PRESS RELEASE
KRISTI KONGI (1985) will open her personal exhibition Wish I were a bird in Hobusepea gallery at 6pm on December 5th, 2012.
Kristi Kongi has graduated from the department of paintings at Tartu Art College in 2008; taken additional courses in Lahti Institute of Design and Fine Arts, Finland, in 2007; and obtained a MA degree in painting at Estonian Academy of Arts in 2011. Kristi Kongi was awarded the Young Artist Prize by Estonian Academy of Arts and non-profit association Noor Kunst (Young Art) in 2011; since that year, the recipient of the prize is also given the chance to hold a personal exhibition either in Hobusepea or Draakon Gallery, Tallinn. Non-profit association Young Art was established in 2005 by two enterprisers Guido Sammelselg and Armin Kõomägi, with the aim to support and enthuse the youngest generation of Estonian artists. The idea to create this prize was also initiated by two artists and art teachers – Kaido Ole and Marko Mäetamm. Today, among supporters are also enterprisers Indrek Prants, Sven Mansberg and Rene Kuulmann.
„Reality is alternating with illusions, actuality with dreams, concreteness with abstractness. Grounds are swaying, levels are changing, time is rolling by, then jumping back again and becoming timeless... And all of a sudden – thoughts are interrupted.“ (Voldemar Panso)
While at her previous personal exhibition transformer, held in 2010 in Draakon gallery, Kongi withdrew from the abstractness characteristic to her former artwork and concentrated on realistic visual interpretation, then the present exhibition expresses the artist's partial return to the abstract approach to painting as well as to the accompanying colour issues.
Kristi Kongi: „Formerly I have been practising object-based painting. This time, the objects have been replaced by a more abstract solution – the colour schemes of these objects/things. Current art project was born thanks to one object – a music box. The miniature swirling figures of a music box are the symbolic protagonists of my project. For me, the whole process of the current exhibition has presented a status that is somewhere between dreaming and being awake. Perception of reality has been focused to one weird point where all the rest seems to be flowing and hazy. Time seems non-existent. All that is left is the very moment we are in right now.
Exhibition will be open until December 17, 2012.
Thanks to: Ahti Lill, Art Allmägi, Tiit Kongi, Teele Strauss, Holger Loodus, Marta Stratskas, Neeme Külm, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo, Anu Vahtra, Johannes Säre.
Exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, LLC Straips, non-profit association Noor Kunst, Estonian Artists' Association, FOKU (Association of Estonian Photo Artists).
Exhibitions in Hobusepea gallery are supported by Estonian Ministry of Culture.
Kristi Kongi
1985 Tallinn, Estonia.
www.kristikongi.com
Education:
2008-2011 Estonian Academy of Arts, Fine Arts department - painting, MA
2004-2008 Tartu Art College, painting department
2007 Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Istitute of Fine Arts, Lahti, Finland
1992 - 2004 Pelgulinna Higschool
Solo exhibitions:
2012 "I wish I were a bird", in Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn
2012 "HEAVEN" ( with Marta Stratskas), in Vaal gallery, Tallinn
2010 "Transformer", in Draakon gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 "You are my meow" , in gallery@SooSoo Telliskivi, Tallinn
2008 „Me myself – a game“, in Paide Vallitorn, Paide, Estonia
2008 „The recording“, with Kadri Toom, in Võru City gallery, Estonia
2008 „My people“, In Tartu Exhibition hall, Tartu, Estonia
Group exhibitions:
2012 Speed of darkness and other stories, Kumu Art museum of Estonia, Tallinn
2012 MUUDA OMA MEELT / Change Your Mind, in Viljandi Citygallery, Viljandi
2011 Young painter prize finalists exhibition, in Titanikas exposition hall, Vilnius, Lithuania
2011 "Zugzwang", in Polymer Artcontainer, Tallinn, Estonia
2010-11 "Girl power", Artdepoo, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 "Zugzwang", Baltic young art, Commune Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
2010 Painting in Process, Kumu Art museum of Estonia, Tallinn
2010 193 x 292“, in Vaal gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2009 „N“, in Estonian Academy of Arts gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2009 „medium“, Ferrodrum, Tartu, Estonia
2009 [sign], in Vilnius CityGallery, Lithuania
2008 [sign], In Tampere, Finland
2008 „Lend 2008“, In Tartu Exhibition Hall, Tartu, Estonia
2008 „Exposition“, In TKK gallery, Tartu, Estonia
2007 dec-2008 jan, Artists year exhibition, In Tartu Artists Hall, Tartu, Estonia
2007 „Academical landscape“, in Lahti, Finland
2007 „Hibrida –between borders ”, printmaking and photography from Bradford and Tartu,
Tartu and Bradford, UK
2007 „Kola”, y-galerii, Tartu
Prizes:
2011 Young Artist Prize
Festivals:
2011 NEU NOW festival, Tallinn, Estonia
2011 Art festival "Seanahk 3", in Haapsalu, Estonia
Bibliography:
Eha Komissarov. Kristi Kongi ja Marta Stratskas maalivad paradiisi. Eesti Ekspress. 19.04.2012
http://epifanio.eu/nr15/est/varvimaja.html
http://www.arterritory.com/en/texts/interviews/203-kristi_kongi_playing_in_the_house_of_color_/
http://www.arterritory.com/en/blogs_video/sneak_peek/223-kristi_kongi/
Kadri Karro. Kristi Kongi värvimuusika. Eesti Ekspress, 11.01.2011
Merilin Mets. Kolm kunsti. Sirp, 03.12.2010
Ragne Nukk. Kristi Kongi tõlkeprobleemid. Äripäev, 19.11.2010
Rebeka Põldsam . "Maalitudengitel tasub silm peal hoida.", Sirp, 14.05.2010.