Ukrainian artist Nataliya Zuban’s practice centres on memory, disintegration, and the physical traces historical events leave behind. It is rooted in fired clay, a material I grew up working with in Opishne, a pottery village in Ukraine.

During her residency at Maajaam, she intends to experiment with mass-produced ceramic tableware, graphic imagery, and machine-engraving techniques, making use of the studio’s technical facilities.

Working with found tableware, Nataliya chose to bring these objects into dialogue with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine’s Kherson region, where the war has severely limited access to basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Nataliya Zuban is LOORE Artist-in-Residence at Maajaam from 21.10-8.11.2026. This grant is funded by Estonian Ministry of Culture.

🇪🇪 Ukraina kunstniku residentuur: Nataliya Zuban

Maajaamas resideeruva Ukraina kunstniku Nataliya Zubani loominguline praktika keskendub mälule, lagunemisele ja ajalooliste sündmuste füüsilistele jälgedele. Tema loominguline lähenemine on juurdunud põletatud savis – materjalis, millega ta kasvas üles töötades Ukrainas, Opishne keraamikakülas.

Residentuuri ajal plaanib Nataliya katsetada masstoodetud keraamiliste lauanõude, graafiliste kujutiste ja masingraveerimise tehnikatega, kasutades stuudio tehnilisi võimalusi.

Leitud lauanõudega töötades otsustas Nataliya tuua need dialoogi Ukrainas Hersoni piirkonnas valitseva humanitaarkriisiga, kus sõda on tõsiselt piiranud ligipääsu esmavajalikele kaupadele, nagu toit ja ravimid.

Nataliya Zuban viibib Maajaamas LOORE kunstnikuresidentuuris 21. oktoobrist kuni 8. novembrini 2026.
Residentuuristipendiumi rahastab Eesti Kultuuriministeerium.

Join us on the 25th October at 2 PM for the closing event of Marco Manfredino and Alexander Petrounine’s residency at Maajaam. Marco and Alexander will present their research, material experiments, and prototype work exploring new possibilities for traditional wooden shingles in architecture.

Their project revisits the traditional craft of making wooden shingles, combining it with automation and technology to explore new possible interaction between humans, built structures and the natural environment.

Through a series of material experimentations and self-built prototypes, they investigate how these building elements can be transformed into kinetic systems that respond to environmental stimuli. Join us for an afternoon of chats, drinks and snacks. The event, accompanied by drinks and snacks, will host talks on this craft together with architects and specialists. Marco and Alexander’s collaboration started with the framework of the RuralArtConnect project.

🇪🇪 Avatud stuudio: „Second Skin: puidulaastu traditsioon uutmoodi“

Ootame osalema 25. oktoobril kell 14.00 Marco Manfredino ja Alexander Petrounine’i residentuuri lõpusündmusele Maajaamas. Marco ja Alexander tutvustavad oma uurimistööd, materjalikatsetusi ja prototüüpe, mille käigus otsitakse traditsiooniliste puidust katusepilbaste uusi kasutusvõimalusi arhitektuuris.

Nende projekt vaatleb traditsioonilist puidust puitlaastu kastusvõimalusi uue pilguga, ühendades selle automatiseerimise ja tehnoloogiaga. Eesmärk on uurida uusi võimalusi inimese, ehitatud keskkonna ja looduskeskkonna vaheliseks suhtluseks.

Materjalikatsetuste ja omavalmistatud prototüüpide abil uurivad kunstnikud, kuidas neid ehituselemente saaks muuta kineetilisteks süsteemideks, mis reageerivad keskkonnast tulenevatele stiimulitele.

Ootame vestlema ja võrgustuma.

From 21–25 October, Maajaam and the newly established Toots Studio will join the Estonian delegation at KIKK Festival. Coordinated by the Estonian Embassy in Brussels and the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the PRO programme aims to strengthen international connections and foster creative partnerships. We’ll also take part in a panel discussion on Friday, 23 October at 3.30 PM, exploring how the Baltic countries can strengthen their creative scenes through collaboration. If you’re attending KIKK Festival, we’d love to connect!

🇪🇪 Maajaam ja Toots Stuudio KIKK Festivalil Belgias, Namuris

21.–25. oktoobrini osalevad Maajaam ja vastloodud Toots Studio Eesti delegatsiooni koosseisus KIKK Festivalil.

Eesti Suursaatkond Brüsselis ja Eesti Kultuuriministeerium koordineerivad PRO-programmis osalemist, mille eesmärk on tugevdada rahvusvahelisi sidemeid ja edendada loomingulisi koostööprojekte.

Osaleme reedel, 23. oktoobril kell 15.30 Leedu kolleegidega paneeldiskussioonis, kus arutleme selle üle, kuidas Balti riigid saavad koostöö kaudu tugevdada oma loomesektorit.

We have news! Mari-Liis and Timo have brought their activities, artistic practices, and production skills together under the umbrella of Toots Studio, creating a shared framework for developing artistic projects and international collaboration.

Toots Studio is a cross-disciplinary practice that allows us to work across different media, scales, and contexts - from interactive artworks and public installations to exhibitions, spatial environments, and experimental projects.

While Maajaam is rooted in a specific place and community, providing a context for encounters, residencies, experimentation, and exchange, Toots Studio offers a framework for developing and realising our own artistic work across different locations and contexts.

We see this as an exciting new chapter and an opportunity to expand our creative practice.

🇪🇪 Toots Studio - Timo ja Mari-Liisi ühine kollektiiv

Toots Stuudio on Mari-Liisi ja Timo uus ühine kollektiiv, mis loob ühise raamistiku kunstiprojektide arendamiseks ja rahvusvaheliseks koostööks. Kui Maajaam on juurdunud kindlas paigas ja kogukonnas, pakkudes keskkonda kohtumisteks, residentuurideks, katsetamiseks ja kogemuste vahetamiseks, siis Toots Studio loob raamistiku meie enda kunstilise loomingu arendamiseks ja elluviimiseks erinevates kontekstides.

Töötame erinevate meediumide, mastaapide ja kontekstidega – alates interaktiivsetest kunstiteostest ja avaliku ruumi installatsioonidest kuni näituste, ruumiliste keskkondade ja eksperimentaalsete projektideni.

Loodame, et see uus peatükk võimaldab laiendada meie loomingulist tegevust.

In mid-summer, we were happy to host volunteers Marcelo Guajardo, Liv Hvass Kure and Faizun Naher (on a short research stay) at Maajaam. Volunteers split their time between helping around the residency and working on personal projects. During her stay, Liv explored eco-feminism and fossil fuel technologies for a sci-fi piece. Marcelo developed an interactive musical installation using vegetables and found objects, alongside creating the “Riga Chair” from a discarded Soviet-era piano and an abandoned chair frame.

If you are interested in volunteering at Maajaam, write to us at volunteer@maajaam.ee

If you are already planning for 2027, we are welcoming volunteers for the Wild Bits exhibition from April to September. Feel free to explore funding possibilities through programs like Erasmus+.

🇪🇪 Tutvu meie suviste vabatahtlikega

Sel suvel olid Maajaamas abiks toredad vabatahtlikud Marcelo Guajardo ja Liv Hvass Kure ning lühikesel uurimisreisil käis ka Faizun Naher. Vabatahtlikel palutakse poole oma tööpäevast pühendada Maajaamas assisteerimisele ning ülejäänud saab pühendada oma isiklikule loomingule. Liv uuris näiteks ulmeloo tarbeks ökofeminismi ja fossiilkütuste tehnoloogiate kohta. Marcelo arendas välja köögivilju ja leitud esemeid kasutava interaktiivse muusika-installatsiooni ning ehitas mahakantud nõukogudeaegsest klaverist ja vanast tooliraamist tooli “Riga”.

Kui oled huvitatud Maajaama vabatahtlikuks tulemisest, siis kirjuta volunteer@maajaam.ee

Kui pead plaane 2027. aastaks, siis aprill-september ootame vabatahtlikke näitusele “Metsikud bitid”. Uuri võimalusi näiteks ka Erasmus+ programmi kaudu.

In June and July, the Art Ii Biennial took place near Oulu, Finland, where we participated with the Wild Bits exhibition. Three of our works traveled to Finland: Heidundgreiss’s “Ups and Downs,” familiar to audiences since 2024, and two new works – one by Estonian artist Ivar Veermäe and another by the Danish-German artist duo August Honoré and Tobias Zimmer. These two new works will be presented to the Estonian audience next summer during the Wild Bits triennial at Maajaam. Set in the nature of Northern Finland, the exhibition welcomed over 3,500 visitors. 

🇪🇪 Art Ii biennaali kokkuvõte

Juunis ja juulis toimus Soomes Oulu lähedal Art Ii Biennaal, kus osalesime ka näitusega „Metsikud bitid“. Soome reisis kolm meie teost: 2024. aastast publikule tuttav Heidundgreissi „Üles-alla“ ning kaks uut teost – Eesti kunstnikult Ivar Veermäelt ning Taani-Saksa kunstnikeduolt August Honoré ja Tobias Zimmer. Need kaks teost jõuavad Eesti publikuni järgmise aasta suvel Maajaamas toimuval „Metsikute bittide“ triennaalil. Põhja-Soome looduses toimunud näitust külastas üle 3500 inimese. 

“We didn’t start this production by whittling stories, but went straight to whittling wood ,” Kristel Zimmer and Liisa Saaremäel say in unison after completing a week-long residency at Maajaam in August. Zimmer operates at the intersection of scenography, video, performance, and writing, while Saaremäel focuses on performance, site-specific work, and acting. The purpose of the residency was to prepare for the artists’ first collaborative production, in which both serve as co-creators and performers. The production will premiere in March at the Von Krahl Theatre. Liisa and Kristel’s self-funded residency at Maajaam was supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

We have available spots in Maajaam for self-funded residency in January to April 2027.

🇪🇪 Liisa Saaremäel & Kristel Zimmer Maajaamas residentuuris 

“Seda lavastust ei alustanud me mitte lugude vestmisest, vaid läksime otse puidu vestmise juurde”, ütlevad nagu ühest suust Kristel Zimmer ja Liisa Saaremäel, kes resideerusid augustis Maajaamas nädalases residentuuris. Zimmer liigub stsenograafia, video, performance’i ja kirjutamise piirimail, Saaremäel keskendub performance’ile, kohaspetsiifilisele tööle ja näitlemisele. Residentuuri eesmärk oli teha ettevalmistusi kunstnike esimeseks koostöölavastuseks, kus mõlemad on nii töö autorid, kui ka etendajad. Lavastus esietendub märtsis Von Krahli Teatris. Liisa ja Kristeli tasulist residentuuri Maajaamas toetas Eesti Kultuurkapital.

