert was accompanied by specially created visuals, matching those on the album design, as well as a light show, which created the perfect atmosphere for the concert. The performance was also enriched by choreography with the choir using the entire space, moving around the audience. The sequence of the songs, while different from the order on the record, created a continuous whole. All in all, it is great to have such an innovative and professional choir in Estonia.... Read more

Film

Helina Koldek: (M)uchenik – manipulator or martyr?

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Kirill Serebrennikov’s film “(M)uchenik” (Russian title “(М)ученик” conveys the content of the film by combining the words ‘the tortured/martyr’ and ‘pupil’) speaks about the pupil Veniamin, who gradually becomes a radical follower of the bible, manipulating with people and justifying all his ideas and deeds with quotations from the holy book. The blind preaching of faith beginning with the boundaries-pushing game and provocation, however, takes ever more concrete forms and insane twists, as both the school system and Veniamin’s mother try to adapt to his ideas and his influence keeps growing. The only person who tries to confront Veniamin is his biology teacher Elena, but her attempts drown into the stubborn pupil’s sea of manipulations as well.... Read more

Varia

Culture.ee’s Recommendations for The Night of Ancient Bonfires

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On the evening of August’s last Saturday,  all the Estonian people and their guests are invited to the sea to light a fire on the beach and see other fires reply to form a chain of bonfires around the Baltic Sea and connect us to our neighbours. The aim of the evening is to light as many fires on the shores of Baltic Sea that two or more fires would be visible in every seaside settlement.... Read more

Dance, Music

Andres Laiapea: An evening at the old theater house

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There is a place in Viljandi, the so-called Koidu Seltsimaja (Association House of the Dawn), a building or more precisely a strange complex, built in many stages, rich in history. It is nowadays used by different kinds of artists for their projects. In one wing of the complex there is a sound-art and experimental music venue, from another wing you can find a jazz bar. The whole complex has become one of the epicenters of the burgeoning cultural life in Viljandi, a small town known for its many talents and possibilities.... Read more

Urban

Gallery: Beta-promenade of Tallinn is now open

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During the Maritime Culture Year of 2016 Linnalabor together with landowners created beta-promenade from Kalasadam to Noblessner quarter. Beta-promenade is a simple footpath along the seaside, created by removing fences, opening up gates and fortifying the shore. The initiative was one of the 20 winning entries to the idea contest of the Maritime Culture Year.... Read more

Weekly recommendations

WEEKLY RECOMMENDATIONS JUNE 27 – MAY3

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This next week is full of festivals and concerts both in the big cities and in the furthest corners of the country.  The choice is yours to enjoy the finest music in the company of the president at a concert hall in the capital, or to get out of the city and lay out a blanket in front of a stage under the stars.  The opportunities to see new places in Estonia and experience new things are many this week, so get out there and enjoy!... Read more

Music, Varia, Weekly recommendations

Kultuur.info´s guide to the midsummer`s eve

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This week Estonians all over the world will be celebrateing Midsummer Day, or Jaanipäev.  The shortest night of the year brings with it ancient traditions still alive and well today. The following events occuring in Estonia give you a chance to take part in those traditions: bonfires, music, dancing,  grilling, and games are integral parts of the celebrations, and offer some of the best times you will have this summer.... Read more

Film

Culture.ee recommends: 5 films at Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival!

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The mud capital’s coolest festival HÕFF comes with the Walpurgis Night! Starting on Friday already, the scariest festival of Estonia invites all the horror film fans to Haapsalu for the weekend. Culture.ee brings to you five films, which we definitely recommend you to watch at HÕFF. The recommendations have been put together by the editor of culture.ee and horror film fan Helina Koldek!

Under the Shadow
(Jordan, Great Britain, 2016, director: Babak Anvari)
The first feature film of Babak Anvari, who was born in Iran and lived there for the first 19 years of his life, was inspired by his early childhood and the Middle Eastern mythology. The film, which was shot in Jordan due to the restrictions and censorship in place in Iran, takes place in Tehran during the 1980s conflict between Iran and Iraq and skilfully intertwines the war-induced fears with the stories of the mythological genie who travels with the wind. Anvari confronts the outer and private space and lets us follow the main character’s reaction to the invasion of an alien. This is the opening film of the festival, which screens on April 29 at 19:15 in the great hall of Haapsalu Cultural Centre.... Read more

Weekly recommendations

Weekly recommendations: April 18–24

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What to do this week? How about go to the cinema to check out some documentaries? Or maybe, gain knowledge from the open lecture of the international art historian Dorothea von Hantelmann? Perhaps visit a concert or a whole festival, because this week the Manic Street Preachers are giving a concert in Tallinn and the festival Jazzkaar is getting started? Check out our suggestions! ... Read more

