Kristi Kongi

→Biography

Kristi Kongi (born 1985) studied painting in Tartu, Tallinn, and Lahti and currently lives and works in Tallinn.

The central theme, material, and inspiration of Kongi’s art practice is color. Despite the fact that Kongi’s works seem, at first glance, to be joyful and energetic, they do not have accidental or solely spontaneous color expression. The visual language of her paintings, which are easy to quickly define as examples of geometric abstraction, revolves around systemic studies of light and color, being in particular analytic and organised. Kongi is a watchful observer, keen on conducting experiments and making intelligent conclusions, whose work results in a canvas or site-specific installation. Kongi’s painted spatial installation “The Confectionery Factory” could be permanently seen in the lobby of the Tartu Art Museum.

Kong has awarded the Young Artist Award in 2011, Sadolin Art Award 2013, she was nominated for the Köler Prize in 2016 and she won the Konrad Mägi Prize in 2017.

More info on Kristi Kongi’s webpage.

→Exhibitions

Viewing and Reading Room

Secret Whistle in the Forest

→Press/Publications

Photo reportage from the exhibition by Kristi Kongi and Mari-Leen Kiipli at the Kogo gallery
Echo Gone Wrong. 22/11/2018

Kristi Kongi and Kasper Bosmans at Kumu Art Museum
Art Viewer. 08/10/2018

The pictorial world of Kristi Kongi
Severine Grosjean. VHMOR. 08/07/2018

Kristi Kongi: I do enjoy ling contemplation and pondering over things
Andreas Trossek. Magazine of Art and Visual Culture in Estonia KUNST.EE. 1/2014

→CV

Kristi Kongi (1985) lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia.

Education

2008-2011	Estonian Academy of Arts, Painting (MA)
2004-2008	Tartu Art College, Painting (BA)
2004	Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Fine Arts, Finland

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2018	Secret Whistle in the Forest, with Mari-Leen Kiipli, Kogo Gallery, Tartu, Estonia
2018	Mapping the Jungle, Karen Huber Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
2018	Kristi Kongi in Dialogue with Kasper Bosmans. Alchemists, Artists, Cleaners and Others, with Kasper Bosmans, KUMU Art Museum exhibition space, Tallinn, Estonia
2018	Houses with Soul, Dedazo, Carrillo Puerto, Mexico
2017	Aberration. Exercises with Light and Shadow, Vaal Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2016	Have You Seen Yourself, Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2014	Then. Now. Between All Those Times, Tallinn City Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2014	Wish I Were a Bird, Orton Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2013	Andogynic Mind Machines, with Raoul Kurvitz, Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2012	Wish I Were a Bird, Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2012	HEAVEN, with Marta Stratskas, Vaal Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2010	Transformer, Draakon Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2010	You are My Meow, SooSoo Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia

Selected Group Exhibitions

2019	Lines Composed During A Tour, Co-Lab Projects, Austin, United States of America
2017	Children of the New East, curated by Siim Preiman, Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
2016	Nomadic Images, 16th International Painting Triennial, curated by Linas Liandzbergis, Museum of Applied Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
2016	The Great Painter, curated by Liisa Kaljula, Evald Okas Museum, Haapsalu, Estonia
2016	Kilometre of Sculpture, curated by Anna Virtanen, Rakvere, Estonia
2016	Köler Prize exhibition of nominees, Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia
2014-2015	White Sheet – Three Visions, dFab, Riga Gallery, Riga, Latvia; Arka Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2014	Can’t Go On. Must Go On, curated by Elin Kard and Mihkel Ilus, Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
2014	Merike Estna & I’m a painting, curated by Merike Estna and Kati Ilves, Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2014	Artishok Biennale. A+B=AB14, Mūkusalas Mākslas Salons, Riga, Latvia
2014	Is This the Museum We Wanted?, curated by Rael Arter, Tartu Art Museum, Tartu, Estonia
2013-2014	Young Painter Prize, CAC, Vilnius, Lithuania
2013	Are We not Drawn to New Era, Tartu Art House, Tartu, Estonia
2012	Speed of Darkness and Other Stories, KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2012	Muuda oma meelt / Change Your Mind, Viljandi City Gallery, Viljandi, Estonia
2011	Young Painter Prize exhibition of finalists, Tatanikas, Vilnius, Lithuania
2011	Zugzwang, Culture Factory Polymer, Tallinn, Estonia
2010-2011	Girl Power, Artdepoo, Tallinn, Estonia
2010	Zugzwang, Commune Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
2010	Muutuv maalikunst / Painting in Process, Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2010	193 x 292, Vaal Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia

Performances

2016	Currency, curated by Gabriel Mestre, Tripitaka Water Bank, Kopenhagen, Denmark

Prizes and Scholarships

2017	Konrad Mägi prize
2016	Nominee of the Köler prize
2013	Sadolin Art Prize
2011	Young Artist Prize

Residencies

2018	Dedazo residency, Carrillo Puerto, Mexico
2017	Research residency, Mexico City, Mexico
2016	De Liceiras, Porto, Portugal
2014	Samband Íslenkra Myndlistarmanna (SÍM), Reykjavik, Iceland

Books

Kristi Kongi (ed.), Aberration. Exercises with light and shadow, 2017.

Annika Toots and Merilin Talumaa (eds.), Artists’ Spaces, Estonian Art Academy Press, 2017.

Kristi Kongi, Indrek Sirkel and Anu Vahtra (eds.), I haven’t moved my head from the pillow, Lugemik, 2015.

Compiled by artists, Can’t go on. Must go on, exhibition catalogue, 2014.

Kati Ilves and Merike Estna (eds.), Dear I’m a Painting / Always Yours Blue Lagoon, exhibition catalogue, 2014.

Publications

Kati Ilves, Kristi Kongi nostalgiaruumid, Magazine of Art and Visual Culture KUNST.EE, 2/2015.
Andreas Trossek, Kunstilugu, Vikerkaar, 3/2015.
Andreas Trossek, Kristi Kongi: Ma väga naudin pikalt mõtlemist ja asjade üle kaalumist, Magazine of Art and Visual Culture KUNST.EE, 1/2014.
Agnese Čivle, Kristi Kongi: Playing in the House of Color, Arterritory, 05.08.2011.