Siim-Tanel Annus’ artistic core is that of a seeker. He is known as a painter, performance artist and printmaker who wrote himself into art history in the 1980s with boundary-pushing performances. He attended Tõnis Vint studio from 1974 to 1978, then studied art history at University of Tartu in 1978–1984 and printmaking at State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR in 1989. His work has been exhibited all around the world, but the highlights have been representing Estonia at the 47th Venice Biennale in 1997 and earning a grand prix at the Nanjing International Art Festival in 2015.
With specific technical tools and his own being, Annus aims to touch the universe in his art. His pictures are worlds free of objects, the motifs on them hint at being inspired by nature. With all that, the artist refers to the connection between the human senses and the experience older than time, from which something gets derived subconsciously, that something being perhaps more real than anything palpable. The artist experiments with materials and colors, working with fingers rather than brushes. Textures create the initial, skeletally visible idea.
CV
SIIM-TANEL ANNUS
Birth: 4.01.1960, Tallinn, Eesti
STUDIES
1974-1978 in Tõnis Vint Studio
1978-1984 Tartu University, art history
1976 First participation in international exhibitions
ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS
2020 "Existence" St John Church, Tallinn, Estonia
2020 IGNITION in Haus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2019/2020 "The Transition: Performance 1987 and an Overview of the Oeuvre" Adamson-Eric Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2014 History Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
2014 "In the beginning there was the World", Viimsi St Jacob's Church, Estonia
2013 Armenian Artist Union Gallery, Yerevan, Armenia
2012 "Towers to heavens", Paluküa Church in Hiiumaa, Estonia
2012 "Money and Poetry", Kuressaare Culture Center, Estonia
2012 "The Cross", St John's Church, Tallinn, Estonia
2011 Gallery Orton, Helsinki, Finland
2011 St Mary's Church, Rapla, Estonia
2010 Mare Balticum, Hamburg, Germany
2010/2011 "Estonian People" Tallinn-Tartu Highway, Estonia
2010 "Money and Poetry", Tallinn Art Hall
2010 Anja Es Künstlerei in der Alten Vogtei, Travemünde, Germany
2010 "Passion", St John Church, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 "Money and Poetry", Estonian Parliament, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 "Money and Poetry", Pärnu Art Hall, Estonia
2009 “Money and Poetry”, Retretti Art Centre, Punkaharju, Finland
2009 “My People”, Art Gallery Bank of Estonia
2008 Haapsalu Castle, Estonia
2008 Tarvastu St. Peter’s Church, Estonia
2008 The Glory of Growth, Mooni 46A, Tallinn, Estonia
2008 Viimsi St Jacob’s Church, Estonia
2007 “20 Years Later”,Mooni 46A, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 Soloon Oma Ruum,Tallinn,Estonia
2006 “Genesis” Tartu Artist’s House Gallery, Estonia
2006 Nova Vita Clinic Viimsi, Estonia
2006 “Genesis” Embassy of Estonia, Berlin, Germany
2006 Rehabilitation Hospital Palanga, Lithuania
2006 ”Genesis” Klaipeda Art Hall, Lithuania
2005 “Twinpoles” Gallery Art Depoo, Tallinn, Estonia
2004 “Spheres” Viinistu Art Museum, Estonia
2004 “Towers to the Heavens” Gallery Haus, Tallinn, Estonia
2003 Savoy Theatre, Helsinki, Finland
2003 Gallery Haus, Tallinn, Estonia
2003 Eesti Põlevkivi Art Gallery, Jõhvi, Estonia
2002 Gallery Haus, Tallinn ,Estonia
2002 Culture Centre, Jõgeva, Estonia
2000 Gallery Wendelboe, Bergen, Norway
1999 Abraham David Christian and Siim-Tanel Annus, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
1999 Gallery Sammas, Tallinn, Estonia
1997 47th International Biennale di Venezia, Italy.. Representing Estonia together with R. Kurvitz and J. Toomik
1997 Gallery Sammas, Tallinn, Estonia
1997 Gallery Vaal, Tallinn, Estonia
1996 Gallery Pelin, Helsinki, Finland
1995 Mältinranta Art Centre, Tampere, Finland
1994 Hotel Strand, Pärnu, Estonia
1993 “At the Beginning Was Darkness” Gallery Deco, Tallinn, Estonia
1993 “Secret Lives” Gallery Deco, Tallinn, Estonia
1992 “Baltic Art auf Schloss Glücksburg”, Orangerie im Schlosspark, Germany
1991 Gallery P.U.N.K.T., Hamburg, Germany
1991 Gallery Pelin, Helsinki, Finland
1991 Gallery Art Norne, Hamamatsu, Japan
1991 Gallery Voyant, Shizuoka, Japan
1990 Pori Municipal Library, Finland
1989 Gallery Pelin, Helsinki, Finland
1986 Riga House of Sciences, Latvia
1983 Art Saloon, Tallinn, Estonia
1981 Gallery of the Academy of Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia
1980 Exhibition at Mooni 46A, Tallinn, Estonia
1979 Gallery of the Academy of Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia
1978 House of Architects, Vilnius, Lithuania
PERFORMANCES
2018 "Path", Chaokuang Art Museum, Xiamen, China
2013 "Storm", Kalame R. Sagrits Museum, Karepa, Estonia
2012 "Silence", Kalame R. Sagrits Museum, Karepa, Estonia
2011 "Distress", Kalame R. Sagrits Museum, Karepa, Estonia
2010 "Decline", Kalame R. Sagrits Museum, Karepa, Estonia
2007 “20 Years Later” Mooni46A,Tallinn, Estonia
2005 "Twipoules", Gallery Art Depoo, Tallinn, Estonia
1997 47th Biennale di Venezia, Italy
1993 Eleonora Performance Festival, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
1993 “Rationalized Eternity”,Vilnius Modern Art Centre, Lithuania
1992 “Baltic Art aus Schloss Glücksburg”, Germany
1992 “Baltic Art during the Brezhnev Era”,John B.Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada