Taavi Talve

1970– · Estonian artist (born 1970)
Eesti Kunstimuuseum

Taavi Talve (1970) is a Tallinn-based artist. His recent 16 mm analogue films are based on research stemming from a desire to connect events of the past to the present and with the artist himself. In his work, observations blend fact and fiction, and simultaneously take on a documentary and an imaginative approach. Talve entered the Estonian art scene in 2005 as a member of the group Johnson & Johnson (with Indrek Köster). Together they made short films, videos, spatial installations, sculptures, objects, and site specific installations. Their work relies on neo-conceptual institutional and media critique, as well as a leftist resistance to market capitalism. One of the best known projects by J & J is the “Paldiski Project” (2006–2013), which involved a large part of the inhabitants of the city of Paldiski; discussing what kind of a sculpture should be created to commemorate Amandus Adamson, one of the best known sculptors in Estonia, in his home town. As Adamson was seen as a father figure for various communities of the city, the project aimed to set in motion a democratic process of decision-making in a city with a complicated history, as well as to propose a model of cooperation between the Estonian and Russian speaking communities. In 2013 a replica of Adamson's sculpture “Last Sigh of a Ship” (1899) was installed at the heart of Paldiski, however, only a month later, it was removed by the city authorities, and after a few years, due to a local initiative, it found a new home on the Pakri peninsula near Paldiski. Talve's other collaborative projects and earlier work is characterised by a focus on the failure of articulation and self-expression, referencing, and a laconic visual language. His earlier works display elements of social criticism aimed at the political discourse of the newly independent Estonia, where market capitalism and nationalism intertwine. For example, Talve's first solo exhibition “Bookmarks” (2010, Hobusepea gallery) linked Margaret Thatcher's 1975 speech “Free Society”, Estonian song festivals, the neoliberal economic and social model, the economic crisis, political activism, and riots. Talve's later works focus on archiving and connecting past and present events; here the artist acts as an agent conserving memories, presenting subjective interpretations and new imaginaries. In 2016 Talve exhibited at the show “Between Archive and Architecture. Neeme Külm, Krista Mölder, Taavi Talve” at the Kumu Art Museum (curated by Kati Ilves, 2016/2017), screening his film “Blind Spot” (2016). It tells the story of Epp Kotkas, who lived a

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Data from MuIS and the EKM Digital Collection. Full catalogue