Strike brings international iron artists to Tallinn for five-day festival

Tallinn is hosting the international iron art and blacksmithing festival Strike from November 4 to 8, with events organised by the Estonian Academy of Arts’ jewellery and blacksmithing department, ERR reports. The programme includes a two-day conference, exhibitions, workshops and public demonstrations. All events are free to attend.

Blacksmiths, artists, designers and researchers from Estonia and abroad will explore the role of iron and blacksmithing in contemporary art and culture. The programme considers the craft both as a living tradition and as a form of artistic expression, as well as a way to examine people’s relationship with materials, technology and physical work.

An international conference at the Estonian Academy of Arts on November 6 and 7 will bring together speakers from Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States. Topics include iron’s influence on human development, the meaning of hands-on work, the future of traditional blacksmithing techniques and the use of metal in contemporary art. Speakers include philosopher Eik Hermann, archaeometallurgist Ragnar Saage, jewellery researcher Julia Wild, Australian blacksmith and artist Will Maguire, German artist Peter Bauhuis, Japanese photographer Jun Ishikura and Indonesian blacksmith Raditya Mahardhika. Estonian blacksmithing will be discussed by Sander Haugas, Nils Hint and Urmas Lüüs. The talks will also be streamed live on EKA TV.

The international touring exhibition, assembled through an open call, features more than 300 works by over 100 artists and designers. It explores the range of possibilities offered by iron and the connections between traditional blacksmithing, contemporary art, jewellery and design. The exhibition is open daily from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. from November 4 to 8 at the Estonian Academy of Arts’ White House venue. A student exhibition, workshops and public demonstrations are also part of the festival.

After Tallinn, the exhibition will travel to the Coda Museum in Apeldoorn, the Schmuck programme of Munich Jewellery Week, the Koru9 programme in Riihisaari, Finland, and the European Biennial of Blacksmithing in Stia, Italy.