Meil on veel vabu kohti Maajaama tasulistes residentuurides jaanuarist aprillini 2027.

This week Maajaam is heading to the Ars Electronica festival, and we’re planning a spontaneous get-together! Former and future artists-in-residence, collaborators, friends, and anyone curious about Maajaam are warmly welcome. We’ll bring along some drinks, and good vibes – join us to hang out, catch up, or make new connections!
Please register to help us to plan better and send you more info if needed. If you are not registered, you’re still welcome to join!

Time: Saturday, September 12, 14.00-16.00
Meeting point: Near Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz

🇪🇪 Meeldetuletus: kohtume Ars Electronical!

Sel nädalal on Maajaam Ars Electronica festivalil ning plaanime ühte spontaanset kokkusaamist! Soojalt on oodatud nii endised kui ka tulevased residentuurikunstnikud, koostööpartnerid, sõbrad ja kõik teised, kes Maajaama vastu huvi tunnevad. Võtame kaasa mõned joogid ja hea tuju – tule läbi, et muljetada, ühiselt aega veeta või uusi tutvusi luua!

Selleks et saaksime kohtumist mõnusalt planeerida ja lisainfot saata, palun registreeru allpool. Oled väga oodatud liituma ka ilma registreerumata!

Kuna: Laupäev, 12. september, 14.00-16.00
Kohtumispaik: Lentose kunstimuuseumi juures

Maajaam is heading to the Ars Electronica festival in September, and we’re planning a spontaneous get-together! Former and future artists-in-residence, collaborators, friends, and anyone curious about Maajaam are warmly welcome. We’ll bring along some drinks, and good vibes – join us to hang out, catch up, or make new connections!

Ars Electronica Festival in Linz: September 9–13
Sign up below to get the details about the Maajaam meet-up.

🇪🇪 Kohtume Ars Electronical?!

Maajaam läheb septembris festivalile Ars Electronica ning plaanime korraldada ühe spontaanse kogunemise. Ootame külla nii endisi kui ka tulevasi (residentuuri)kunstnikke, koostööpartnereid, sõpru ja kõiki teisi, kes Maajaama vastu huvi tunnevad. Saame kokku, et juttu puhuda või uusi kontakte luua!

Ars Electronica festival Linzis: 9.–13. september 
Registreeru, kui soovid infot kogunemise täpse aja ja koha kohta.

Preparations for the outdoor technological art exhibition Wild Bits 2027 are in full swing! This summer, Indian artist Shailesh BR spent his residency at Maajaam developing his work, while Ukrainian artists Marharyta Zhurunova & Bohdan Lokatyr visited to carry out preparatory work. German artist Fabian Knecht scouted the landscape for the perfect site, and in August we are excited to welcome Polish duo Stanisław MacLeod & Matylda Wolwowicz for their residency.

The Wild Bits triennial will open at the end of May 2027. Be sure to save the date and add a visit to your summer plans!

🇪🇪  “Metsikud bitid” 2027 teosed valmimas

Ettevalmistused tehnoloogilise kunsti vabaõhunäituse „Metsikud bitid” 2027 jaoks käivad täie hooga. Sel suvel käisid Maajaamas residentuuris oma teost ette valmistamas India kunstnik Shailesh BR ja ettevalmistavat tööd käisid tegemas Ukraina kunstnikud Marharyta Zhurunova & Bohdan Lokatyr. Teose jaoks sobiva asukoha luurel käis ka Saksa kunstnik Fabian Knecht ning augustis ootame residentuuri veel Poola duot Stanisław MacLeod & Matylda Wolwowicz.

Avame “Metsikute bittide” triennaali 2027 aasta mai lõpus. Pange näitusekülastus kindlasti oma tuleva suve plaanidesse kirja!

V2_, an interdisciplinary centre for art and media technology based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has published a book titled “Off-Grid” compiled by Katažyna Jankovska. The publication brings together stories of protest infrastructures, DIY practices, and self-sustaining research capsules. The book moves across rural art institutions,  repurposed power plants, exhibitions curated within forests and farmlands, and the early digital networks of the 1990s to explore what autonomy means in our fragile, interconnected world. The book includes an interview with Maajaam’s organisers Mari-Liis Rebane and Timo Toots.

🇪🇪 Maajaam ja iseorganiseeruvad kunstipraktikad raamatus „Off-Grid“

Hollandis tegutsev interdistsiplaarne kunsti ja tehnoloogia keskus V2_ andis välja Katažyna Jankovska koostatud raamatu pealkirjaga “Off-Grid”. Väljaanne on kokku koondanud lood protesti-infrastruktuuridest, DIY-praktikatest, isetoimivatest uurimiskapslitest. Raamat rändab läbi maal tegutsevate kunstiinstitutsioonide, hüljatud elektrijaamade, metsadesse ja põldudele kureeritud näituste ja 90ndate varajaste digitaalsete võrgustike, et uurida, mida tähendab autonoomia meie haavatavas ja ühendatud maailmas. Raamatust leiab intervjuu Maajaama eestvedajate Mari-Liis Rebase ja Timo Tootsiga.

The summer months kept pulling Maajaam back to our southern neighbors in Latvia. In Kurzeme, our Latvian partners from Savvaļa hosted a meeting for the RuralArtConnect project, where we gathered with the participating artists to reflect on and celebrate the end of our workshop based residencies. As part of Riga Contemporary, we took part in the Art&Tech panel. Maajaam is also a partner in the RIXC-led project SensUs Art Platform: Shaping Symbiotic Futures, which builds a Baltic–Nordic network of artists exploring sustainable art practices and symbiosis-based approaches through the creative lens of “climatic imagination.” As part of the project, we travelled to Latvia to collect audiovisual material for the SensUs Art Platform.

🇪🇪 Naabritel külas!

Suvekuud on viinud Maajaama mitmel korral Lätti. Kuramaal toimus projekti RuralArtConnect kohtumine, kus saime koos partneri Savvaļa ja projektis osalenud kunstnikega teha kokkuvõtted ja panna toimunud õpi-residentuuridele väärika punkti. Riga Contemporary kunstimessil astusime üles Art&Tech paneelis. Lisaks sai alguse RIXC juhitud projekt „SensUs Art Platform: Shaping Symbiotic Futures“, mis loob Balti- ja Põhjamaade kunstnike võrgustiku, et uurida säästvaid kunstipraktikaid ning sümbioosil põhinevaid lähenemisviise läbi „kliimafantaasia“ loova vaatenurga. Projekti raames reisisime Lätti, et koguda SensUs kunstiplatvormi jaoks audiovisuaalset materjali.

The Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art and the LOORE network invite emerging Estonian visual artists to apply for two-week creative residencies (including Maajaam). The aim of this pilot project is to support early-career artists during the transition period following graduation. The program is open to visual artists living in or connected to Estonia who, as of July 1, 2026, are within five years of graduating from a bachelor’s, master’s, or other formal degree program in a creative field. Up to ten young artists will be selected to participate in the two-week residency, with a residency fee of 1000€ (gross).

Application deadline: August 3rd

🇪🇪 Noored Eesti kunstnikud, ootame residentuuri!

Eesti Kaasaegse Kunsti Arenduskeskus ja LOORE võrgustik kutsuvad noori Eesti visuaalkunstnikke kandideerima kahenädalastesse loovresidentuuridesse (sh Maajaama). Pilootprojekti eesmärk on toetada alustavaid kunstnikke kõrgkooli lõpetamise järgsel üleminekuperioodil. Programm on suunatud Eestis elavatele või Eestiga seotud visuaalkunstnikele, kellel on bakalaureuse- või magistriõppe või muu looveriala tasemeõppe lõpetamisest 1. juuli 2026 seisuga möödunud kuni viis aastat. Programmi valitakse kuni kümme noort kunstnikku, kellel on võimalus osaleda kahenädalases residentuuris, osalemise eest tasu 1000 eurot bruto.

Kandideerimise tähtaeg: 3. august

Timo Toots’ work “Neural Nectar” has been selected for the Istanbul Digital Art Festival. Since its founding in 2020, it has become the most significant meeting point for technology and art in the region. This year’s festival focuses on the role of artificial intelligence in creativity and storytelling, bringing together creators from around the world. In Estonia, the same work can be seen until August 9th at Kumu Art Museum as part of the exhibition “Triumph of Galatea: Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”

The festival takes place from June 3–7.

🇪🇪 „Neuronektar“ reisib Istanbuli

Timo Tootsi teos „Neuronektar“ on valitud Istanbul Digital Art Festivalile. Tegemist on Türgi rahvusvahelise digitaalkunsti festivaliga, mis on alates asutamisest 2020. aastal kujunenud piirkonna olulisimaks tehnoloogia ja kunsti kohtumispaigaks. Tänavune festival keskendub tehisintellekti rollile loovuses ja lugude jutustamises, tuues kokku tipptasemel loojad üle maailma. Eestis on sama teost võimalik näha kuni 9. augustini KUMUs näitusel “Galatha triumf. Kunst tehisaru ajastul”.

Festival toimub 3.–7. juunini.

In early June, the Wild Bits team will travel to Finland to present our satellite exhibition at the Art Ii Biennial. Taking place in Northern Finland, the event is part of the European Capital of Culture Oulu 2026 programme. This year’s theme is “Solastalgia”, co-curated by Heta Kaisto. Our contribution features three works by the following artists: heidundgriess, August Honoré & Tobias Zimmer and Ivar Veermäe. Our participation in the biennial is supported by KulttuuriKauppila, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Art Ii Biennial takes place from June 11–July 31.

🇪🇪 Bittide satelliit maandub Art Ii biennaalil

Juuni alguses reisib „Metsikute bittide“ meeskond Soome, et viia oma satelliitnäitus Art Ii biennaalile. Põhja-Soomes toimuv sündmus kuulub Euroopa kultuuripealinn Oulu 2026 programmi ning näituse teemaks on “Solastalgia”, mille kaaskuraator on Heta Kaisto. Meie poolt jõuavad näitusele kolm teost järgmistelt kunstnikelt: heidundgriess, August Honoré & Tobias Zimmer ning Ivar Veermäe. „Metsikute bittide” osalemist Soome näitusel toetavad KulttuuriKauppila, Eesti Kultuuriministeerium ning Eesti Kultuurkapital.

