Jaan Toomik

Jaan Toomik (born in 1961) is a recognized Estonian artist proficient in painting, video, and performance art. While he initially embarked on his artistic journey as a painting student in the late 1980s, his practice evolved towards installation and performance art following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Jaan Toomik's Remarkable Works

Jaan Toomik's path to international recognition began in the 1990s, primarily through his groundbreaking video works. Pieces like "Way To Sao Paulo" (1994), featured at the Sao Paulo Biennial, and "Dancing Home," which premiered in Helsinki at ARS '95, established the foundations of his distinctive artistic practice. His work transcended geographical and autobiographical boundaries, capturing the essence of a changing world.

One of the artist's most renowned and successful works, "Father and Son" (1998), depicted the artist skiing naked on the frozen Baltic Sea to the accompaniment of his then 10-year-old son's choir singing religious hymns. This video is now part of various private and museum collections.

Over the past decade, Toomik has expanded his involvement into the realm of film, taking on roles as a writer and director. He created a short film titled "Oleg" in 2010 and followed it with a feature film called "Landscape with Many Moons" in 2014.

Jaan Toomik's influence has extended well beyond the borders of Estonia. He has exhibited widely, both in his homeland and abroad, making notable appearances at events like the first Manifesta in 1996, the 4th Berlin Contemporary Art Biennial in 2006, and representing Estonia at the Venice Biennial twice, in 1997 and 2003.