Aliis Mehide

• Showcasing the possibilities of kinetic architecture using in EKKM as an example.
• Tutor: Martin Melioranski, Raul Kalvo

This Master’s thesis proposes a new contemporary art museum – an environment that provides a flexible and performative exhibition space for artists, curators and visitors; creates practical spaces through sys-temic behaviors to aide in the day to day housekeeping of the museum; and provides movable elements in the space to offer special purpose rooms for the museums’ additional activities. The contemporary art mu-seum would be like a connection between a cultural center and work-shop. It would be a machine that offers constructive background system for experimentation, exploration and learning.

The architectural concept is based on the idea of a gallery space as a container in contemporary art. Just like the container that is loaded and unloaded constantly, the gallery space is a temporary space which is one time full and another time empty. This change can be compared with the spectacle in theater arts. Spectacle is a situation where scenes change from one to another – for example from city to home. The change between the scenes is generated by the mechanical movement and the scenes are moved by machine. New contemporary art museum is a performative space that is designed by movement.

Estonian Contemporary Art Museum has been chosen as the base for the project and for the new contemporary art museum. The reason resides in its nature, location and existing building. EKKM is an institution that is an important Estonian contemporary art and society promoter and new, critical and experimental art introducer. Institution wishes to offer multiple opportunities to artists and curators and make good exhibitions. The existing building offers artists and curators freedom to use the whole building as an exhibition surface and intrude into its construction because of its robustness and weight. New contemporary art museum can offer EKKM a space that is experimental and filled with possibilities and technical support. 

The new contemporary art museum for EKKM is a three-layered space where the in-between space creates a connection between the museum space and outdoor space. It means that it can blur the borders between indoor and outdoor spaces and it can play with the possibilities of creating different exhibition spaces. The outdoor space is a public space for expansion and the museum space is a space for exhibitions, activities, learning and working.

Just like ports where containers are lifted by machines or cranes, the new mechanical system – crane that is moving the parts of the museum – can be the one that can offer flexible and multifunctional space and technical support for the museum’s gallery.

SITUATIONS