Origami II
Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Nov 29 - Dec 23, 2023
With Art Allmägi
The point of departure for the duo exhibition in Hobusepea gallery was the painting 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 by Katrin Piile. The focus of the painting completed in 2020 is set on the painter’s portrait being modelled. The identity of the sculptor working behind the portrait is concealed, indicated only by a photo of his earlier sculpture hanging on the wall. Self-centeredness, veiled in a shade of irony, was the starting point of the exhibition.
Despite the self-centered approach, the collaboration between the two authors was built on the principle of correlation. The creative impulse of one author set in motion the creative work of the other, which, in turn, was put into service for creating the work of the one giving the initial impulse. Due to the interconnectedness of their creative process, the artists were only partially in charge of the work, touching upon the boundaries of authorship.
The artistic activities of the two authors had prepared an excellent surface for this exhibition based on the principle of correlation to flourish: Piile has previously worked with objects that are constructed on the canvas in a hyperrealistic painting style with a framing typical of photodocumentalism; Allmägi's previous works contain references to different artists and fictitious collaborations with other authors.
The focal point of Piile’s and Allmägi's work process was to creatively reflect one another’s practice and to document it based on their chosen media. Through this structure, the characteristic aspects of painting and sculpture were explored – what was gained and what was lost as the subjects moved from flat surfaces to three-dimensions (or vice versa). The holy trinity of the art world – author, idea, work – was redefined as an object of study. While exploring the principles of creative work as a collaborative project, the authors tried to blur the relationship between the work and the author. At the same time, it took the viewer down a rabbit hole, to a world where believing in the visible led the visitor on a wrong path.