Art Ii biennaal toimub 11. juunist–31. juulini.

Maajaam is hosting Rita Elvira Adamo – an architect and the founder of the Italian creative network La Rivoluzione delle Seppie. She is visiting us through the **Creative FLIP **Ambassadors of Good Practice exchange program to learn more about our work. The aim of her visit is to discuss spatial practices and community-based research, while exchanging experiences on how to foster regional development through creativity.

🇪🇪 FLIP Ambassadors of Good Practice külaline

Maajaamas on külas Rita Elvira Adamo – arhitekt ja Itaalia loovvõrgustiku La Rivoluzione delle Seppie asutaja. Ta viibib siin Creative FLIP’i Ambassadors of Good Practice vahetusprogrammi kaudu, et tutvuda meie tegemistega. Külastuse eesmärk on arutleda ruumipraktikate ja kogukonnapõhise uurimistöö teemadel ning vahetada kogemusi, kuidas loovuse abil piirkondlikku elu edendada.

Timo Toots and Mari-Liis Rebane have opened their first collaborative exhibition, titled “Floral Atlas,” at Kogo Gallery in Tartu. The exhibition brings together an installation by Timo Toots (and the bees of Maajaam), which maps flowering plants from the lush and vibrant meadows of Southern Estonia, and an audio work by Mari-Liis Rebane, which draws attention to flowering species that have now disappeared from nature.

The exhibition is open until June 6th. Visit us at Kogo!
The gallery is open Wed–Fri, 12:00–18:00, and Sat, 12:00–16:00.

🇪🇪 Näitus „Õieatlas” Kogo galeriis

Timo Toots ja Mari-Liis Rebane avasid Tartus, Kogo galeriis oma esimese ühise näituse pealkirjaga „Õieatlas”. Näitusel saavad kokku Timo Tootsi (ja Maajaama mesilaste) installatsioon, mis kaardistab õistaimi Lõuna-Eesti külluslikelt ja elujõulistelt aasadelt ja Mari-Liis Rebase audioteos, mis juhib tähelepanu õitsvatele liikidele, kes on nüüdseks loodusest kadunud.

Näitus on avatud kuni 6. juunini. Mingem Kogosse kogema!
Galerii on avatud K–R, 12.00 –18.00, L, 12.00–16.00.

This year’s Wild Bits open call brought together 208 unique proposals, reflecting the high level of creativity and diverse approaches of the applicants. The competition was tough, and the curatorial team has selected five projects to be developed in residence this summer: Stanisław MacLeod & Matylda Wolwowicz (PL), Shailesh BR (IN), Marharyta Zhurunova & Bohdan Lokatyr (UA), Experimental Setup (AT) and Ivar Veermäe (EE).

These works will be presented to the public at the Wild Bits 2027 exhibition!

🇪🇪 „Metsikute bittide” uued kunstnikud!

Selleaastane „Metsikute bittide” avatud kutsung tõi kokku 208 omanäolist ideekavandit, mis peegeldasid osalejate loovust ja väga eriilmelisi lähenemisi. Konkurss oli tihe ja kuraatoritiim sõelus neist välja viis projekti, mida kunstnikud sel suvel residentuuris arendama hakkavad: Stanisław MacLeod & Matylda Wolwowicz (PL), Shailesh BR (IN), Marharyta Zhurunova & Bohdan Lokatyr (UA),  Experimental Setup (AT), Ivar Veermäe (EE)

Teosed jõuavad publiku ette „Metsikute bittide“ 2027. aasta näitusel!

During winter months Ola Lewczyk is volunteering in Maajaam. Ola is a talented artist working with beeswax. Check out their homepage and Instagram.

As there is less work outdoors, Ola is helping with production of Timo’s new artwork Neural Nectar that is partly made of beeswax as well. They have been melting the beeswax from the last summer, creating casting molds and casting sculptures. Come to see the results in KUMU! Thank you Ola for all the help!

🇪🇪 Vabatahtlik Ola Lewczyk

Talvekuudel on Maajaamas vabatahtlikuna abiks Ola Lewczyk. Ola on andekas kunstnik, kes töötab mesilasvahaga. Tutvu tema kodulehega ja vaata põnevat Instagramist.

Kuna välitöid on praegu vähem, aitab Ola Timo uue teose „Neuronektar“ valmimisel, mis koosneb samuti osaliselt mesilasvahast. Nad on sulatanud eelmise suve mesilasvaha, valmistanud vorme ja valanud skulptuure. Tulemust näeb KUMUs! Aitäh Olale kogu abi eest!

Timo Toots is preparing for the international group exhibition “Triumph of Galatea”, opening at KUMU Art Museum on February 13. Curated by Anders Härm, the exhibition explores the transformations and developments of human experience in culture and society in response to the rise of artificial intelligence and new technologies. New artwork Neural Nectar is currently being made in Maajaam. Exciting times!

Save the date: opening on February 13, 2026

🇪🇪 Timo uus teos Neuronektar KUMUs

Timo Toots valmistub rahvusvaheliseks grupinäituseks „Galatea triumf“, mis avatakse KUMU kunstimuuseumis 13. veebruaril. Näituse kuraator on Anders Härm ja see vaatleb inimkogemuse muutumisi ja arenguid kultuuris ja ühiskonnas seoses tehisaru ja uute tehnoloogiate pealetungiga. Uus teos “Neuronektar” on just praegu valmimas Maajaamas. Põnevad ajad!

Pane kalendrisse: avamine 13. veebruar 2026

CO-ORDINATES on kasvav residentuuride, institutsioonide ja artist-run projektiruumide võrgustik, mida kaasrahastab Euroopa Liidu programm Creative Europe. Võrgustikku ühendab ökoloogilise heaolu väärtustamine, mille kaudu edendatakse kriitilist mõtlemist, kohaspetsiifilist kunstiloomet ja tegutsemist ja ruumilist eksperimenteerimist.

Liikmed: Maajaam (Eesti), Savvaļa (Läti), Cove Park (Šotimaa), Los Angeles (Saksamaa), Panorama (Itaalia). Platvormi arendaja ja koordineerija on Kemmler Foundation.

🇪🇪 Maajaam on osa CO-ORDINATES võrgustikust

CO-ORDINATES on kasvav residentuuride, institutsioonide ja artist-run projektiruumide võrgustik, mida kaasrahastab Euroopa Liidu programm Loov Euroopa. Võrgustikku ühendab ökoloogilise heaolu väärtustamine, mille kaudu edendatakse kriitilist mõtlemist, kohaspetsiifilist kunstiloomet ja tegutsemist ja ruumilist eksperimenteerimist.

Liikmed: Maajaam (Eesti), Savvaļa (Läti), Cove Park (Šotimaa), Los Angeles (Saksamaa), Panorama (Itaalia). Platvormi arendaja ja koordineerija on Kemmler Foundation.

Maajaam invites applications from Ukrainian and Ukraine-based artists and art professionals affected by the war. The Open Call offers seven 7-week residencies hosted by members of the Estonian Creative Residencies Network LOORE between March and October 2026. Participating residencies: Estonian Literary Society, KORDON, Kullaaugu, Loovlinnak, Maajaam, Narva Art Residency, and Tartu Artists’ Union. The project is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

Deadline: January 8, 2026
Residency period: September – October, 2026

🇪🇪 Avatud konkurss ukraina kunstnikele

Maajaam kuulutab välja avatud konkursi Ukraina ja Ukrainas tegutsevatele kunstnikele ning kunsti- ja kultuurivaldkonna professionaalidele, keda on mõjutanud sõda Ukrainas. Programmi raames pakutakse seitse 7-nädalast residentuuri, mis toimuvad märtsist oktoobrini 2026 Eesti loomeresidentuuride võrgustiku LOORE liikmete juures. Programmis osalevad: Eesti Kirjanduse Selts, Kordon, Kullaaugu residentuur, Pärnu Loovlinnak, Maajaam, Narva Kunstiresidentuur ja Tartu Kunstnike Liit. Projekti toetab Eesti Kultuuriministeerium.

Tähtaeg: 8. jaanuar 2026
Residentuur: september – oktoober 2026

Summer 2027 marks the return of Wild Bits: a boundary-pushing exhibition where technology meets nature in the wide-open spaces of Maajaam. We are seeking installations, interventions, or process-based works that fit into a natural landscape and explore the human condition in today’s technological society. We welcome both new site-specific proposals and existing works that align with the exhibition theme and can be adapted to a natural environment. The open call is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Deadline: January 31, 2026
Residency period: June 15 – July 5, 2026 or August 17 – September 9, 2026

🇪🇪 “Metsikud bitid” 2027 konkurss!

Suvi 2027 toob Maajaama tagasi “Metsikud bitid” – piire nihutava näituse, kus tehnoloogia kohtub loodusega. Otsime avatud konkursi kaudu installatsioone, sekkumisi või protsessipõhiseid töid, mis sobiksid loodusmaastikule ja mis uuriksid inimese seisundit tänapäeva tehnoloogilises ühiskonnas. Oodatud on nii uute kohaspetsiifiliste teoste ideed kui ka varem tehtud teosed, mis sobituvad näituse teemaga ja mida saab kohandada looduskeskkonda. Avatud konkurssi toetab Eesti Kultuurkapital.

Tähtaeg: 31. jaanuar 2026
Residentuur: 15. juuni – 5. juuli või 17. august – 9. september 2026

This autumn, Maajaam is heading into exciting international meetings and events. We’ll be sharing our experiences and exploring new avenues for collaboration.

• 3rd–7th of September: We’ll be attending the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, to engage with the latest developments at the intersection of artistic vision, technological innovation, and social thought.
• 18th of September: We’ll be presenting our experience with the “Wild Bits” exhibition at the Tartu 2024 Culture Compass discussion titled “ECoC as a Launchpad for international cooperation”, focusing on cultural collaboration beyond major cities.
• 18th of October: We’ll participate in the RIXC Art and Science Festival Plants Intelligence in Riga, taking place from 16th until 18th of October at the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, the new K-2 building of the Latvian Academy of Arts, and the RIXC Gallery.

If you’ll be there too – come say hi!

🇪🇪 Maajaam siin ja seal!

