International exhibition
Tartu Art House, Estonia
03.07.–26.07.2020
EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
28.08.–30.09.2020
Curators: Liina Siib, Maria Erikson
Artists: Ann Pajuväli (EE), Ari Pelkonen (FI), Augustas Serapinas (LT), Cecilia Mandrile (US/UK), Claire Hannicq (FR), Elena Loson (AR), Dénes Kalev Farkas (EE/HU), Inka Bell (FI), Inma Herrera (ES/FI), Liis-Marleen Verilaskja (EE), Lina Nordenström (SE), Maria Erikson (EE/FI), Maria Izabella Lehtsaar (EE), Maria Valkeavuolle (FI), Riin Maide (EE), Tatu Tuominen (FI), Viktor Gurov (EE)

The exhibition Resemblance Through Contact. Grammar of Imprint focuses on printmaking as a process that is cultivated through contacts between forms and counterforms (negative space), and by the tension produced by these interactions. We are not so much interested in specific images, proofs, shapes or manners as in printed matter’s ability to introduce the new space that emerges between matrix and multiplicity. We focus on forms, and their dissemination through various statements and manifestations of printmaking in the post-disciplinary era. We define material as a subject, while the predicate denotes what the material does. We wish to return to the beginning of the functions of imprint and investigate its points of contacts with other disciplines. The exhibition consists of individual pieces that examine material and materiality; while remaining autonomous parts of the show, the artworks form a joint installation throughout the exhibition space. Artists are encouraged to apply various techniques to execute their works while researching the characteristics of different materials: copper plates, clay, paper, etc. The exhibition takes its name from Georges Didi-Huberman’s book La ressemblance par contact: archéologie, anachronisme et modernité de l’empreinte, 2008.

Viewing graphic art as a form and counterform has fascinated artists working with the print medium throughout the ages. However, this approach has not been very obvious until recent years. The question of what printmaking does rather than what it depicts has been central in contemporary art exhibitions dealing with new materialism and the connections between art and design. The exhibitions at the Tartu Art House and at the EKA Gallery bring together artists who research form and counterform in their artistic practices. Exhibitions feature artists from Europe and the Americas, and are accompanied by film programs.