2018 Temet Nosce, Tallinna Õpetajate Maja Kunstigalerii

Studio 22 näitus Tallina Õpetajate Maja kunstigaleriis

TEMET NOSCE ehk tunne iseennast

22.11.18 – 7.01.19

Temet nosce on ladinakeelne versioon Delphi Apolloni templi kreekakeelsest tervituskirjast gnothi seauton, mis tõlkes tähendab „tunne iseennast“. Apolloni tempel oli ka mõistatusliku Delphi oraakli asupaik ning müütide järgi asus seal omphalos – maailma kese. Sümboolselt tähistas Delphi oraakli külastamine teekonda omaenda sisima olemuseni, kust leiame vastused kõikidele oma küsimustele. Kuulsat Delphi maksiimi „tunne iseennast“ on proovinud tõlgendada mitmed vanakreeka filosoofid ja hilisemad kristliku taustaga mõtlejad, kuid algselt võis see juhis olla pärit vanast Egiptusest. Nimelt asus Luxoris kaheosaline tempel, kus väline osa, mis tähistas inimkeha kui jumalikkuse asupaika, oli avatud kõigile, seevastu sisemine tempel oli ülisalajane ja sinna lubati vaid neid, kes olid valmis omandama sügavamaid, vaimumaailmast tulevaid teadmisi. Sisemisse templisse sisenejale öeldi: „Inimene, tunne iseennast ja sa hakkad mõistma jumalaid“. Vanadel kreeklastel tähendas see maksiim aga soovitust mitte sõltuda teiste inimeste arvamusest, vaid jääda truuks iseendale ja oma unikaalsele teekonnale. 19. sajandi algul kirjutas Ralph Waldo Emerson selle maksiimiga seoses luuletuse, kus ta ütleb: „Enesetundmine tähendab Jumala tundmist, kes elab igas inimeses“.

Küsides endalt: „Kes ma olen?“, asume teekonnale, mille viljad selle näituse kontekstis avalduvad meie loomingu kaudu. Meie eesmärgiks on jõuda tõeni iseendas – just sellisel määral, nagu see parajasti hoomatav on. Enda olemuse tundma õppimine võib avada nii mõnegi ukse ning juhatada meid maailma/universumi/jumalikkuse sügavama mõistmise poole. Meie taotluseks on luua „endasse vaatamise ruum“, mis toimiks ka vaataja puhul ning tekitaks huvi ja soovi mõista, mida „tunne iseennast“ tema jaoks isiklikult tähendab.

Näitus „TEMET NOSCE ehk tunne iseennast“ on Studio 22 jaoks on samm ühise välja taasavastamise poole. See näitus on omamoodi kooskõlaproov, mis võtab arvesse iga osaleja unikaalset eripära, senist teekonda ja individuaalset terviklikkust. Toetudes ühisele aluspõhjale, on meie eesmärgiks sakraalse ruumi kaasamine oma loomingusse.

Osalevad kunstnikud: Tõnis Vint, Sven-Erik Stamberg, Riina Grethiel Leppoja-Kaljusmaa, Raini Laide, Rainer Kurm, Martin Vällik, Mauri Gross, Marge Viirg, Marge Laast, Mae Kivilo, Jaak Saks, Jaak Johanson, Ingrid Järv, Evar Riitsaar, Eva Vint, Eneli Luiga, Agu Pilt (1951-2002).

***

The exhibition „TEMET NOSCE or know thyself“ is for Studio 22 a step towards rediscovering our shared energy field. It is, in a way, a harmony check that takes into account the participants’ uniqueness, their road thus far and individual integrity. The aim is to incorporate sacred space into our work, using our common ground.

The phrase Temet nosce is a Latin version of the Greek inscription at the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, gnothi seauton, which means „know thyself“. The temple of Apollo was also the place where the mysterious Oracle of Delphi resided and according to ancient myths, it was where omphalos, the centre of the world could be found. Symbolically, the visit to the Oracle of Delphi represented the journey to man’s own inner essence, where the answers to all the questions can be found. Many famous Greek philosophers and later also thinkers of Christian background have tried to interpret the well-known Delphic maxim “know thyself”, which may have its origins in ancient Egypt. In Luxor there was a temple which had two parts. The external temple represented the body of man as the dwelling place of the divine and was open to everyone. The internal temple, however, was secret and only those were allowed to enter who were prepared to acquire deeper spiritual knowledge. Those who entered the internal temple, were told “Man, know thyself, and you are going to know the gods”. For the ancient Greeks the maxim was a recommendation to not depend on the opinion of others, but instead to remain true to your own self and your own unique journey. In the beginning of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a poem about this maxim where he expressed his belief that knowing yourself means knowing the God that exists within each person.

Asking ourselves „Who am I?“, we embark on a journey. The outcome of this journey is revealed through our art in the context of this exhibition. We strive to find the truth within ourselves, to the extent it can be perceived at this present moment. Getting to know our inner self can open many doors and lead us to deeper understanding of the world, the universe, the divine. Our aim is to create a „space for looking inside ourselves“ which would also work for the viewers, increasing their interest and desire to understand what “know thyself” means for them personally.