APARAADITEHAS OPEN CULTURE PLATFORM 2025

The 2025 Cultural Platform program brought five unique projects to Aparaaditehas, ranging from an exhibition that turned into a rave to short films, an international group exhibition, and a celebration of drag culture.

Events held during Round I of 2025:

• Kaur Oskar Vanaselja and Henri Regor Välimaa’s exhibition-installation-rave INFOKAOS JA BASS. The exhibition was open in Armastuse saal from June 17-20 and the project ended with a grand finale party.
• Tartu Film School’s short film project “Once Upon a Time in Aparaaditehas...”, which produced three short films. Shooting took place between May and July, and the short film collection premiered as part of the Aparaaditehas Festival on August 28.

Events held during Round II of 2025: 

• International group exhibition “Art In a Burning House: A Good Neighbor – A Found Treasure” in Armastuse saal, November 10 - 14 2025 
• Getriin Kotsari and Eva Maria Aru’s socially critical exhibition project “jätku leiba” in the Aparaaditehas white greenhouse (December 13 2025 - January 17,2026) 
• “All We Have Is Now” Kiki Ball & Drag Show in Armastuse saal on January 17 2026

The 2025 season of the Aparaaditehas Cultural Platform opened with “INFOKAOS JA BASS”, a four-day multidisciplinary experience combining code-based art, interactive installations, and a chaotic soundscape.

Armastuse saal became a temporary hyper-realistic dystopia reflecting on modern society's constant online state, information overload, and the absurdity of digital existence. Visitors were met with an audiovisual experience focused on mass surveillance, connectivity, algorithms, privacy (or the lack thereof), the spread of misinformation, addiction, and fragmented attention. Truth became a rare commodity amidst an ever-faster stream of content.

The event ended on June 20 with a party where the bass could lead either to liberation or to an even deeper information chaos.

THREE FILMS / SHORT FILM COLLECTION “ONCE UPON A TIME APARAADITEHAS...”                              June-August 2025                          Various locations across Aparaaditehas

During the summer, short film shootings took place at Aparaaditehas. The shooting period was split into two parts: June 7–19 and July 27-August 3. Students from Tartu Film School filmed three short films, and their premiere took place on August 28. Film enthusiasts and young filmmakers attended the premiere. The completed short films seek a solution to one core question: how to preserve humanity.

Burning House Collective and Aparaaditehas brought the multimedia group exhibition “Art in a Burning House: A Good Neighbor – A Found Treasure” to visitors in Armastuse saal.

Confronted with a collapsing world -where mass media constantly broadcast global crises directly onto our screens- the exhibition explored a deep sense of isolation in an increasingly connected digital age. The 15 participating artists challenged the role of the creator: whether to close one's eyes or embrace shared pain.

Curated by Poppy Simpson, Katharina Kail, and Masha Mikirtumova, the five-day event featured an engaging program that included musical performances, performance art, an artist talk, and closing night DJ sets.

Prompted by the rising cost of living, the photo exhibition “jätku leiba” explored food not merely as fuel, but as a source of community, joy, and security in uncertain times. At the heart of the project were the deep connections between eating habits, well-being, and memory.

Over the course of two months, the authors documented the stories and rituals of various people living in South Estonia, capturing how food sustains and carries forward meaningful traditions. The exhibition was created by freelance artists Eva Maria Aru and Getriin Kotsar, graduates of UT Viljandi Culture Academy, whose shared creative interest focused on the intersections of food, a sense of security, and heritage.

"All We Have Is Now" Kiki Ball & Drag Show took over Aparaaditehas, delivering pure, unfiltered ballroom magic for one night. The vibes were immaculate, and the crowd was living entirely in the moment as contestants brought heat, fashion, and body to the stage. Performer after performer tore up the runway serving looks -from sheer fabrics and glowing neon to clock motifs- proving they know how to make time stand still. MC Divoni 007 kept the crowd hyped while DJ Andy Mana played, keeping the high-energy music pumping through the drag show and epic afterparty. It was a fiercely supportive, inclusive celebration of LGBTQ+ culture that left Tartu completely breathless.