Varia, Weekly recommendations

Culture.ee weekly recommendations: March 21 – 27

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Every week is special somehow. This week we celebrate Easter. Culture.ee recommends to start the week with some French cuisine in good Estonian restaurants, then step into some Tallinn Fashion Week shows and, of course, visit many many concerts with different styles of music. Some of the concerts we recommend, might be sold out quite fast, so get your ticket soon and don´t put all your eggs in one basket!... Read more

Performance, Theatre

Silja Paulus: From Caveman to Nutella or How Henrik Kalmet Tried to Make It to a Festival

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If the description of a performance says that it could either be an extraordinary mix-up or an experience or a combination of those, you’re mentally prepared for something strange. My visits to a real festival were at the time I actively participated in the school theatre and that was over ten years ago. As far as I can remember, a festival always consisted of a couple of pieces that forced out laughter (some worked, some slipped on a banana peel and splashed on the asphalt), a couple of more classical stories with a beginning, end, and midpoint, and a few weird compositions, which flirted with video art as well as abstraction. Henrik Kalmet’s solo performance “A Festival Piece or a Desperate Attempt to Get an Invitation to a Festival”, in which he plays with the components of different festival pieces, was something similar. ... Read more

Film, Museum

Raoul Fernandes: Kumu Documentary project

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Frank Gehry is a name that has capticated the world of contemporary architecture with notable works on some of the world’s most iconic buildings, from the Dancing House in Prague to the Bilbao Museum and many more. The ‘Starchitect’s‘ story was captured and narrated in two documentaries, “Getting Frank” and “Gehry’s Vertigo”, which screened at Kumu Art Museum as part of the Kumu Documentary Project.... Read more

Exhibition, Museum

Fabiola García: Race to the End of the Earth

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Back in 1911, the stories of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and British Navy officer Robert Scott became intertwined. They didn’t know each other, but both men were determined to conquer the South Pole, a place no one had ever reached. What had started as a personal ambition to reclaim the South Pole for their respective countries, suddenly turned into a race when they found out about the plans of the other. They embarked on a mission, almost at the same time, to be the first person in one of the most remote locations on the planet. The exhibition Race to the End of the Earth, currently open at the Seaplane Harbour, is a fantastic journey through the remarkable attempt of these two people and their teams to make it to the South Pole.... Read more

Exhibition

Fabiola García: exhibition “A Living Universe”

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Is there life in the Universe? This is the question from which the interactive exhibition “A Living Universe” stems, featuring videos, information and a few hands-on activities to learn more about human kind’s thirst for knowledge about what lies beyond our tiny planet and our attempts to learn if the Earth is the only place inhabited by living creatures in this Universe.... Read more

Art, Exhibition, Museum

Tiki Muir: SAGA. Iceland: Art and Narrative

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SAGA. Iceland: Art and Narrative is an exhibition of several generations of Icelandic artists, curated by Norbert Weber and Halldór Björn Runólfsson, and currently showing at KUMU art museum, Tallinn. This is largely a show of contemporary art, though there are also references made to the more historic art of the nation, with paintings from as early as the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The title suggests a clear interest in relating the exhibition to Iceland’s famed literary narratives and sense of the dramatic. Having already been exhibited at the Kunsthalle Recklinghausen and at the National Gallery of Iceland, the show will remain in Tallinn until March 20, 2016.... Read more

Exhibition

Raoul Fernandes: photo exhibition “Bloodless Hunt”

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Bloodless Hunt, the longest-running photo competition in Estonia, was organized on May 22-25, 2015 at a site located at Simisalu in the Kõrvemaa region of Estonia. Starting from October 19, the beautifully “hunted” animals were put on display in an exhibition featuring the best of the photographs at the State Forest Management Centre in Tallinn, the organization curating the competition. The exhibition runs till December 11 and features beautiful animals from deer to foxes and beautiful little birds.... Read more

Varia

Culture.ee recommends: 12 gift markets-Christmas fairs

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As it’s the beginning of December and Christmas is coming soon, we have decided to put together information on different Christmas fairs and gift markets taking place in Estonia – so that we can offer an enjoyable alternative to big department stores for gift-hunters. There are many events: some in the beginning of the month, some immediately before the holidays. One can look for the market that takes place the closest or discover a new cool corner of Estonia while looking for gifts. Here are the favourites of culture.ee team!... Read more

Film

Fabiola García: Epitaph in Black Nights Film Festival

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The odyssey to climb the volcano Popocatepetl in 1519 by three members of the army that would eventually conquer the Aztec empire is depicted through the vision of the young Mexican filmmakers Ruben Imaz and Yulene Olaizola in Epitaph, another film that was part of the Main Competition Programme in the Black Nights Film Festival that took place in Tallinn from November 13 to 29.... Read more