Sügisel ootavad Maajaama ees mitmed rahvusvahelised kohtumised ja osalused välissündmustel – jagame oma kogemusi ning otsime uusi koostöösuundi.

• 3.–7. septembril osaleme Linzis Ars Electronica festivalil, et jälgida arengusuundi ja luua kontakte dünaamilises valdkonnas, kus kohtuvad kunstiline visioon, tehnoloogiline innovatsioon ja sotsiaalne mõtlemine.
• 18. septembril jagame “Metsikute bittide” kogemust Tartu 2024 Kultuurikompassi arutelul „Kultuuripealinn – rahvusvahelise koostöö hüppelaud“. Räägime kultuurikoostöö võimalustest väljaspool suurlinnu.
• 18. oktoobril osaleme Riias RIXC kunsti ja teaduse festivalil Plants Intelligence, mis toimub 16.–18. oktoobrini Kim? Kaasaegse Kunsti Keskuses, Läti Kunstiakadeemia uues hoones K-2 ning RIXC galeriis.

Kui oled ka kohal – tule astu ligi!

Maajaam has been chosen to join the Creative FLIP good practices network – a programme that brings together creative initiatives based outside major cities. The network aims to foster knowledge exchange and the sharing of experiences, offering cultural and creative organisations the opportunity to visit Maajaam, learn about our work, and explore possibilities for collaboration and community-based solutions.

If you know a cultural organisation that might be interested in learning from Maajaam’s experience, applications are open until 7th of September 2025.

🇪🇪 Maajaam on valitud Creative FLIP’i heade praktikate saadikuks

Maajaam on valitud Creative FLIP programmi heade praktikate võrgustikku, mis toob kokku loomevaldkonna algatusi väljaspool suurlinnu. Võrgustiku eesmärk on toetada teadmiste vahetust ja kogemuste jagamist – see tähendab, et teistel kultuuri- ja loomeorganisatsioonidel on võimalus Maajaama külastada, tutvuda meie tegemistega ning arutada koostöövõimalusi ja kogukonnapõhiseid lahendusi.

Kui tead mõnda kultuuriorganisatsiooni, keda võiks huvitada Maajaama kogemus, siis kandideerimine on avatud kuni 7. septembrini 2025.

In July, we welcomed art enthusiasts once again to experience seven works from last year’s major exhibition, along with three brand new “Wild Bits” installations.
Huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers and generous supporters – this wild experience was only possible with your help!
The next chance to see “Wild Bits” in person will be in the summer of 2027. If you missed it this time, not to worry – all three new works will be part of the next edition as well.

Artists, stay tuned on our channels – the next “Wild Bits” open call is coming this winter!

🇪🇪 “Metsikud bitid” miniversioon sai kokku pakitud

Juulis võõrustasime taas kunstihuvilisi, kes said näha seitset eelmise aasta suurnäituselt tuttavat teost ja kolme täiesti uut “Metsikute bittide” installatsiooni. Suur tänu meie ägedatele vabatahtlikele ja toetajatele – teie abiga sai see metsik kogemus teoks!
Järgmine võimalus “Metsikuid bitte” oma silmaga näha on 2027. aasta suvel. Kui sel korral ei jõudnud, siis teadke, et kõik kolm uut teost jõuavad ka sinna.

Kunstnikud, hoidke meie kanalitel silm peal – talvel kuulutame välja järgmise “Metsikute bittide” konkursi!

RuralArtConnect is a collaborative initiative between Maajaam and Savvaļa aimed at fostering artistic communities in rural regions.
The second workshop at Maajaam “Drawing with Sound, Painting with Light”, will be led by American sound artist and instrument builder Derek Holzer. Workshop explores the intersection of sound and light through hands-on experimentation with audio synthesis and laser projection.
The call is open to three artists from Southern Estonia and three artists from the Vidzeme/Kurzeme region of Latvia. The project is co-funded by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.

Deadline: 11th of August, 2025
Workshop dates: 29th of September - 5th of October & 27th of October - 2nd of November, 2025

🇪🇪 RuralArtConnect ootab osalejaid Eestist ja Lätist

RuralArtConnect on Maajaama ja Savvaļa koostööprojekt, mille eesmärk on edendada kunstikogukondi maapiirkondades.
Sügisel Maajaamas toimuvat residentuuri juhendab USA helikunstnik ja instrumentide ehitaja Derek Holzer ja selle pealkiri on “Drawing with Sound, Painting with Light”. Töötoas uuritakse heli ja valguse kokkupuutepunkte, katsetades füüsilise helisünteesi ja laserprojektsiooniga. 
Osalema oodatakse kolme Lõuna-Eesti ja kolme Läti kunstnikku Vidzeme/Kurzeme regioonist. Projekti kaasfinantseerivad Euroopa territoriaalse piiriülese koostöö (Interreg) Eesti-Läti programm 2021-2027 ja Eesti Kultuurkapital.

Tähtaeg: 11. august 2025
Töötuba toimub: 29. september - 5. oktoober & 27. oktoober - 2. november, 2025

We are looking for volunteers and interns to join the team of the “Wild Bits” exhibition this summer. Help is needed during the preparation period in June and for welcoming visitors from 11th to 27th of July. Volunteers will be responsible for keeping an eye on the artworks, providing information at the info desk, and running the café. Volunteers can stay in twin rooms at the Maajaam residency house and, in their free time, work on personal projects or enjoy summer. The volunteers’ pantry is stocked with daily basic food items. Hot summer days will be cooled with ice cream from Balbiino, and Härmavili will provide high-quality food mixes.

🇪🇪 Tule näitusetiimi vabatahtlikuks!

Ootame suveks “Metsikud bitid” näituse meeskonnaga liituma vabatahtlikke ja praktikante, kes aitaksid meid ettevalmistusperioodil juunis ning 11.-27. juulini ka külastajate vastuvõtmisel. Vabatahtlike ülesandeks on kunstiteostel silma peal hoida, infokioskis teavet jagada ning kohvikut pidada. Vabatahtlikud saavad elada Maajaama residentuurimaja kahestes tubades ja poole kohaga ka oma isiklike projektidega tegeleda või puhata. Vabatahtlike toidusahver on varustatud igapäevaste põhiliste toiduainetega. Kuumi suvepäevi jahutab jäätisega Balbiino ja varustab kvaliteetsete toidusegudega Härmavili.

On 20th to 21st of June, we’ll be in Cēsis, Latvia, participating in the Conversation festival Lampa alongside our partners Savvaļa, Ascendum, and the creative agency Kemmler Kemmler. Together we’ll be presenting a spatial installation developed from Andris Eglītis’ work “Lasītava”, complemented by a series of workshops. If you’re attending the festival, be sure to find us and say hello!

🇪🇪 Maajaam läheb Lätti Lampa arvamusfestivalile

20.-21. juunini oleme koos Savvaļa, Ascendumi ja loovagentuuriga Kemmler Kemmler Lätis Lampa arvamusfestivalil. Osaleme Lampal Andris Eglītise teosest “Lasītava” edasi arendatud ruumiinstallatsiooniga ja seda saatvate töötubadega. Kui juhtud festivalile, siis tule ja otsi meid ülesse!

Savvaļa has announced its upcoming RuralArtConnect residencies, focusing on rammed earth construction and pit-firing ceramics. The rammed earth residency will be mentored by Kaarel Kuusk and Maria Helena Luiga (kuidas.works), while the pit-firing ceramics residency will be guided by Marta Prēdele, Eike Eplik, Linda Zelta and Aleksejs Beļeckis. These summer residencies are open to applications from artists and art students based in Southern Estonia. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Deadline: 26th of May 2025

🇪🇪 Tampsavi ja puupõletuskeraamika residentuurid Savvaļas

Ka Savvaļa kuulutas äsja välja oma RuralArtConnect projekti residentuurid, mille fookuses on tampsaviehitus ja puupõletuskeraamika. Tampsaviehituse residentuuri mentorid on Kaarel Kuusk ja Maria Helena Luiga (kuidas.works). Puupõletuskeraamika residentuuri mentorid on Marta Prēdele, Eike Eplik, Linda Zelta, Aleksejs Beļeckis. Suvel toimuvatesse residentuuridesse on oodatud kandideerima just Lõuna-Eesti kunstnikud ja ka kunstitudengid. Kasutage head võimalust!

Tähtaeg: 26. mai 2025

RuralArtConnect is a collaborative initiative between Maajaam and Savvaļa aimed at fostering artistic communities in rural regions. Throughout 2025, the project will host four different workshops – two at Maajaam and two at Savvaļa.
The first residency at Maajaam, titled “More Effort, Some Function”, was mentored by Swedish designer, artist, and musician Leopold Inkapööl. During this residency camp, six artists – three from Southern Estonia and three from Latvia’s Vidzeme/Kurzeme regions – had the opportunity to create interactive installations or objects. The participating artists were Jaanus Kaasik, Krista Mölder, Ebrahim Bakhshayeshi, Kārlis Bogustovs, Kristaps Brīze and Pamela Butane.

Stay tuned to our channels for information on the upcoming autumn residency!

🇪🇪 Maajaama esimene RuralArtConnecti residentuur

RuralArtConnect on Maajaama ja Savvaļa koostööprojekt, mille eesmärk on edendada kunstikogukondi maapiirkondades. Projekti raames toimub aasta jooksul 4 erinevat töötuba, kaks neist Maajaamas ja kaks Savvaļas.
Esimene Maajaama residentuur kandis pealkirja “More Effort, Some Function” ja selle mentor oli Leopold Inkapööl. Residentuurilaagris said võimaluse interaktiivse installatsiooni või objekti luua kolm Lõuna-Eesti ja kolm Vidzeme/Kurzeme piirkonna kunstnikku: Jaanus Kaasik, Krista Mölder,  Ebrahim Bakhshayeshi, Kārlis Bogustovs, Kristaps Brīze ja Pamela Butane.

PS: Sügisel on tulekul ka teine residentuur-töötuba, sellest meie kanalites juba edaspidi!

The open call announced this spring received 157 submissions. The competition was fierce, and the exhibition’s curatorial team selected three projects. This June, we’re excited to welcome the following collectives to the Maajaam residency to develop their works: Andrew Melchior & Iris Voss (UK/PL), Alternative Systems (US/CN) and Tobias Zimmer & August Honoré (DE/DK). Their three new artworks will already be on view at Maajaam this summer!

