An AIR-programme grant from Nordic Culture Point has made it possible for EMS to invite Kiwa to work at EMS.
KIWA (as sound artist Kiwanoid, born 1975) – multidisciplinary artist, lives and works in Tartu and Tallinn. Studied in Estonian Academy of Arts and Tartu University.
He actively explores and blends different media, from conceptual objects to total audiovisual environments. His artistic practices include painting, objects and installation, video, performance, sound art, scenography, text, etc: all together functioning as a hypertextual research of meaning-making and cultural codes on different levels, collective and personal myths.
Photo: Terje Toomistu
KIWA is also active as lecturer in the Estonian Academy of Arts (since 2006) and curator (since 1999), promoting interdisciplinary and research-based projects of the younger generation of Estonian artists. He initiated a series of multimedia events with a code name “Metabor” (first sound art platform in Estonia, 2001–2004), "The Festival of Non-Existent Bands" (2002-2009) and publication of anthology of experimental literature “Kangelasema toitepiim – Tekstilääts” (Nutritive Milk of Mother Heroine – A Textual Lens, 2006). As a team with anthropologist Terje Toomistu they made a full-length documentary movie “Wariazone” about Indonesian transgender phenomenon and started a crossmedia research about Soviet hippie movement which was exhibited at Estonian National Museum (Tartu) and Moderna Museet (Malmö).
Participates in exhibitions since 1995, his last personal shows took place at Moderna Museet (Malmö), Vaal gallery (Tallinn), Y-gallery (Tartu), Galerie Rivoli 59 (Paris) and Draakoni Gallery (Tallinn). Recent group shows and festivals include: NU Performance Festival and Kumu Art Museum (Estonia); Black Leather club and Manizales Theatre Festival (Colombia); Henie Onstad (Norway); The Kitchen, Yvon Lambert Gallery and Renaissance Society (USA); Tate Modern and Milch Gallery (UK); Stedelijk and DeAppel (Netherlands); Tseretely gallery and SKIF festival (Russia); Seccession, Charim gallery events and CAT/MAK (Austria), 1st Electronic Festival (Belorussia), Rivoli59 and Chateau de Tours (France) etc.
Works in collections of Art Museum of Estonia, Tartu Art Museum, and private collections in Estonia, Europe and USA.