After the sun has set in Tallinn on 30 November you are invited to the office of the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (Suur-Karja 23) to the launch of two new publications by A Shade Colder Magazine.
At the launch we will be presenting The Shapes of Language, the sixth issue of A Shade Colder and Reversed Chronicles, a collection of artist writing, published in autumn 2023 for the Miss Read Art Book Fair in Berlin.
The event centers around a discussion between Vlada and Roven Jõekäär which takes Vlada’s essay in Reversed Chronicles as the starting point. Both Roven and Vlada work on speculative queer histories and contemporary folklore, using visual language to find new ways to talk about queerness, traditions and history. The talk will be in English.
Programme
16:00 Gathering, warming drinks and snacks are served
16:15 Welcoming words and short introduction by Keiu Krikmann and Kaarin Kivirähk
16:30 Collecting queer histories in Ukraine and in Estonia. A talk between Roven Jõekäär and Vlada
Reversed Chronicles, published by A Shade Colder, highlights writing born in close proximity to art and created by artists from the Eastern part of Europe. The collection is brought together around the idea of a chronicle. It provides a queer perspective on subjective time, while also raising the question of reliability. The special issue features artists and art writers Agnė Jokšė, Sarah Nõmm, Vaim Sarv, Mia Tamme and Vlada.
The Shapes of Language is the sixth issue of A Shade Colder which will be published online on 30 November 2023. The connecting thread of the issue is language: language as a tool for curators, for building narratives and as a means of expression. The issue includes an events guide for Estonia and beyond in Autumn and Winter; an interview with Cecilia Alemani by Keiu Krikmann; a questionnaire with art organizations fighting for the rights of art workers in the Baltic countries; an interview with McKenzie Wark by Gregor Kulla; and an essay around questions of translating by Keiu Krikmann. Artist Ieva Rojūtė has approached language from an artist’s point of view in the Essays and Poetry section, using everyday folklore as the basis.
About the speakers
Vlada is a non-binary writer and researcher from Kyiv, Ukraine currently based in Scotland. In their research they focus on anarcho-queer utopias and archiving post-capitalistic future(s). They are half of the DViJKA collective with which they edited and translated the book Queer Ukraine, An Anthology of LGBTQI+ Voices During Wartime in February 2023, and continue to work on Ukrainian queer theory.
Roven Jõekäär is a Tallinn-based multidisciplinary designer and artist. He is interested in the untold stories of sexual and other minorities in history and folklore and their symbolism. His work focuses on a speculative perspective on queer history, community-based creative work and the creation of inclusive neo-folklore.
Reversed Chronicles and print issues of A Shade Colder can be purchased at the event – cash and card payments are accepted.
Location: Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art, Suur-Karja 23 (enter through the courtyard, then turn left and find door C. Come up the stairs one floor and enter.