🇪🇪 “Metsikute bittide” konkursi tulemused

Tänavu kevadel välja kuulutatud avatud kutsungile laekus 157 ideed. Konkurss oli tihe ja näituse kuraatoritiim valis välja kolm projekti. Ootame elevusega juunis Maajaama residentuuri oma teoseid arendama järgmiseid kollektiive: Andrew Melchior & Iris Voss (UK/PL), Alternative Systems (US/CN), Tobias Zimmer & August Honoré (DE/DK). Nende kunstnike loodud kolme uue teosega saab sel suvel Maajaamas ka juba tutvuda!

A reminder that you can also come to Maajaam for a self-funded residency. You can find the conditions and pricing via the link below. For a self-funded residency program there is no deadline, just send your request anytime. We are happy to create an official invitation to apply for funding.

Very good overview of funding opportunities for international artists’ residencies has been compiled by the Dutch platform TransArtist. Participation in artist residencies in the Nordic and Baltic countries is supported by Nordic Culture Point through its mobility program (next deadline: 31st of March).

🇪🇪 Residentuurivõimalused Maajaamas

Tuletame meelde, et Maajaama saab tulla ka tasulisse residentuuri, tingimused ja hinnakirja leiad allpool oleva lingi kaudu. Avaldusi võtame vastu jooksvalt ja saame omalt poolt koostada ka ametliku kutse, et saaksite rahastust küsida. Eesti kunstnike residentuurides osalemist toetab Eesti Kultuurkapital (järgmine tähtaeg: 20. mai).

We are currently looking for volunteers and interns to help with spring outdoor work at Maajaam from 21st-27th of April. Volunteers will have a bed in the residency house and will also have some time to work on their own personal projects part-time. Through the registration form, you can also express your interest in volunteering during the summer period.

🇪🇪 Tule aprillis Maajaama õuetööde vabatahtlikuks

Ootame registreeruma hetkel eelkõige Maajaama vabatahtlikke ja praktikante, kes aitaksid kevadiste välitöödega perioodil 21.-27. aprill. Vabatahtlikud saavad residentuurimajas ööbida ning poole kohaga ka oma isiklike projektidega tegeleda. Registreerimise vormi kaudu saab juba ka märku anda, kui soovid vabatahtlikuks tulla suveperioodil.

RuralArtConnect is a collaborative project by Maajaam and Savvaļa, aimed at strengthening art communities in rural areas. Over the course of a year, the project will host four different workshops – two at Maajaam and two at Savvaļa.
The first workshop at Maajaam, “More Effort, Some Function”, will be led by Leopold Inkapööl. Participants will have the opportunity to create an interactive installation or object, embracing experimentation, discovery, and playfulness – whether through humor or an unexpected approach.
The call is open to three artists from Southern Estonia and three artists from the Vidzeme/Kurzeme region of Latvia. The project is co-funded by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.

Deadline: 17th of March, 2025
Workshop dates: 7-13 April & 7-13 May, 2025

🇪🇪 RuralArtConnect ootab osalejaid Eestist ja Lätist

RuralArtConnect on Maajaama ja Savvaļa koostööprojekt, mille eesmärk on edendada kunstikogukondi maapiirkondades. Projekti raames toimub aasta jooksul 4 erinevat töötuba, kaks neist Maajaamas ja kaks Savvaļas.
Esimest töötuba Maajaamas juhendab Leopold Inkapööl ja selle pealkirjaks on “More Effort, Some Function”. Töötoa raames saavad osalejad võimaluse luua interaktiivse installatsiooni või objekti. Projekti juures on oluline katsetamis- ja avastamisrõõmu leidmine ning lähenemine võib olla humoorikas või mänguline.

Osalema oodatakse kolme Lõuna-Eesti ja kolme Läti kunstnikku Vidzeme/Kurzeme regioonist. Projekti kaasfinantseerivad Euroopa territoriaalse piiriülese koostöö (Interreg) Eesti-Läti programm 2021-2027 ja Eesti Kultuurkapital.

Tähtaeg: 17. märts 2025
Töötuba toimub:  7.-13. aprill & 7.-13. mai 2025

We are seeking installations, interventions, or process-based works that fit into a natural landscape and explore the human condition in today’s technological society. We welcome both new site-specific proposals and existing works that align with the exhibition theme and can be adapted to different environments. At least one selected project will be showcased not only at Maajaam but also in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland.

The open call is organised in partnership with Tartu 2024, Kultuurikauppila, and the Creative Europe cooperation project “SPACE: Sustainable Production for Artistic Communities in Europe.”

Deadline: 24th of March 24, 2025
Residency period: June-July 2025

🇪🇪 “Metsikute bittide” uus konkurss

Otsime avatud konkursi kaudu installatsioone, sekkumisi või protsessipõhiseid töid, mis sobiksid loodusmaastikule ja mis uuriksid inimese seisundit tänapäeva tehnoloogilises ühiskonnas. Oodatud on nii uute kohaspetsiifiliste teoste ideed kui ka varem tehtud teosed, mis sobituvad näituse teemaga ja mida saab kohandada erinevatesse looduskeskkondadesse. Vähemalt ühte valitud projektidest eksponeeritakse lisaks Maajaamale ka Soomes, Põhja-Pohjanmaal. Avatud konkursi partnerid on Tartu 2024, Kultuurikauppila, Euroopa Liidu Loov Euroopa koostööprojekt “SPACE: jätkusuutlik produktsioon kunstikogukondadele Euroopas”.

Tähtaeg: 24. märts 2025
Residentuur: juuni-juuli 2025

The end of last year and the start of this one brought a true wave of recognition for Maajaam! Otepää Municipality honored Maajaam with the “Art Act of the Year” award for the “Wild Bits” exhibition. The Estonian Ministry of Culture named Maajaam “Cultural Organiser of the Year.” The Estonian Cultural Endowment’s Fine and Applied Arts Commitee awarded Maajaam its grand prize for this year!
A huge thank you to the juries and to everyone who visited the exhibition last summer. We are also deeply grateful to all those who have contributed to Maajaam’s journey and to the success of “Wild Bits” – our supporters, families, and friends.

Once again, hooray and thank you!

🇪🇪 Metsik auhinnasadu

Maajaama tabas eelmise aasta lõpul ja uue alguses tõeline auhinnasadu! Otepää vald tunnustas Maajaama “Metsikute bittide” näituse eest aasta kunstitegu preemiaga, Eesti Kultuuriministeerium andis Maajaamale aasta kultuurikorraldaja tiitli ja Eesti Kultuurkapitali kujutava- ja rakenduskunsti sihtkapital komisjon pidas Maajaama selleaastase peapreemia vääriliseks!

Suured tänud komisjonidele ja neile, kes käisid suvel näitusel. Oleme tänulikud ka kõigile, kes on andnud oma panuse Maajaama tegemistesse ja “Metsikute bittide” näituse õnnestumisse, toetajatele, peredele ja sõpradele!

Veelkord hurraa ja aitäh!

As a private residency space, we are working towards becoming self-sustaining. We operate primarily from our own resources and currently do not receive any operational grants.

Maajaam is open for self-funded residencies. We encourage artists to seek funding from their local resources, and to support this process, we provide an official invitation letter, enabling individual artists to apply for financing opportunities. There is no specific deadline for this type of residency, as we accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. Individual artists or groups from all cultural fields are welcome to apply!

The third call for individual mobility of artists under Culture Moves Europe is currently open, with a deadline of November 30, 2024. More information is available here.
Estonian artists can apply for funding from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (Kultuurkapital), with a deadline of February 20, 2025.

Click here to view our residency opportunities and fees. If you’re interested in participating in our activities as a volunteer, click here for more info.

Over the autumn months, Maajaam welcomed three artists whose unique practices brought fresh perspectives to the intersection of art, nature, and technology. A British-Estonian composer-performer and notationist, Helena Atkins explored the potential of notation as an independent artistic practice. A multimodal artist from Australia, River Arumets utilized their residency to experiment with sound, clay, natural pigments, and plant materials. Flora Litchfield, an artist and sound therapist whose work integrates laser light, sound, and moving images, focused on field recordings, light installations, and her ongoing project exploring dreams and water.

Maajaam’s iconic spotted friend and conqueror of all hearts, Muuro, is now smiling down on us from above. This November, Muuro would have celebrated her 11th birthday. Muuro had countless friends, and we are so grateful that many of you helped extend his life even as a three-legged companion. From a lively, spotted ball of energy, he grew into a loving and loyal friend who bravely overcame all challenges.

You will always be dear to us, our friend with a small tail, three paws, and a big heart!

We are happy if you share your pictures and memories of Muuro with us: muuro@maajaam.ee

Our open air exhibition “Wild Bits”, which has been our main focus during the recent years, wrapped up this September. A huge thanks to everyone involved – artists, our incredible supporters, the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 team, and, of course, every single visitor who made the journey to our little corner of the world. The exhibition featured 15 artworks, 23 artists from 12 different countries, and it was kept alive by our 32 amazing and ever-smiling volunteers, who helped welcome 6739 visitors at our info kiosk.

Much love and endless thanks!

During 17th - 29th of September we will be dismantling the exhibition at Maajaam and we need some help! Depending on your abilities, we’ll find lighter or heavier physical tasks for you to do in the fresh air. We’ll provide basic food and accommodation. We prefer volunteers who can stay for 1 or 2 weeks, but feel free to reach out even if you can only come for a shorter period. Write to us wildbits@wildbits.ee

🇪🇪 Vajame abikäsi näituse mahavõtmiseks!

17.-29. septembrini võtame Maajaamas näitust maha ja vajame selleks abikäsi! Vastavalt võimetele leiame vabatahtlikele kergemat või raskemat füüsilist tööd värskes õhus. Meie poolt on lihtsamad toiduained ning pakume ka öömaja. Eelistame abilisi, kes saavad tulla 1 või 2 nädalaks, kuid anna endast siiski märku, kui soovid tulla lühemaks ajaks. Kirjuta meile wildbits@wildbits.ee

Over the last three years of gearing up for the “Wild Bits” exhibition, we’ve been capturing behind-the-scenes magic with artist interviews – and we are really proud of the outcome! The clips were directed and shot by the talented and visually sharp Epp Kubu, with an intro sound crafted by Mari-Liis Rebane and audio post-production by Rando Arand. Interviews were hosted by Marie Valgre and Kadri Lind. Now all 14 clips are live and ready to binge on our social media and YouTube. Check them out!

