Exhibitions

The Fifth Element

Vaal Gallery
Anna Kõuhkna, Helen Sirp, Anu Muiste and Sandra Sirp group exhibition
12 January – 11 February 2023

“Viies element” (“The Fifth Element”) is a visual dialogue about the fundamental elements – air, water, earth and fire – whose interaction gives rise to the mystical and sacred fifth element. This emerging entity can be described as ether, space or love. The visual dialogue encompasses psychological, spiritual and mathematical spectrums, while each artist approached it through their own individual element. A spatial installation playing with symmetry connects the artworks and creates a shared space, linking each element with its corresponding cardinal direction. The exhibition’s installation functions as a suggestive compass, with implied directions of movement whose trajectory is determined by the visitor.

In the work of Anna Kõuhkna (b. 1994), nature and the feminine hold a special place, with Woman embodying both the artist herself and, at the same time, representing a universal figure. The artist has created parallels between her paintings and the keeping of a visual diary.

Helen Sirp (b. 1983) is a conceptual spatial designer based in London, whose distinctive approach lies in storytelling through various visual and sensory means. Her work moves between two- and three-dimensional forms, encompassing installations, photographic stagings, scenography, fashion design, as well as exhibition and spatial design.

The work of Anu Muiste (b. 1984) is characterised by a profound social sensitivity. Her delicately and sensitively painted works are, in essence, philosophical explosions, where real messages are combined with surreal forms.

Sandra Sirp (b. 1988) primarily expresses herself through painting and is interested in the beauty of simplicity, both in visual expression and in the use of artistic means. The content translated into geometric surfaces, lines and rhythms is an essential part of a slow creative process based on repetition.

The exhibition was supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Treier, Heie Marie. (2023). Puhastatud pilk. Sirp. https://www.sirp.ee/s1-artiklid/c6-kunst/puhastatud-pilk/

Klassikaraadio. (2023). Delta, 26. jaanuaril: Minimal Wind, Unistaja, Viies element, kõnevõistlus. https://klassikaraadio.err.ee/1608848809/delta-26-jaanuaril-minimal-wind-unistaja-viies-element-konevoistlus/

Sensitive Traveller

Eduard Vilde Museum’s Kastellaanimaja Gallery
18 May – 22 June 2022

Anu Muiste’s sixth solo exhibition “Tundlik rändaja” (“Sensitive Traveller”) explores the theme of sensitivity through various theoretical and personal experiences, searching for perspectives and cultural connections related to sensitivity. The works were created between 2021 and 2022, and the artist primarily used oil paints. For the first time, a sculpture was presented as part of her solo exhibition. The exhibition featured a work consisting of wall sculptures titled “Liblikad” (“Butterflies”).

Anu Muiste’s distinctive painting style is characterised by a profound social sensitivity. Her paintings resemble philosophical explosions, where real messages merge with surreal forms, while being rendered with delicacy and sensitivity. Muiste has participated in group exhibitions of the Estonian Painters’ Union in Estonia and Finland.

Artist’s statement:

Recently, I was reminded of a strange phrase from my childhood: “Don’t be so tender-hearted.” I remember hearing this phrase often and directed at many people. Tenderness was equated with sensitivity, which in turn was considered a weakness. After all, no one wants to be weak. Boys especially were not supposed to be weak, and a sensitive person was considered an extremely unusual being at that time. I also wanted to be a strong and capable girl, but it simply did not come naturally to me.

Carl Jung was the first to study sensitivity, associating it with introversion. Fortunately, this no longer applies today. In reality, such an explanation would be far too simple for such a complex construct. Sensitivity gained a new meaning in the 1990s when Elaine N. Aron, influenced by popular psychology, was able to empirically demonstrate through a questionnaire she developed that high sensitivity (HSP – Highly Sensitive Person) is a personality trait. People with this characteristic have sensory-processing sensitivity, meaning that they process physical, emotional and social information in depth.

However, when considering the cultural context, one might argue that sensitivity versus insensitivity is connected to the age and development of a culture. In Japan, sensitivity is considered a positive personality trait, indicating that a person is able to take others into consideration. In more aggressive and younger cultures, such as North America, where competition levels are higher, sensitivity is often viewed as a weakness, and related personality traits are concealed.

This led me to think about Estonia – where do we position ourselves on the scale of sensitivity?

Klaus, Kärt. (2022). Galerii: Anu Muiste tundlik rändaja rändab läbi teoreetiliste ja isiklike kogemuste. ERR Kultuur. https://kultuur.err.ee/1608602299/galerii-anu-muiste-tundlik-randaja-randab-labi-teoreetiliste-ja-isiklike-kogemuste

Vaik, Mait. (2026). Pinge, mida ei saa kätte. Kunstijutt. Edasi.org. https://edasi.org/133555/mait-vaik-pinge-mida-ei-saa-katte-kunstijutt/