Tallinn Applied Art Triennial and the fine lines of constructiveness

Since the late ’90s, the Tallinn Applied Art Triennial has worked relentlessly to preserve, empower and showcase applied art, design and contemporary craft through different themes, all while supporting its growth and advancement into the future. This year, the international event looks at the many fine lines of constructiveness.

Whether in relation to being constructive or having the creative capacity to invent, no one understands the concept of constructiveness like artists do. The theme of the ninth Tallinn Applied Art Triennial could thus not come at a better time. “This year’s theme, The Fine Lines of Constructiveness, was an open call to artists and designers living or working in the Baltic and Nordic countries,” explains this year’s curator, glass artist Maret Sarapu.

“We sought out works that showcased individual or collective methods to move towards solutions,” says Sarapu. “From the resilient and empowering preservation of craft skills inherited from ancestors to artworks that endeavour to discover and resolve in the process or their making – fascinating experiments with material, slow technologies, finding new use for forgotten or marginal materials really stood out, fibre and textile works also featured prominently. We invited encounters with objects that provided us with ideas, strategies, and models to live a better life.”

After a long shortlisting process, 28 out of 470 applications have been carefully selected to feature in the exhibition, which starts on 5 October at the Kai Art Center in Tallinn, and runs until 16 February 2025.

Weijo by Liisa Hietanen. Photo: Marjaana Malkamaki

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