🇪🇪 “Metsikute bittide” dokumentaalid on valmis!

Nende kolme aasta jooksul, mil me “Metsikute bittide” näitust ette valmistasime, tegime jooksvalt kunstnikega ka intervjuusid. Oleme tulemuste üle väga uhked – klippide režissööriks ja operaatoriks on fantastiliselt andekas ja visuaalselt tundlik Epp Kubu. Sissejuhatava helikõlli on teinud Mari-Liis Rebane ning heli järeltöötluse Rando Arand. Intervjuud viisid läbi Marie Valgre ja Kadri Lind. Nüüdseks on kõik 14 klippi valmis ja neid saab näha meie sotsiaalmeedias või YouTube’s. Vaadakem!

In collaboration with the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center and the project “Kuko kuubis – Artists in Collections, Communities, and Collectives”, we have organised a monthly art bus trip. The art bus has brought visitors to the Maajaam “Wild Bits” exhibition and taken them to see various “Kuko kuubis” projects. Now, on 13th of September, the last art bus will be on the road. The bus will pick up art enthusiasts in Tallinn and Tartu, taking them first to Räpina, where they will see the installation by Ingrid Allik, Aigi Orav, Tiina Kaljuste, Kaisu Lundelin, Riikka Wesamaa and Martin Allik, and take a tour of the Räpina Paper Factory. After lunch in Räpina, the art bus will transport guests to explore the “Wild Bits”.

🇪🇪 Kunstibuss Tallinnast & Tartust

Oleme koostöös Eesti Kaasaegse Kunsti Arenduskeskuse ja projektiga “Kuko kuubis – kunstnikud kogudes, kogukondades ja kollektiivides” korraldanud igakuiselt ühe kunstibussi reisi. Kunstibuss on toonud Maajaama “Metsikute bittide” näitusele ja viinud vaatama erinevaid Kuko väljapanekuid. Nüüd 13. septembril on sõitmas viimane ühine kunstibuss. Buss võtab huvilised peale Tallinnast ja Tartust ning viib nad esmalt Räpinasse, kus vaadatakse Ingrid Alliku, Aigi Orava, Tiina Kaljuste, Kaisu Lundelini, Riikka Wesamaa ja Martin Alliku installatsiooni ja käiakse Räpina paberivabriku ekskursioonil. Peale lõunasööki Räpinas sõidutab kunstibuss metsikuid bitte avastama!

We are happy to offer guided tours during the final weeks of the exhibition. You can book a guided tour for your group – whether it’s a circle of friends, a school group, or a team of colleagues looking to enjoy some time together in nature. After the tour, you can enjoy a picnic or we can set up a proper long table for you amongst nature. The guided tour lasts about 1.5-2 hours and can accommodate up to 20 people.

🇪🇪 Tule tuurile!

Teeme hea meelega viimaste näituse nädalate jooksul ka giidituure. Giidituuri saad broneerida oma seltskonnale – olgu see siis sõpruskond, kooligrupp või kamp kolleege, kes tahavad end ühiselt looduses tuulutada. Peale tuuri saab Maajaamas ka piknikku pidada või suisa pika laua tellida. Teejuhiga tuur kestab umbes 1.5-2 tundi ja ühele tuurile mahub kuni 20 inimest.

On the final weekend of the exhibition, 14th–15th of September, we’re hosting a sound event “Wild Sounds”. Amid the domed landscape and artworks, you’ll experience additional sonic and performative interventions, delivering a fittingly wild finale to the exhibition. Special guests include Klemens Kohlweisi & Andreas Zißler (from the “Solar Critters” artist trio), Ekke Västrik, Aivar Tõnso, Jan Teevet, Henri Hütt & Algorütmid and Tõnis Koppel & Liisa Hirsch. Concerts and sound installations will unfold over two days, with a detailed schedule to be released on our social media. Entry to the event is included with the exhibition ticket. On 14th of September there is an artbus coming from Tallinn and Tartu, bus tickets here.

🇪🇪 Viimane näituse nädalavahetus “Metsikute helidega”

Viimasel näituse nädalavahetusel 14.-15. septembril toimub helisündmus “Metsikud helid”. Kuppelmaastiku ja teoste vahel leiavad aset täiendavad helilised ja performatiivsed sekkumised, mis annavad metsikule näitusele kohase metsiku lõppakordi. Erikülalised on Klemens Kohlweisi & Andreas Zißler (“Päikese olevuste” kunstnike-triost), Ekke Västrik, Aivar Tõnso, Jan Teevet, Henri Hütt & Algorütmid, Tõnis Koppel & Liisa Hirsch. Kontserdid ja heliinstallatsioonid toimuvad kahe päeva jooksul, täpsema ajakava ilmub meie sotsiaalmeedias. Sündmusele pääseb näituse piletiga. 14. septembril toob helisündmusele ka kunstibuss, bussipiletid siit.

Maajaam is participating in the Nordic-Baltic Lab “Performing Landscapes” in Copenhagen from 16th until 19th of August. The lab is held alongside the Metropolis Copenhagen summer performing arts program. Metropolis is organizing ongoing development activities for artists and professionals.

At the network meeting, discussions will take place around the framework of art-ecology relations in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Various art practices, curatorial approaches, and residency programs will be introduced, and scenarios for future collaboration between the Nordic countries and the Baltics will be developed.

🇪🇪 Maajaam läheb augustis Kopenhaagenisse Nordic Baltic Labile

Maajaam osaleb Kopenhaagenis 16.-19. augustil toimuval Nordic-Baltic Labil “Performing Landscapes”, mis toimub paralleelselt Metropolis Copenhageni etenduskunstide suvehooaja programmiga. Metropolis korraldab ka jooksvaid arendustegevusi kunstnikele ja professionaalidele.

Koostöövõrgustiku kohtumisel toimuvad arutelud Põhjamaade ja Baltikumi kunsti-ökoloogia suhete raamistiku ümber, tutvustatakse erinevaid kunsti-, kuraatori- ja residentuuripraktikaid ning luuakse stsenaariume edaspidise Põhjamaade ja Baltikumi koostöö osas.

Timo Toots’ art project Memopol was a machine that collected information about visitors and presented the data on a large-scale custom screen. Memopol won the Golden Nica prize in Ars Electronica in 2012. Memopol is now a discontinued art project, sawn into pieces not to function ever again. Pieces are shaped into light-boxes and they are ready to brighten up your walls! The profit from this sale goes to support Maajaam. We are in need of extra funding to cover the risen costs of construction.

🇪🇪 Osta tükike kunstiajalugu ja toeta Maajaama!

Timo Tootsi kunstiprojekt Memopol oli masin, mis kogus külastajate isiklikku infot ja kuvas andmeid suuremõõtmelisel ekraanil. Memopol võitis 2012. aasta Ars Electronica festivalil Golden Nica preemia. Nüüdseks on teos oma näituseelu lõpetanud ja tükkideks saetud. Tükkidest on valmistatud valguskastid, mis on valmis teie seinu ehtima. Tulu läheb Maajaama toetuseks – vajame tuge, et katta varasemat ehitushindade tõusu.

We offer guided tours at the “Wild Bits” exhibition. We have already welcomed many groups, ranging from colleagues and youth groups to bachelorette parties. If you wish to come on a wild adventure with your friends, coworkers, or jubilee guests, let us know. After the tour, you can enjoy a picnic or we can set up a proper long table for you amongst nature. The guided tour lasts about 1.5 hours and can accommodate up to 20 people.

🇪🇪 Tule sõprade, kolleegide või sugulastega “Metsikute bittide” tuurile

Teeme näitusel “Metsikud bitid” ka giidiituure. Meid on juba külastanud paljud toredad seltskonnad kolleegidest, malevanoorte ja pruudipeoni välja. Kui soovid ka oma sõprade, töökaaslaste või hoopis juubelikülalistega metsikule rajale tulla, siis anna endast märku. Peale tuuri saab Maajaamas ka piknikku pidada või suisa pika laua tellida. Teejuhiga tuur kestab umbes 1,5h ja ühele tuurile mahub kuni 20 inimest.

This weekend is the annual Open Farms Day, with a record number of farms inviting visitors to learn about their way of life. At Maajaam, you can visit the “Wild Bits” exhibition, and tickets for the exhibition are discounted for the Open Farms Day 😉

We will have tours of Maajaam’s buildings and guided exhibition tours that are included with the exhibition ticket. On both days there will be a cyanotype workshop, and on Sunday, an experimental trolley concert will happen. Maajaam and “Wild Bits” are open on 20th and 21st of July from 10:00-19:00.

🇪🇪 Avatud talude päev Maajaamas

Sel nädalavahetusel toimub iga-aastane Avatud talude päev, kus rekordiliselt palju talusid ootab oma eluoluga tutvuma. Maajaamas saab külastada “Metsikute bittide” näitust ja Avatud talude puhul on näituse piletid soodushinnaga 😉

Kavas on Maajaama hoonete tuurid ning giidituurid, millega saab liituda näituse piletiga. Mõlemil päevil toimub tsüanotüüpia töötuba ning pühapäeval leiab aset eksperimentaalne trollikontsert. Maajaam ja “Metsikud bitid” on avatud 20.-21. juulil kella 10.00-19.00.

🇪🇪 Oled väga oodatud koos kaaslase (või miks mitte ka terve perega) tehnoloogilise kunsti vabaõhunäituse “Metsikud bitid” avamisele, mis toimub Maajaamas laupäeval 25. mail.

Avamisel ootavad külalisi 15 teost, 3 kilomeetrit kunsti, 20 hektarit loodust, pidulised hetked ja mõned performatiivsed üllatuslikud etteasted!

Näituse väravad avanevad kell 15.00, programm algab kell 16.00.
Praktilise info näituse kohta leiad siit.

Palun anna meile teada enda tulekust (või mittetulekust) hiljemalt 17. maiks.

Kutse kehtib avamissündmusel. Muul ajal sisenemine piletiga. Piletid müügil Piletilevis.

Pista käbi pikslisse ja metsikute bittideni!

You are warmly invited to the opening of the technological art outdoor exhibition Wild Bits, together with your co-adventurer (or why not the whole family). Exhibition is taking place at Maajaam on Saturday, May 25th.

This international exhibition, part of the main program of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, which we have been preparing for several long years, finally reaches the audience. The opening event will feature 15 works, 3 kilometers of art, 20 hectares of nature, celebratory moments, and some performative surprise acts!

