Estonian diplomat for contemporary art

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Maria Arusoo faced with task to haul six tonnes of pure art from Venice to Estonia.

This October, Maria Arusoo became the new head for Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), an organisation that may be considered diplomatic corps of contemporary art. It is all up to them to keep foreign relations going, create an environment where outside curators feel comfy and informed around here, and Estonian artists abroad sensing the same.

Also, she served as commissioner for Estonia’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale; the said pavilion filled by a work called Evident in Advance by photographer Dénes Farkas. In a few weeks time, Commissioner Arusoo will do a trip to Venice (only her second during the biennale, opened since end of May), as the biennale will be over – and the art will have to be packed up.

That’ll mean an enormous logistic operation, getting six tonnes of art over to Estonia – four tonnes more than Estonian National Symphony Orchestra’s instruments flown over the Atlantic last week. «I have never ever had the chance to have a good look at the biennale, as, in spring, I had to be so busy organising and administrating. Now, I can also have a lance at other pavilions.»

Once the installation gets to Estonia, it’ll have to sit in a basement, then to be set, at Kumu (the Art Museum of Estonia), before Estonian eyes – in January. Ms Arusoo hopes for a more animated and deep discussion over the work than the media had as the biennale opened.  

She thinks not that the greyish inside installation by Mr Farkas, revolving around language-philosophical play, would be as elitarist as descriptions dictate to think. «It has so many layers, as any good work would. I believe that, aesthetically, the exhibition is so pure and poetic that an experience is guaranteed without one having to plunge into the linguistic play on words. This is just so beautiful,» she finds.

To Mr Farkas, also, is dedicated one part of the ETV 2 series Meie aja kunst (Art of Our Times), with twelve parts planned so far.

For a longer while, Ms Arusoo toyed with the idea of doing an arts programme in TV; the initiative for this one, however, came from the Public Broadcasting.  «The idea is to show as broadly as possible the new generation artists, their everyday life and creative process. This will be nothing of a summary and definition; rather, just glimpses into the differing ways of creation and thought. We’ll be showing the artists putting up and taking down exhibitions, working at their ateliers – in short, the various aspects of being an artist. Let’s say the format is intimate.»

The TV programmes will be portrait-like, the format depending on the content; the content depending on the artist in question. In addition to Mr Farkas, they’ll be doing programmes with the painter Tõnis Saadoja, the conceptualistic Visible Solutions OÜ, sculptor Edith Karlson and others. «To show the various means and styles,» she says.

Stressing, at that, they will not be drawing any conclusions on the overall picture of the art landscape. This not being a goal. The goal simply is getting a bit closer to what the artists do. «And, as the programmes were mainly shot in summer and fall of 2013, the selection fell to those involved in major projects at that very time.

With luck, this is just the beginning – with the newt twelve to come.

For Ms Arusoo, her life as artist, curator and official actually began as a good ole’ painter. Studying painting at University of Tartu and leading the Bohemian lifestyle.

Grabbing the brush, again, soon? «Ah, the brush has never been my first choice. Just happened to study painting... I was and still am interested in art, no matter the medium, really.»

Nowadays, most of her energy is spent on CCA. Still, she has a couple if ideas for projects. Still, these would rather come outside of Estonia, performance-style. «So let the brush take its rest,» summarises the lady.

Appointed chief of her establishment in October, she’s been employed there since last spring. Never having a boring moment yet, she beams. «Overloaded with work, you know,» says she.

Ms Arusoo’s dreaming of a multifunctional team.  «In arts, alas, one often has to be, in any project, the producer of content, financial manager, PR-person, and in the worst case scenario – also the installer, partly.»

Right now, the centre is preparing, as a major project, for next year’s art biennale Manifesta 10, in St Petersburg. And then the logistics of the operation «Farkas Back From Venice».

What fascinates Ms Arusoo with contemporary art is that all is not immediately accessible. «There is the type of thinking, in contemporary art, which for me is so intriguing and fun. Not every time does one get to the idea, and not always does one like what’s being exhibited; even so, I like the way it tosses up questions and offers options to look at things from other kinds of angles, changing and alternating perspectives.»

Of recent top art experiences, she recalls the Tartu festival called Art ist Kuku Nu Ut, in September. «Of personal exhibitions, I was touched the deepest by Pinnavirvendus (Shimmer on the Surface), by Neeme Külm, in Hobusepea Gallery. There’s always the good exhibitions, but often they’re so short and alternate so quickly that one just hasn’t time to even analyse.»

Maria Arusoo

•    A graduate of University of Tartu, in painting. Studied liberal arts at Estonian Academy of the Arts, possesses Master’s level degree from London University Goldsmiths College, in contemporary art theory.

•    Continuum_the perception Zone, an exhibition managed by her, in 2011, at Tallinn Art Hall, was awarded by Cultural Endowment of Estonia for international curator début.

•    Commissioner for Estonian pavilion at 2013 Venice Biennale.

•    Since start of October, Director of Centre for Contemporary Arts, Estonia.