In the first residency, Laura Põld, Gary Markle and Anica Huck contemplated the heritage of Southern Estonia.
The tradition of the smoke sauna, which has been passed down from generation to generation, served as a starting point for artists, from which they critically analysed the consequences of global modernisation. The residency contemplated the need of human beings for ritual healing, mental and as well as physical. The starting point for the created works, emerging from the dialogue between the artist’s vision and the local environment, revolved around various keywords: growth vs. decline, the longing for progress, myth, and more.
In the second residency, art intertwined with astronomical knowledge through the collaboration of Marit Mihklepa, Juss Heinsalu, Piibe Kolka, and Eglė Šimėnaitė, along with the Tartu Observatory.
Combining artistic experiences with astronomy aimed to explore new possibilities for depicting what may seem too elusive and abstract in everyday life. Throughout the residency, efforts were made to understand how scientific information and methodologies in celestial research influence artists’ imagination and creative process. The scientists from the Tartu Observatory, located in Tõravere, played a significant role in the residency, engaging in close dialogue with the artists. In December 2023, a public event was held at the observatory to showcase the findings of the second residency.