Performance

Tiki Muir: 99 Words for Void

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The theatre is a democratic space. (Well, yes, and this is especially important in this case). The audience is expectant (yes, and open-minded). They are neither less nor more important than those on the stage (yes, those two knights, for they are the performers). Yes, and those knights are no less and no more susceptible to change than said eager audience. (Yes, because the audience and the performers encounter each other here). Yes, that is clear, and this encounter happens precisely within this theatre space because here the cultural tradition, society and the superego have fought for and ushered forth democracy. (Precisely so! Because every man was born free, and this, too, is important here, so surely this is the most democratic of spaces)… Indeed, it is a space where you can say whatever you want. (Yes! You can say whatever you want!) And, in this space, which is thus both aesthetic and semantic, we begin. (Yes, this is where 99 words for void begin).*... Read more

Film

Karlo Funk recommends: 10 movies to see in BNFF

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BNFF is a place where every member of the audience has three options when browsing the programme and looking for films. These are like three shots – one into the leg, the other into the tin can set up as a target, and a third as a warning into the air. You can have certain hits, lucky strikes, and sad fails. It is the same with these ten films. The list focuses on Spanish-speaking world and Asia, but some European films from the competition section have also attracted our interest. ... Read more

Art

Karina Rozena: It´s Always Tea-Time

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A determined Estonian, Viive Noor, has made a gift to Lewis Carroll’s beloved book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) on the 150th anniversary of its publication. She has curated a thematic exhibition called “It’s Always Tea-Time” in the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, which will be exhibited there until 28th of November. Entrance is free of charge.... Read more

Varia

Fabiola García: Etnodisko, the party that celebrated Estonian culture

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Every October, the Finno-Ugric days take place in Estonia and other countries with which Estonians share their roots, with the purpose of acquainting people with their origins and traditions, as well as celebrating their culture and identity. Among the several events that took place within the Finno-Ugrian days, the Etnodisko is worth highlighting. It took place on 13 October at the Must Puudel cafe in Tallinn’s Old Town and it gave the participants the opportunity to experience Finno-Ugric folk music, dances, games and even some food.... Read more

Music

Raoul Fernandes: Tallinn semifinal of Noortebänd 2015

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The Tallinn semifinal of the 15th edition of the Estonian Youth Band Awards, Noortebänd was organized on 26 and 27 September 2015. Noortebänd is an annual event that brings forward the best of Estonia’s youth bands and offers them exposure and a platform to showcase their talents. Being a competition for youth bands, all the performers are not older than 26 and operate in Estonia. Fabulous prizes are offered to finalists and winners, some even get an opportunity to perform at the Tallinn Music Week!... Read more

Design

Anastasiya Zhenchenko: Lux Matrix

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In the yellow light of lanterns, the cold autumn nights and the Old Town of Tallinn seem completely different from that cheerful medieval Tallinn of the summer. To complement such a romantic atmosphere at the city centre, audiences are invited to a magical cultural experience – the Light Festival Lux Matrix. The festival brings together 21 artists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Italy and unites them under the concept of the Boutique Light Festival to enjoy the Latin Quarter at its best. The festival is also a part of the Baltic Light chain from Tallinn to Gdansk via Riga and Vilnius.... Read more

Concert, Dance

Fabiola García: Light Walks for the end of Summer

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Like every September, the end of summer was celebrated with the Light Walks in Tallinn last Thursday, 17 September at Kadriorg Park, featuring music and of course, light. Although the park is huge, thousands of people attended the event during the evening, up until midnight when the last buses and trams crossed the city. The candles, torches and series of tiny bulbs resembling Christmas lights that covered the whole area made the place feel cozy, inviting and intimate. Just the right atmosphere for saying goodbye to the warmest season.... Read more

Design

Karina Rozena on Heliodesign exhibitions

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For those who still haven’t been to the premises of the old Helios Cinema, the design exhibitions on display there give a great opportunity to do that until 27 September. The old and a bit messy cinema is a great place for all design objects. It seems that they were meant to be together and they even encourage us to fall in love with the unusually beautiful place. However, I do not want to emphasize only this compatibility of both elements, I must mention the atmosphere in the Helios Cinema as such – it completely disconnects everyone from their other thoughts, and invites one to concentrate on the curators’ ideas, which, to be honest are pretty interesting to say the least.... Read more

