From 27 October, ETDM will host the exhibition “Uneversum: Rhythms and Spaces”, which examines the time and space for sleep.

As Sandra Nuut, the exhibition’s curator, explains, “Our perception of time is in constant flux. For instance, cultural critic Jonathan Crary has highlighted the influence of capitalist thinking on our daily lives, emphasising the ceaseless demands of a non-stop society that drives constant activity and consumption. In this pursuit, we often sacrifice sleep to meet the demands of a society that glorifies productivity, activity, and speed.” The exhibition, she continues, “juxtaposes everyday objects with design projects and works of art to illustrate how our perception of the time and space for sleep has changed over time and how it resonates with our experiences today. A number of the works on display offer immersive experiences. For instance, Helga Schmid’s 2019 installation, “Circadian Dreams”, allows visitors to tune into the rhythms of their bodies by feeling the effects of sound and light.”

“Rhythms and Spaces” explores the fascinating relationship between radical ideas and the everyday as they interact with sleeping spaces, environments, and time and timekeeping. The exhibition showcases the work of both foreign and Estonian designers who – through visions of the future to approaches dating back over a century – explore the spaces and times that we dedicate to sleep. 

The modern concept of the bedroom dates back no more than two centuries, while the term “fatigue” only entered scientific discourse in the 1860s. Yet, there was already talk of a fatigue epidemic by the end of the 1800s. In 1943, Time magazine published a curious statement from architect and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller, in which he suggested, “Sleep is just a bad habit”. Looking to the present day, we see a trend towards digital monitoring of our sleep patterns as we seek to track, enhance, and optimise the different aspects of our lives.

“In contrast to those visions dating from the latter part of the 20th century, the visions of sleep we see today are not bright images of the future. Instead, they look in multiple directions, combining modern technology, recycling, and craftsmanship with personal experience, science, fantasy, and cognition,” says the curator. “For example, in his work “Organic Noise Machine” (2023), Norman Orro examines how we relate to sound and noise as a result of sleep deprivation.”

One of the most striking pieces on display is Helga Schmid’s installation “Circadian Dreams” (2019), created as a response to our current crisis of time. Before the 15th century, time was perceived as a steady flow. However, the widespread use of mechanical clocks after the turn of the century marked the beginning of a desynchronisation between the social construction of time and the natural rhythms of life. Research indicates that people in Western societies are increasingly pressured by time and often express concerns about the lack of it.

Schmid’s installation functions as both a space and a clock, where twelve minutes correspond to a 24-hour day, and each minute represents two hours. Light and sound affect our bodily rhythms – bright blue light energises us, intense red-orange hues relax us, and darkness lulls us to sleep.

Visitors who attended kindergarten in Estonia during the 1970s and 1980s may also encounter some familiar sights. These include Niina Eigi’s bed (1983), designed for the Piilupesa kindergarten at the Haabneeme Kirov Fishing Kolkhoz, and the modular bed (1978) that Helle Gans designed for Pärnu KEK’s Trall kindergarten. 

The Piilupesa kindergarten, designed by Ado Eigi, was a symbolic post-modern object. With its rooftop towers, arched windows, glass verandas, internal balconies, and colonnades, it has been compared to a fairy-tale castle. This fantastical architectural language carried over to Niina Eigi’s interior design, which featured custom-made furniture, most distinctively the house-shaped units with four beds that simultaneously brought the children together and allowed them their own space for sleep. 

Helle Gans designed her modular bed for the Pärnu KEK Trall kindergarten during a period when many designers sought to reimagine the living environment so that it would be more adaptable to the increasingly mobile lifestyles of the era. She achieved this goal through modularity, designing beds that could be neatly stowed away like drawers, thus creating additional play space for children in their waking hours. 

In another intriguing example of modularity, the exhibition features a number of photographs of Joe Colombo’s designs, in which he explored the future of home design. An eye-catching example of this is his “Cabriolet Bed” (1969), a machine for living spaces designed to create both daytime and nighttime environments. The bed’s most distinctive feature was a yellow awning that could be lowered to provide privacy and a comfortably dark space for sleep.

All these rhythms and spaces of sleeping can be explored at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design until 28 January.

The exhibition has an extensive programme of lessons and discussions

27 October: Discussion with Helga Schmid and Tõnis Jürgens, moderated by curator Sandra Nuut.

23 November: Discussion with Kärt Ojavee and Norman Orro. 

For school groups, we offer an exhibition-related lesson at the museum titled “Switch on, Switch off”. For more information, please visit https://www.etdm.ee/haridus

Curator: Sandra Nuut

Designers: HG Architecture (HGA) Andrea Ainjärv, Anna Endrikson, Evelyn Fridolin, and Tomomi Hayashi

Exhibition production: Valge Kuup

Graphic design: WWW stuudio, Ranno Ait 

Exhibition team: Helen Adamson, Kai Lobjakas, Silvia Pärmann, Ketli Tiitsar, and Toomas Übner

Sponsors: Embassy of Austria, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Academy of Arts, Nordic Hotel Forum, Treimann Mööbel ja Disain

Many thanks to Aina Alunurm, Harri Ausmaa, Avinurme Vanavara, DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Estonian Museum of Architecture, Art Museum of Estonia, Tanel Eigi, Flat & Bound / Integral Lars Müller, Eliina Grünberg, Ignazia Favata / Studio Joe Colombo, Triin Jerlei, Madis Kurss, Else Lagerspetz, New York Museum of Modern Art, Helen Oja, Poltronova, Eva Ponomarjov, Pärnu’s Trall kindergarten, National Archives of Estonia, National Library of Estonia, Refiner Translations, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Hille Saluäär, Tallinn City Museum, Viimsi Municipality, Vienna University of Applied Arts – Collection and Archive.

“Uneversum” is a collaborative exhibition project between the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum, and the Estonian Health Museum. 

For more information, please visit www.etdm.ee, www.uneversum.ee