We visited this fantastic artful place in Tallinn even twice and each time there was something completely new about it. First there is the long streetart mural of course which you can see while just passing by. It was made during the MEXTONIA FESTIVAL organized by the Mexican private platform Nueve Arte Urbano and the Estonian private company Todoes uno Eesti in 2017. Artists collaborated and left some awesome graffitis and color on the town walls. Participated painters and sprayers to this spot here have been Abril Pegueros, Calladitos, Sens, Vahur Agar, Helena Hanni, CeleRees or Original Skulls and more. You can find the contact infos at the end of the article.
These actually three pieces and mythically painted murals are on the wall of several connected storage halls close to the Tallinna Sadam harbour. During our second visit of the place the entrance building has been opened. Last time everything was closed, but now we could have a look into another little creative world and the inside existing art gallery “Kalaranna Kultuurikuur” or in short form just „KaKu“.
Owner of this cozy little alternative art place in between the museums, the harbor and the Linnahall is the curator ANDRES MESNER. He offers Estonian handmade creative crafts of several types and styles. There are paintings, linoleum prints, collages or clothes, but the artists change by stages and he hosts basically everything which is extraordinary and Estonian of course. At our visit he presented doings from Toomas Kuusing, Toivo Freemann Pitt, Lepatminu, Alvar Reisner, Kristian Holm and Steve Vanoni.
In an audio interview the curator ANDRES MESNER tells about the KaKu Gallery, the art scene in Tallinn and his passion for ice carving. The conversation is as well written down in the following part.
You are the owner of the gallery?
Yes, I kind of started it. We opened in 2018. It was at first when I came here, it was just a storage room. And I cleaned it up. Then we had three exhibitions here. So it was pretty successful. It´s a good spot, there are lots of tourists. And yeah, it is nice to show art, especially Estonian art for visitors of Tallinn.
There is a very nice graffiti mural wall around the building. It is from the Mextonia Festival in 2017. So it´s a perfect place to have inside art as well.
Of course. The graffiti on the wall it was done in 2017 by Mexicans. People like it, they make a lot of photos. And there is a lot of interest about it.
In the gallery you have a lot of different artworks, you have pictures, paintings, printings or cloth. It´s a mix of various crafts.
Yes, I want to show Estonian artists here. There are linoleum cuts by Toomas Kuusing. He is a full time artist from south Estonia. And he is a master of that. It needs a lot of patience to carve it into the linoleum and print it later on. And also we have paintings and t-shirts and everything is Estonian made.
Do you do art by yourself or only promote?
Well I am managing the artworks and the different things. As well sometimes cultural projects for the city council. For example like ice sculpture festivals and stuff like that at winter time.
Ice sculptures? This is something you have mostly in the north.
Yes, it´s difficult because of the climate. The climate is changing. When I was younger I remember the old cold winter was all the time. It was minuses. But right now, it might be only for a few weeks staying in minus degrees and then it is like now. You cannot do it then. You know, ice sculpturing is very unique and temporarily. One time we had an exhibition up only like for six hours. And it was melting after that. So it´s the nature. There is nothing you can do about it.
I´m very impressed about this kind of art. Just few artists can do it and want to do it. You put a lot of effort in carving in a short time and you know afterwards there is nothing left to keep or to sell. So you have to be very passionate just about the doing.
It is a good meditation to carve ice. I really like it. And I have done most of the sculptures at the event. It was very okay and I am looking forward to do it again next time.
How is the art scene here in Tallinn? Did it develop during the last years? Because I saw a lot of new streetart and some other galleries.
Yes, streetart is rising up here. But the other side is to sell art. It is one of the most difficult things in the world. The situation is quite the same like years ago. But yesterday I talked to a guy from Sweden and he told me, in Sweden they have walls in their houses covered with art. But not in Estonia. People are building houses here and doing different things and they are not really into the art as much as it was. But what I am complaining? Art is beautiful! To be creative is beautiful! Every day is different here.
What are the next projects in the future?
I don´t know yet. We are just running the gallery. And yes, I see the different art projects around Tallinn too. And it is great. But I cannot really answer to that. I don´t move around much at summer time. I am running that gallery here and I am sitting here then. I am presenting the art for the tourists who are passing. So yeah, it´s cool. Everybody is more than welcome to step in and to have a look. We like to share what we have here.
INFOTHEK
KaKu Gallery – Kalasadama Kulturikodar
Adress: Kalasadama 6, 10415 Tallinn, Estland
Phone: +372 5662 0033
Email: andres.mesner@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalasadama6
Mextonia Festival
Website: http://www.mextonia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MextoniaFestival/
Instragram – Abril Pegueros: https://www.instagram.com/abrilpegueros/
Instagram – Calla Ditos: https://www.instagram.com/loscalladitos/
Nueve Arte Urbano: http://nuevearteurbano.com/mextonia-festival/
Additional photos of the MEXTONIA FESTIVAL from MAZZANTI
Photographer: MAZZANTI STREET ART
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazzanti.street.art
Profile Page: https://vagabundler.com/culturists/mazzanti
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