Design

culture.ee recommends: Tallinn Design Festival Design Night

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This autumn, the Design Night is held for the tenth time already and this time it introduces the ideas behind future design and meditates on the changes that cause shifts in the field of design. Although officially the festival runs from 17-20 September, some events are held earlier and several exhibitions are open until the end of the month. The Design Night offers events for both specialists as well as enthusiasts, you can get to know professional Estonian design in its rapidly developing versatility, but also see some selected picks of design from abroad. Culture.ee has compiled a list of ten recommendations to make it easier to navigate among all the seminars, workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows and other events. ... Read more

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Culture.ee recommends: The Night of Ancient Bonfires 2015

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On Saturday, 29 August, another Night of Ancient Bonfires is held, when bonfires are lit across Estonia to remember ancient coastal fires. In 2015, the common theme of the Night of Ancient Bonfires is contemplating the future of our state. In the course of the night, many special events are held across Estonia and our editing team has made a little selection. ... Read more

Art, Concert, Exhibition, Museum, Music

Top 10 events for the Night of Museums by culture.ee

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The programme of the Night of Museums has become more and more varied with each year and it is difficult to pick out the most exciting and special events. To make your lives easier, we decided to look at the programmes of various participating museums and accordingly, we selected ten notable Night of Museums events across Estonia that we think are worth a visit.... Read more

Concert, Music

Heather Stebbins “Maarja Nuut: Beautiful Simplicity”

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On Wednesday, 22 April, fiddler, vocalist, and recent winner of the Tallinn Music Week Wire Prize Marja Nuut performed at the Tallinn Art Space. The space is a small yet bright and welcoming venue with vibrant artwork hanging on the walls. Nuut’s violin hung on a stand at the front of the space as concert-goers began to take their seats. Nuut took the stage, equipped with a second instrument, a more folk-style violin. Her opening song began with only her voice singing a simple melody. After a few repetitions, she began to use her looping pedal to layer her voice. The result was a haunting and beautiful polyphony. This quiet and peaceful first song set the tone for the whole evening. It was her way of telling the audience to relax, just breathe, and revel in her music.... Read more

Estonian music days

Lena Kramer “Club Night of Estonian Music Days: An abundant evening”

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The Club Night of the Estonian Music Days in Von Krahli Baar consisted of several very different events, giving the visitors the opportunity to discover a lot of new music and understand better how music and composing works: First up, the composing project „Ludus Tonalis“ had a performance, later on, the DJs of Tallinn’s famous Mutant Disco played their dance music downstairs, being accompanied at the DJ-desk by some of the Estonian composers involved in the festival, while upstairs experimental electronic music was presented, partly specially composed for this evening.... Read more

Estonian music days

Lena Kramer “Summer Rain: Gregorian chant and modern art music”

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The final concert of the Estonian Music Days 2015 was a performance of the internationally acclaimed mixed choir Vox Clamantis (Voice of someone who is screaming), conducted by Jaan-Eik Tulve. It took place in the medieval atmosphere of the Niguliste church. The impressive gothic architecture and the acoustic precondition of the church contributed to the concert’s stunning effect on the audience, while cameras and spotlights added an official tone. The songs performed at this concert were written by Estonian composers in recent years, some especially for Vox Clamantis. They follow traditions of old church singing like Gregorian chant, but are influenced by modern music. The audience, diverse in age, listens intently and in concentration throughout the whole concert. When the choir does not sing, there are no sounds.... Read more

Estonian music days

Heather Stebbins “PASSAGIO: SPACE, SOUND, AND PERSISTENCE”

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Like most concerts involving flautist Tarmo Johannes, Thursday evening’s Passagio included much more than a performer on a stage. Johannes took full advantage of the layout and acoustic possibilities of the venue, the Salme Cultural Center. The audience not only moved through different levels of the space, but also through Johannes’s various artistic endeavors and ensembles.... Read more

Estonian music days

Heather Stebbins “KAKS DAAMI: A CONCERT OF NEW WORKS FOR SOLOISTS AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA”

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The first concert of the third day of Estonian Music Days comprised all different combinations of two violin soloists and chamber orchestra under the heading Kaks Daami (Two Ladies). The concert producers transformed the venue, the often unadorned Studio 1 of the Estonian Public Broadcasting building, into an inspiring concert setting using different colored and carefully placed lighting. Like most of the EMD programs, Kaks Daami included a majority of Estonian premieres. This particular program comprised six new Estonian works and one new Latvian piece. So many premieres can be a daunting and difficult endeavor, but it didn’t appear to cause any concern to the players. The concert showcased not only the talents of the soloists, but also the commitment of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, led by Latvian conductor Atvars Lakstīgala, to giving the seven premieres such accomplished and powerful first performances.... Read more

Reviews about Estonian culture events.