Values exhibition opens at S12 gallery

In the exhibition Values, the Estonian artist Kati Kerstna raises questions about what is truly valuable. How valuable, diverse, or poor would the world, or a specific environment, be if certain elements were missing? Or if there were more of them? Would existence even be possible at all?

Kati Kerstna is known for combining artistic expression and environmental advocacy, creating thought-provoking works using glass, light and mixed media. Since graduating from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2001, she has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, addressing themes such as environmental pollution, global warming and deforestation through her innovative installations.

In the exhibition at S12 Gallery in Norway, Kerstna presents the works Values 1 and 2, two large hands made of glass hanging from the ceiling, in the dark gallery space. The first work, ‘Values 1’ is about bees. Kerstna emphasises that it may sound like a cliché, and everyone has heard it many times before, but without bees, life would not be possible on this planet.

Staying alive depends on the diversity of species. In 2001, 76 different plant species were identified and recorded in a square metre of Laelatu wooded meadow in Estonia, making it the second most diverse in the world in terms of species richness. ‘Values 2’ presents the plants of this famous square metre.

Through this exhibition, Kerstna challenges viewers to reflect on the consequences of imbalance in natural biological diversity and its impact on life as we know it today.

On Saturday 10 February 2024, at 2pm, Kati Kerstna will hold an artist talk. In addition to discussing her own work, she will present a selection of Estonian glass artists.

The exhibition runs until 17 March 2024 at S12 Gallery, Bontelabo 2, 5003 Bergen, Norway.

For more information visit the website: https://www.s12.no/en/

Image: Detail of the ‘Values 1’ installation.