PRESS RELEASE

URMAS VIIK (1961) and SOHVI VIIK (1991) will open their co-exhibition The Unusual Case of Ruve Rääsk in Draakon gallery at 5pm on January 17, 2018.

The artists have given quite a straightforward position towards themselves and their current exhibition: „To generate art without elation – art that won't analyze, conceptualize nor create meta layers – art that most people would understand. Art that would be more or less banal. The unusual case of Ruve Rääst is a simple story that could be summarized with a few sentences. It is a graphic fairy tale, a short story of magic realism where the protagonist combines Easy Rider and Mad Max in one person. The exhibition includes a twenty-five-meter long comic strip, surrounded by a video frame and by all means, a motorbike. Yet, Ruve Rääsk is an existing person and his case is almost real as well, demonstrated with the help of the comics and video. This is confirmed by the fact that Ruve has given his motorbike to be exhibited. Yes, indeed!“

Urmas Viik is mainly known as a graphic artist and a book illustrator; he has also created several installation works. Urmas Viik has graduated from the Estonian Art University (former Estonian State Art Institute and presently the Estonian Academy of Arts) in 1991. The artist has actively participated in local art life during the last few decades. Besides his personal artist career Urmas Viik has worked as a professor in the department of fine arts at Tallinn University and as a long-term head of printmaking department at the Estonian Academy of Arts. His previous personal exhibitions „Muhu Angels“ were held in Tampere House, Tartu; in Kondas Centre, Viljandi and in Kuresaare Raegalerii in 2017. During the past ten years, Urmas Viik has participated in more than thirty illustration exhibitions abroad, including Italy, Israel, United States of America, Latvia, Japan, France and elsewhere. The artist has been awarded with several art prizes, including Kristjan Raud Art Award, Sadolin Art Prize, he has also received diplomas from various illustration triennials. Books with his designs and illustrations have been frequently awarded at the 25+5 Best Designed Books in Estonia contest.

Sohvi Viik has obtained BA degree in the department of photography at the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2014 and MA degree in the department of installation and sculpture at the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2016. She has also taken additional courses in Bergen Academy of Art and Design in Norway. She held her personal exhibition What is Real is Imagined in Draakon gallery in 2016. Sohvi Viik has taken part in several group exhibitions, including Folkpsühhedeelia (together with Urmas Viik and Anna Viik) in Tallinn Art Hall gallery in 2015 and Rituals on Conditions of Clarity (curated by Tarvo Hanno Varres) in ISFAG gallery in 2014.

Exhibition will be open until February 3rd, 2018.

Thanks to: Ruve Rääsk, Mari Viik, Tiit Kalluste, Elina Kask, Katriin Tralla, Kaspar Kalluste, Erik Pauklin, Viljar Seeblum, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Exhibitions in Draakon gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Estonian Ministry of Culture.