The gates of the exhibition will open at 15:00, and the program will kick off at 16:00. Practical information about the visit can be found here.

Please let us know about your attendance (or absence) no later than May 17th.

The invitation is valid for the opening event. At other times, entry requires a ticket. Tickets are available for purchase on Piletilevi.

Join us for the hunt for the wild bits!

During January, Maajaam was happy to host a residency aimed at creating a hybrid installative electro-acoustic music instrument. Under direction of composer Monika Mattiesen new instrument and special composition will be created. The world premiere will take place on 23rd August 2024 in Cologne, Germany, during the Musikfabrik Studio concert series. The team creating the instrument consists of designer Leopold Inkapööl, sound designer Kaarel Kuusk and artist Raul Keller.

We received 14 proposals for our architectural residency project, Wild Space. After careful consideration, we’re thrilled to announce that the winning idea comes from two young and talented Estonian architects – Johan Kirsimäe and Markus Varkki. Johan and Markus will be joining us in Maajaam for an architectural residency in April to design a recreational area and an information desk for the Wild Bits exhibition. Let’s cheer for them! You can see their creation during the Wild Bits exhibition from 25th of May until 15th of September.

We are currently welcoming volunteers and interns to join our exhibition team this spring and summer to assist us in preparing and installing the exhibition, as well as aiding in hosting our guests. The preparatory work will take place from March to May, with the exhibition scheduled to run from 25th of May to 15th of September, 2024. During the spring, we require additional muscle power, while during the summer, we need attentive individuals who can help ensure the well-being of our guests and artworks. If you’re interested in gaining experience in organising an international art project, enjoy hands-on work, appreciate being immersed in nature, and value collaboration with various artists, then this call is for you!

During January, Maajaam was happy to host a residency aimed at creating a hybrid installative electro-acoustic music instrument. Under direction of composer Monika Mattiesen new instrument and special composition will be created. The world premiere will take place on 23rd August 2024 in Cologne, Germany, during the Musikfabrik Studio concert series. The team creating the instrument consists of designer Leopold Inkapööl, sound designer Kaarel Kuusk and artist Raul Keller.

We received 14 proposals for our architectural residency project, Wild Space. After careful consideration, we’re thrilled to announce that the winning idea comes from two young and talented Estonian architects – Johan Kirsimäe and Markus Varkki. Johan and Markus will be joining us in Maajaam for an architectural residency in April to design a recreational area and an information desk for the Wild Bits exhibition. Let’s cheer for them! You can see their creation during the Wild Bits exhibition from 25th of May until 15th of September.

We are currently welcoming volunteers and interns to join our exhibition team this spring and summer to assist us in preparing and installing the exhibition, as well as aiding in hosting our guests. The preparatory work will take place from March to May, with the exhibition scheduled to run from 25th May to 15th September, 2024. During the spring, we require additional muscle power, while during the summer, we need attentive individuals who can help ensure the well-being of our guests and artworks. If you’re interested in gaining experience in organising an international art project, enjoy hands-on work, appreciate being immersed in nature, and value collaboration with various artists, then this call is for you!

Maajaam was happy to host another Magic Carpets art residency “Celestial Bodies”, curated by Ann Mirjam Vaikla, that is part of the Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture’s programme. This time four artists Eglė Šimėnaitė, Juss Heinsalu, Marit Mihklepp and Piibe Kolka were working for three weeks in Maajaam and Tartu Observatory in Tõravere. The residency was focused on the dialogue between the artists and the space centre’s scientists – and how that dialogue influenced artists’ creative work. In parallel artists-in-residency were researching folklore connected to astronomy that used to be an important part of the old Estonians way of living.

Within the framework of the joint project supported by the Nordic Culture Point, 8 members of the Estonian Creative Residencies Network organise residencies for Ukrainian artists in Estonia. Maajaam is hosting two lovely Ukrainian artists Diana Derii and Andrii Kovalevskyi right now.

On 8th of February, there will be a public event at Kai Art Center auditorium in Tallinn at 16.00, where you are welcome to join for public presentations and networking.

At the end of last year a traditional annual exhibition of Tartu art was opened in the Tartu Art House. During the opening, the winner of this year’s Ado Vabbe art award was announced. This time Maajaam founder and artist Timo Toots received the award! Congrats, Timo!

Timo takes part of the exhibition with his new work titled “SOS”. We recommend visiting the exhibition and checking out art that was made in Tartu during the previous year. 

Annual exhibition in Tartu Art House is open until 28th of January 2024. 

Maajaam is announcing an open call Wild Space to find an architectural design for the Wild Bits exhibition information point and recreation area.

We are looking for a creative solution that would provide an enjoyable leisure area for the visitors, and would also give them a unique spatial experience and would relate to the exhibition’s technological viewpoint. Team of up to 4 people can apply and propose the design they want to build during the residency. 

Residency dates: 22 April - 12 May 2024
Deadline: 21 January 2024

Maajaam has some vacant spaces for volunteers and artists during winter months from January to March 2024. We are looking for volunteers and interns to help us run the farm as it takes a lot of hands to keep things running smoothly. Volunteers get a private bedroom in the residency house and can work half-time on their own projects.

For a self-funded residency program there is no deadline, just send your request anytime. We are happy to create an official invitation to apply for funding. Contact us to apply.

In your e-mail please include a link to your portfolio, possible residency dates and mention if you need an invitation letter.

Some of you might have already heard the heartbreaking news that our beloved dalmatian, the true icon of Maajaam, Muuro had to overcome a difficult surgery. Last month she had a serious injury that resulted in losing one of her front paws and has to cope on 3 paws now. Some of you have also already contributed with their good wishes and donations to Muuro. We are extremely grateful for each of your support and it’s heartwarming to see that Muuro has gained so many friends and won your hearts over the years.

But it seems for now, the most difficult recovery period is over and she is back to her spirits and we can breathe a sigh of relief. We are planning to collaborate with 3DPets to create a new 3D printed paw for Muuro. As the endeavor is quite expensive we started crowdfunding to pay the bills. Check out our online Kiosk for donation options and T-shirts of Muuro.

During summer 2023 we hosted two art production camps, where new works for next year’s technological art outdoor exhibition Wild Bits were developed and produced. The visiting artists were Julijonas Urbonas, Marco Barotti, Varvara & Mar, Janis Polar, Andreas Zißler, Fabian Lanzmaier & Klemens Kohlweis, Anna Tamm & Vinzenz Leutenegger, Greg Orrom Swan, Jeanne Harignordoquy and Uģis Albiņš.

Artworks were made in a variety of techniques starting from 3D printing with clay to taking DNA samples from mushrooms. We cannot wait to open the exhibition to the public already next year in May 2024 as part of the official program of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024. Stay tuned!

Maajaam together with Wild Bits team is organizing sound residency and workshop that will take place in October this year. Wild Sounds residency is exploring the possibilities of environmental sound recording as a creative practice. Residency mentor is Spanish sound artist and researcher Pablo Sanz. All artists, sound artists and other creatives based in Estonia and interested in working with sound and environmental sound recording are welcome to participate. 4 participants will be selected. Residency and workshop is free for participants.

Residency dates: 9th - 17th of October 
Deadline: 22nd of September

Eugenio Marini from Rome arrived in Maajaam already in June and is staying for summer to help with the Wild Bits residency and to work on his coming projects. With a background in sculpture he is currently studying forestry and resides alternately in Estonia, Greece and Italy. Eugenio’s skills vary from building sheep fences to making great vegetarian dishes. His helping hand is being much appreciated by the Maajaam team and artists!

Eugenio’s own work is currently on display in a group exhibition “Through fog and stones” that is open until the 30th of July in Tartu Art House Monumental Gallery.

This summer our residency and exhibition project Wild Bits is joining forces with Latvian open-air art park Savvaļa. We are taking the Wild Bits satellite exhibition to Latvian wilderness. Savvaļa is a place amidst wild, untouched nature, an open-air exhibition and series of events, initiated by the Latvian artist Andris Eglītis in 2020.

Wild Bits three installations by artists Anna Tamm & Vinzenz Leutenegger, Jeanne Harignordoquy and Uģis Albiņš will arrive to Savvaļa middle of July and they will stay there until the end of summer.

Savvaļa & Wild Bits are having a special programme with a curatorial tour, discussions, sauna session and a possibility for non-curated wandering in Savvaļa art park on Sunday, 6th of August. You are very welcome to join!

There is an art bus from Tartu going to Savvaļa on 6th of August.
Bus trip is organized by the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

Maajaam opens its doors for two days on Open Farm Day and we’re welcoming everyone to the farm of technological art! You can peek into the studio, see the tools used for making technological art, visit the newly opened residency house and trolley workshop, sip coffee on Maajaam terrace and cuddle a pony. Wild Bits residency camp artists Anna Tamm & Vinzenz Leutenegger, Jeanne Harignordoquy and Uģis Albiņš are present and show their artworks that are in the progress. On Sunday our resident artist Jeanne Harignordoquy is leading a kite making workshop.

Visit us on 15th & 16th of July from 10:00-17:00

Taavi Suisalu’s “Noisephony of Lawn Mowers”, that will be performed during opening day, is looking for participants. If you would like to be one of the performers and lawn mower operators, then let us know. Special skills are not necessary but it would be great if you have used a lawn mower or a string trimmer before. We need you to be in Maajaam around 12:00 for the rehearsal.

Sign up by sending email to info@maajaam.ee

Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center is organizing an art bus that is coming to the opening event on 17th of June. The bus starts its journey from Tallinn at 10:30 and brings the art audience back by 22:30. But you can also jump on a bus from Tartu at 13:00 and return around 20:00. Bus tickets at a symbolic price can be purchased through the Fienta ticketing system.

During the opening day on 17th of June we will take you on a tour of Maajaam to show you how to heat a smoke sauna and to demonstrate what kind of machines are used to create art in Maajaam. We will introduce the outdoor exhibition “Wild Bits” that is in the main programme of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 and will be opened next summer.

There will be a performative surprise “Noisephony of Lawn Mowers” by Taavi Suisalu. It will be conducted by the composer and conductor Arash Yazdani. We will also taste and hear about wild fermented foods from Liis Tuulberg. During the day artist Kadri Toom and children are waiting for you in the forest cafe. Käty and Jüri Tarkpea are visiting us from Ag47, a competence center for traditional photography. They will introduce wet plate photography and offer the opportunity to have your portrait taken using 19th-century photographic techniques. Our good friends Aivar Tõnso, Joonatan Allandi, Helen Västrik and (our own) Mari-Liis Rebane will be playing their favourite music.

