Catalogue > Un extrait vidéo au hasard

The film is a journey of tracing the former Baltic Exchange´s building. 1903 it was built in neoclassical Edwardian style in the centre of London and 1992 destroyed by Provisional IRA´s biggest car bomb to the date. After the bombing there were plans to attach parts of Baltic Exchange´s house to a new building in the same location. Before dismantling it was fully documented and catalogued. These plans never materialized and in 2006 two estonian businessmen bought the facade and parts of the trade hall wanting it to be rebuilt in Tallinn. The stones were sent to Estonia, where they have stayed in shipping containers over 10 years (with the exeption of the facade sculptures, which were used in a project by estonian architects and artist in 2016). After the real estates developers won dispute with conservationists Foster and Partners iconic “ Gherkin ” - Swiss Re-s building has been constructed in the former Baltic Exchange´s site. Tracing the stones and the story of former building, in Estonia and London, leads to unpredictable outcomes. For example, terrorist attack being economic consideration; real estate boom in London; redesign of city space by incorporating anti attack measures.

The work of visual artist Ivar Veermäe (born 1982 in Tallinn, Estonia; lives in Berlin) circles around questions of public and private space, mediation processes, architecture and infrastructure, information technology and networks. As a result of long-term artistic research by means of photography, film and sound, his works are presented in versatile ways (such as video, on-site installations, interactive works and performances, also in public space). Ivar Veermäe aims to document and analyze the infrastructure underlying our contemporary culture of data and information. Concentrating on physical and local presence, confronting it with its representations creates a possibility for questions and doubts. His interest lays in hidden or stealty qualities of various spaces and objects. He has had solo exhibitions in Edith-Russ-Haus, Oldenburg, Gallery im Turm, Berlin, Freies Museum Berlin, City Gallery of Tallinn and Hobusepea Gallery in Estonia, among others. His work has been exhibited in group exhibitions at transmediale Festival in HKW, Venice Architecture Biennale, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Moscow Biennale for Young Art, the Bozar in Brussels, the CNB Contemporánea in Buenos Aires, the Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistic, Forum Factory and Kleine Humboldt Gallery in Berlin, the Art Museum of Estonia, Art Hall of Tallinn, the Estonian Contemporary Art Museum, the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Kulturhuset Bronden in Denmark, the Old Sugar Factory in Groningen, the Kunstverein Wolfsburg, the Kunstverein Kassel, the Pinnacles Gallery in Australia.