The Estonian Association of Architects (EAA), the principal organiser of Wood Works has joined forces with co-organisers Estonian Centre for Architecture (ECA) and Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF) to promote an international Open Call to select a curatorial team for a new architecture exchange and exhibition programme, taking place between Ireland and Estonia 2020 and 2021.

Wood Works is an Estonian and Irish collaboration that focuses on the use of wood in design and construction in architecture. The result of the Wood Works project will be a travelling exhibition in Ireland and Tallinn in 2021 and potentially in other countries.

The Wood Works 2020-2021 project supports an exchange of expertise and creativity between architects from Estonia and Ireland to establish collaborative possibilities between all participants. We are seeking applications for a curatorial team who together demonstrate that they are deeply acquainted with the architectural culture in both Estonia and Ireland in equal measure.

The deadline to apply for this opportunity has now passed, the winning team will be announced in the coming weeks. Thanks to all who have applied.

Aim
The aim of the competitive Open Call is to find curators for the Wood Works initiative, which includes a travelling exhibition, collaborative workshops and publication.

The concept for the exhibition and workshops should aim to:

• Expand and encourage innovative architectural solutions using wood that demonstrates technical knowledge, research, and experimentation, whilst also supporting the aesthetic ambition in equal measure.
• Demonstrate the use of wood in contemporary architecture, and its response to essential societal, technological and environmental challenges, needs and opportunities.
• Create a robust and novel process of exchange to enable both countries learn from and enhance each other’s inventiveness.
• Create an engaging, immersive and content rich exhibition, that communicates both to a broad international audience and an industry-based audience.

The role of the curators is to set the theme and concept, construct the narrative and title of the exhibition and publication, select the architect participants, plan and deliver 2 workshops (within Covid guidelines), liaise with the teams as they produce work for exhibition, and compile the publication.

Process
The exhibition will be preceded by two workshops in 2020. The curators will choose min 5 teams who make maximum of 5-10 installations for the exhibition. The curators allow the teams the freedom to create their own responses to the curatorial proposition. Through the workshop and exchange process each team proposes an installation-prototype for the exhibition, guided by the curators and their curatorial concept. The 5 teams taken collectively must have equal representation from Ireland and Estonia. The exhibition will open in the Solstice Art Centre in Ireland in March 2021 and travel to Tallinn in later in 2021.

The publication is both a document enhancing the themes in the exhibition and a visitor’s guide for understanding the initiative and should be completed by March 2021.

The curators will be appointed from September 2020 until March 2021. The total fee for the curatorial team is €10,000.  We expect the team will contain individuals who together demonstrate that they are acquainted with the architectural culture in both Estonia and Ireland in equal measure.

Who should apply and your considerations
We seek proposals from architects and professionals in architecture and design disciplines, including writers, critics and academics that are interested in exploring editorial and curatorial work in making architecture.

We are excited by the unconventional, experimental, contextually rich and culturally engaged. The proposed concepts must address topics relevant to Estonia and Ireland in the field of wood in architecture. Proposals should consider the viewer, the participant, the public and the potential experiential nature of exhibitions.

Proposals should support innovative research to foster new kinds of intellectual and practical exchange that spark dialogue in the profession and amongst the public and specifically advancing the theme of using a natural resource like wood in building the infrastructure to support contemporary society and the natural environment.

If you need help to find a partner:
You can research potential partners using the following suggested sites for information on Estonian and Irish architecture and  architects:

• The Estonian Centre for Architecture
• Estonian Association of Architects
• ArchDaily – Estonian architecture
• Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI)
• Architectural Association of Ireland
• Irish Architectural Foundation

Last resort…if you would like extra help:
Ireland: Blaithin Quinn, Curator of Learning, Irish Architecture Foundation learning@architecturefoundation.ie
Estonia: Kadri Laar, Project Manager, Estonian Centre for Architecture kadri.laar@arhliit.e

If you have any questions about the brief please email Kadri Laar on kadri.laar@arhliit.e and the answers will be posted on this website regularly until the submission date.

Further information & application materials

An Information Session about the project was held online on 17 June.
Click here to download the Project Presentation (PDF) 
Info Session Q&A (Updated 23 July)

The Curatorial Brief includes information on what is needed for the competition submission, entry requirements and assessment criteria.
Click here to download the Curatorial Brief

As part of your submission, please also complete a Quotation Template.
Click here to download the Quotation Template

Deadline & Shortlisting
The deadline for submitting the concept in writing is 28 August 2020 at 12.00 Ireland time / 14.00 Estonia time. The entry must be submitted digitally to Kadri Laar, Estonian Association of Architects, kadri.laar@arhliit.ee. +372 52 36 139.

Jury will meet on 3 of September at such time the shortlisted teams will be required to attend interview.

Provisos

• Opening dates of the exhibition in Solstice Arts Centre and further exhibitions may be affected by Covid 19.
• Covid 19 means that the process of exchange, collaboration and communication in the cultural exchange phase of Wood Works between the curators and the exhibitors may be delivered online or within the limits of social distancing guidelines of both governments.
• Covid 19 means that the process of fabricating work for the exhibition, installing and viewing of exhibits by the public will need to take into account government guidelines.