By the end of the day, the sauna will hopefully be hot and the pony-lovers can take part in a tour to Ponyland.

Those who would like to stay overnight can pack a tent and a sleeping bag with them and are welcome to camp out.

We are welcoming you on 17th of June from 14:00

See you in Maajaam!

Maajaam participates in the international forum “How Borderless Is Culture?”.

The event is organized by the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 and the Estonian Creative Residencies Network LOORE and takes place on May 18 and 19 at the Estonian National Museum. On May 19th there is an organized bus tour of South Estonian residencies that also stops by Maajaam.

Maajaam is one of the founding members of newly established Estonian Creative Residencies network LOORE. LOORE announces its first open call that is directed to Ukrainian artists for 2-month paid residency.

Deadline for Applications: 14th of April
Notification of all artists: 1st of June

This open call presents 8 different opportunities in Estonia: Tartu Art House, Arvo Pärt Centre, CopperLeg Residency, Eesti Kirjanduse Selts, TYPA, Massia, Maajaam.

Last week Maajaam founder Timo Toots opened his solo exhibition “Accept All Cookies: A selection of Works from 2008–2023” in the Tartu Art House. Exhibition looks back on Timo’s art projects organized in three interconnected thematic blocks: “Physical vs. Virtual Space”, “The Ethics of Using Personal Data” and “Media-Entertainment-Politics”.

Exhibition will stay open until 14th of May and you are very welcome to visit!

Wild Bits final open call received 318 applications. We got many really exciting projects and had to make some difficult decisions. Our curatorial board picked 7 artists or teams, who can develop their projects this summer during our residency camps. We will present these works in summer 2024 during the Wild Bits outdoor exhibition that is in the main programme of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024. In 2023, selected works will be premiered at open air park Savvala in Latvia.

Wild Bits 2023 residency artists are: Uģis Albiņš; Jeanne Harignordoquy; Janis Polar; Greg Orrom Swan; Anna Tamm & Vinzenz Leutenegger; Andreas Zißler, Fabian Lanzmaier & Klemens Kohlweis; Varvara & Mar.

Picture above is from Wild Bits 2022 residency camp.

Previous year brought us heartbreaking and terrible news about the situation in Ukraine. The same day when war broke off, we announced an open call for Ukrainian artists and cooperated with other Estonian residencies to find better possibilities to help provide working and living conditions for artists from Ukraine.

In October we hosted a 3-member group consisting of artists Alex Sirous from Kharkiv, Dmytro Tentiuk, Igor Sokolov from Kyiv from a collective called Photinus studio. Their residency in Maajaam was supported by Ernst und Olga Gubler-Hablützel Stiftung.

Check out their sound performance under the alias Mediaklub in Maajaam where also our iconic dog Muuro makes an opening appearance.

Maajaam will announce an additional open call for Ukrainian artists later this year. We will keep you updated.

In August we had the pleasure to host Junny Yeung, the winner of Estonian Academy of Arts Young Sculptor Award. 4-week long residency was the main prize of the award and gave Junny time and space to reflect back on the studies and make plans for the future.

We also hosted Bulgarian filmmaker and producer Andrey Paounov in the framework of Tartu 2024 Survival Documentaries residency program for his research trip. Andrey was exploring places and local phenomena, meeting people and gathering ideas for a possible next documentary film about South Estonia.

In November we had Estonian installation artist Katrin Enni in a 2-week residency. She was developing a new interactive sound installation, collecting data about different movements in nature to explore ways to experience the sonic world around us.

In November we welcomed a residency project curated by Ann-Mirjam Vaikla in collaboration with MagiC Carpets and Tartu 2024. Three international artists Laura Põld, Gary Markle and Anica Huck were invited to South Estonia to interpret the smoke sauna tradition through the Arts of Survival. Laura, Gary and Anica tried out heating our smoke sauna and visited other saunas in the region.

We have announced our second open call for Wild Bits, the outdoor exhibition of technological art. Wild Bits is a residency program that culminates with an exhibition in the summer of 2024 around Maajaam’s natural landscapes. Wild Bits is part of the main program of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

We are looking for art works that deal with the human condition in contemporary society and explore the points of contact between people, technology and nature. The artworks should withstand outdoor conditions and fit into the natural environment surrounding Maajaam. Artists of various disciplines from all around the world are all welcome to participate.

The selected artists will get a chance to take part in the three week residency in Maajaam in the summer of 2023.

For the 2023 residency three to five projects will be chosen, each project will receive an artist fee and expenses on production, transport and housing will be covered to an extent agreed upon. Activities related to the Wild Bits residency and exhibition program are co-funded by European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian Centre of Folk Culture, Embassy of Germany in Estonia.

We have made our plans on how to operate the residencies in 2023. As a private residency space we will be working towards being self-sustaining. We operate mainly from our own resources and currently do not have any operational grants. In order to survive we have created different residency programs with different ways of funding them.

Per project basis we organize residencies that are fully funded and aimed at more specific topics. For example Wild Bits residency is fully funded and aimed at producing a new art work. It is made possible because of our partner Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture and other sponsors. We are looking for ways to collaborate with other organizations to host their residencies in Maajaam. We can provide space and accommodation for museums, galleries, festivals and universities to host their artists in Maajaam.

The rest of the time Maajaam is open for self-funded residencies. For this, we encourage the artist to apply for funding from their local funds. We provide an official invitation letter to make it possible for individual artists to look for financing options. There is no open call for this type of residency as we try to fill all the voids in the calendar. Individual artists or groups of all culture fields are welcome to apply!

Maajaam is looking for participants from Nordic-Baltic countries for a 3-day workshop (August, 12th-14th). Send your motivation letter, CV & portfolio by 25th of July to sotan@maajaam.ee.

Maajaam invites you to take part in the workshop by Aly Ogasian & Claudia O’Steen (US) in the framework of Wild Bits residency. The artists will introduce their methods for creating the artwork Living Water for the Wild Bits exhibition.

The project and workshop create tangible linkages between human activity and climate change, examining how individual choices can contribute to the larger instability or stability of the system. The goal is to change the way we conceptualize our role on this planet as symbiotically enmeshed rather than separate from and working against the natural world and each other.

The workshop is co-organized with State of the Art Network which is a Nordic-Baltic transdisciplinary network of artists, practitioners, researchers, and organizations who have come together to discuss the role, responsibility, and potential of art and culture in the Anthropocene. It is supported by Nordic Culture Point, Nordic Culture Fund, and A. P. Møller Foundation.

Eleftheria from Thessaloniki (Greece) arrived to Maajaam in late May and she will stay until the end of September (or who knows…). She studied at the visual and applied arts department at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has been helping out with Wild Bits residency and has been testing out some delicious vegan recipes on Maajaam’s team (like, really delicious). However, her biggest project in Maajaam has been a very special roundpile for sauna wood that she learned to construct at Maajaam. It is a method used by ancient Germans and Norwegians that will help to keep the wood dry. It took her 4 days to finish the pile.

How to make a roundpile: First, you create a circle of logs and ensure it is levelled. Then, keep adding circular layers of logs on top of your first layer until you reach your desired pile height. Then, you fill your log cylinder in with the remaining wood. Lastly, you arrange your remaining wood in a cone to create the roof, so the wood below is protected from weather conditions.

Maajaam opens its doors for two days on Open Farm Day and we’re excited to welcome everyone! You can peek into the studio, see the constructions of the residency house and the trolley workshop. Artists participating in the Wild Bits residency will present their process of creating new artworks for Wild Bits exhibition in 2024.

July 23 & 24 10.00 – 17.00

Wild Bits is an international open-air exhibition of technological art taking place in the summer of 2024 at Maajaam and the landscape around it. The exhibition is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 official program. We are in the middle of our first Wild Bits residency camp now!

​​Artists participating in the first Wild Bits creative camp are heidundgriess (Alexandra Grieß & Jorel Heid) (DE), Yu-Ching Chiang & Ying-Ting Shen (TW), Mohar Kalra (US), Aly Ogasian & Claudia O’Steen (US), Julijonas Urbonas (LT).

In September, the first works of Wild Bits will also be exhibited at a satellite event in Kaunas, Lithuania as part of the side program of the Magenta landscape design festival.

We wish you peaceful holidays and happy new year!

Swedish-Estonian designer-artist and mayonnaise expert Leopold Inkapööl has been doing his internship in Maajaam since October. Maajaam has received lots of good ideas, designs and help from him. Check out his website studioleopold.com or instagram.com/leopold.things for fun projects involving sound, music and human interaction.

In November we announced an open call for works. The deadline for the first open call was extended until 26th of December 2021. With this open call we are seeking proposals for installations, interventions or processes to be installed/performed in landscapes spread out around Maajaam that explore the human condition in a contemporary technological society. Deadline of the first call is very soon, but it’s not going to be the last one! https://www.wildbits.ee/opencall.

Our Wild Bits exhibition concept is now officially included in Tartu European Capital of Culture 2024 project and it is going to be a long-term, large-scale and exciting project. During the next years our team of Mari-Liis Rebane, Kadri Lind, Marie Kliiman, Taavi Suisalu and Timo Toots will curate and produce the outdoor technological art exhibition at Maajaam. The artists will be selected both through open calls and invitations. The main exhibition will be presented in 2024 at Maajaam, but there will also be smaller exhibitions in Kaunas in 2022 and Latvia in 2023.

This year we started building the brand new residency house to expand the artist-in-residency program. The timber-frame house is currently under construction and will be opened in spring 2022. It will be specially designed with artist-in-residency needs in mind, with 4 small double rooms upstairs, a kitchen corner and an open studio space downstairs. The programming of the residency will be dynamic. Partly we organize funded residendies like Wild Bits and partly it will be fee based. We are looking to partner with organizations like museums, galleries and universities to host their residencies in Maajaam and we are open for individual artists of all fields as well. The construction is partly financed by Estonian Ministry of Culture. Contact for availability at info@maajaam.ee.

We are happy to present you our new website. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s already showing the directions we are going for. The website will be the central place that ties together all things happening in Maajaam - the residencies, exhibitions and productions in the studio. An Estonian version of the website is planned as well.