Titled "Water Speaks of Us" ("Vesi kõneleb meist"), Kiipli and Volens' work is a layered installation reflecting coastal nature and the Estonian language.

The art competition for a work to be displayed at the EKI building was organized by Estonian state real estate management company Riigi Kinnisvara AS (RKAS) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research.

Selected from among 56 submitted designs, the winning work is a layered installation composed of ceramic elements, limestone and original photography. It tells the story of a prelinguistic place where foaming water speaks and sand and stones whisper.

The jury found that the result of the various layered and stratified textures involved effectively reflect the nature of the Estonian language. Kiipli and Volens' work captivated the jury with its unique spatial character and enchanting composition.

According to the artists, the work connects the present day with the past, showing our surroundings to be at once both modern and prehistoric, while also bearing the marks of events that have occurred on a geological timescale.

They note that the natural imagery that permeates the Estonian language speaks of an ancient and close bond with our surrounding environment. Just as modern-day landscapes are the result of various and successive processes, so too have Estonian words, customs and stories accumulated within the language, born of the very same natural environment that has surrounded us for millennia.

Mari-Leen Kiipli has previously won an annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, and been awarded an Adamson-Eric Scholarship as part of the team behind the artist-run space Rundum. Mari Volens has worked as an arts organizer, both on the team behind the Kilometer of Sculpture project and as one of the founders and members of Rundum. Both studied photography at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA).

New public buildings must have art

The winning work cost €20,000 plus VAT.

Anyone interested can come see the work at the Institute of the Estonian Language building at Roosikrantsi 6, on Mondays through Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

In 2011, the Commissioning of Artworks Act entered into force in Estonia, which mandates that at least 1 percent of the construction costs of public buildings must be used to commission artwork. Since 2021, the price ceiling for these works has been set at  €110,000.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!