This Autumn, artist Hedi Jaansoo is working for six months at the residency in WIELS, the art centre in Brussels. The residency for Estonian artists is made possible by the partnership between WIELS and Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art.
The duration of the WIELS artist in residence programme is six months and its aim is to support artists’ professional development. The residents have access to workshops, panels, and feedback discussions. The artist has the possibility to live in an apartment in Brussels and work at a separate studio space. With the support of Estonian Ministry of Culture, CCA pays the participants monthly scholarship.
Hedi Jaansoo (1989) is an artist and photographer. She has studied photography (BA 2014) and contemporary art (MA 2018) at the Estonian Art Academy. She studied at the Art and Design Academy of Bergen, Norway in 2012-2013. She usually works with small and fragile objects, flowers, insecurities, cognitions and sensitivities. In her recent practice she combines photography, textiles and clay, non-functional accessories, unfinished thoughts and variable decisions, longings and conflicting desires. Jaansoo has received the Young Artist Award of the Estonian Art Academy and The Others art fair residency award in Turin. Hedi Jaansoo’s previous exhibition was “Kimbutab” (“Teases”) together with the printmaker Marje Üksine in Rüki gallery (Viljandi, 2022), curated by Kaisa Maasik.
She writes from Brussels: “While moving in to the studio took some time, the residency programme with its weekly meetings started already on the first weeks. As a group of 9 residents we meet each Wednesday with out mentors Sylvie Eyberg, Simon Thompson ja Manon de Boer. These are quite long and intense days where we get to know each others practices and thoughts. The opportunity to get feedback is voluntary, meant to think clearly, test your ideas on the colleagues and try to be as open as possible towards the works of other residents.
I am currently working with two artworks in my studio: one for the group show, opening in Atletika gallery in Vilnius (curated by Kaisa Maasik) and a one for an exhibition, opening in December in the new project space in Kumu, Tallinn (curated by Annika Toots). In addition to the photos I bought with myself I am gathering inspiration from the flea markets and streets. I try to let myself to test things out, without knowing where I certainly want to end up at, taking my upcoming exhibition as a reference point.”
Since 2018 the programme has hosted Estonian artists Paul Kuimet, Jaanus Samma, Anna Škodenko, Tõnis Saadoja, Tanja Muravskaja, Anu Vahtra, Eva Mustonen, Ingel Vaikla, Sandra Kosorotova, Krista Mölder and Laivi Suurväli.Residents are selected via an open call. The call for 2024 is now open, please see more information here.
WIELS’ partner in Estonia is Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA). The residency of Estonian artists in WIELS is supported by Estonian Ministry of Culture.