Sten Saarits (b 1987) is an interdisciplinary artist who works mainly with time based media. Saarits' art practice, which emphasizes repetitions of themes and situations, is characterized by a drive to turn mental spaces into material landscapes to depict the states of mind, typical for the daily grind in a modern society, in a new form. As an avid field recordist, his installation works frequently utilize abstract sound compositions comprising spoken words and auditory signifiers, constructing participatory and animated environments. Saarits' practice commonly explores themes of overstimulation and situational uncertainty within the context of contemporary society.
Saarits has studied sound art (MA) and installation and sculpture (BA) in Estonian Academy of Arts. During the years of 2013–2014 he studied in the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where his curriculum focused on sound art, performance and film. Saarits has shown his work in Estonia, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, France and Lithuania.
2016 - 2018 - Estonian Academy of Arts / New Media Arts MA
2011 - 2015 - Estonian Academy of Arts / Installation and Sculpture BA
2013 - 2014 - Academy of Fine Arts Vienna / Expanded Pictorial Space Action / Kunst mit erweiterter malerischer Raum-Aktion, Skulptur, Installation im öffentlichen Raum / Erasmus exchange studies
2023 - It will take approximately 25 minutes to experience this exhibition, we apologize for any inconvenience (Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn)
2022 - Petrified (Vaal Gallery, Tallinn)
2021 - Dark Finitude (Post-Gallery.online)
2020 - The Wait (ARS Showroom, Tallinn)
2020 - Conversing in Absentia (Vent Space, Tallinn)
2019 - Black Gold with Edgar Tedresaar, curated by Siim Preiman (Tallinn City Gallery)
2018 - Zero G Tonic with Kristel Saan (Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn)
2016 - Spotlights / V Artishok Biennale (Theatre NO99, Tallinn)
2015 - Stuff (Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn)
2015 - My Eyes Are Going Crazy, I Am Trying To See Something But There's Nothing Here (with Erika Stöckel (SE))
(Haapsalu City Gallery, Estonia)
2014 - Phototactic Night Life (Trailer Gallery, Umeå, Sweden)
2024 - Layers of Landscape (Galerie Anna25, Berlin, Germany)
2023 - That Being Said, (Space for Free Arts, Helsinki, Finland)
2023 - Sound art Exhibition "Sõna saab heli" (Sound Speaks) at Roheline saal (Telliskivi, Tallinn)
2022 - It's Lonely in the Metaverse (with Egle Ehtjen, Kelli Gedvil, Kristen Rästas) (Rapla County Centre for Contemporary Art)
2019 - Art Museum of Estonia 100. Open Collections: The Artist Takes the Floor (with Taavi Talve) (KUMU, Tallinn)
2018 - Tase ‘18 / Master diploma works’ exhibition (Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn)
2017 - SSSSIV: Coil (with Sven Sosnitski) (Üle Heli Festival 2017, Loewenschede Tower, Tallinn)
2017 - 5x4 - Participatory sound installation (City Festival UIT 2017, Maarja church, Tartu)
2016 - SSSSIV: Coil (Supersonicum, Viljandi, Estonia)
2016 - Terra Incognita: Familiar Infinity (KUMU / Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn)
2015 - TL;DR (Art Hall Gallery / Kunstihoone galerii, Tallinn)
2015 - SSSSIII (with Sven Sosnitski) (Estonian Academy of Arts Gallery, Tallinn)
2015 - Tase '15 / Master diploma works' exhibition (Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn)
2014 - Open(ed) Borders / Ava(tud) piirid (Estonian Academy of Arts Gallery, Tallinn)
2014 - The Homunculus Collection (Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn)
2014 - Solipsism - No More (ISFAG, Tallinn)
2014 - Ladyland Biennale 2014 at Galerie Schloss Damtschach (Kärnter, Austria)
2014 - Side Effects II (Grenoble Ancient Museum and Library building, France)
2014 - Academy Season Finale / Rundgang (Semper Depot, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Austria)
2013 - Bite Vilnius (Sv.Jono Str. Gallery / Vilnius, Lithuania)
2013 - Young Sculptor´s Prize Show „Dimensions Variable” (Grand Prix winner) (Vaal Gallery, Tallinn)
2013 - Global Container XXVI (Polymer Culture Factory, Tallinn)
2012 - cUMULATION / kUMULATSIOON (KUMU / Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn)
2012 - New Objecthood / Uutmoodi asjastamatus (Tartu Art House / Tartu kunstimaja, Tartu)
2012 - Re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-reinventing
(with Anna-Liisa Rajamart, Nora Särak, Aili-maarja Mäeniit, Ricardo Basbaum / Raja Gallery, Tallinn)
2012 - Young Sculptor´s Prize Show / Noore Skulptori preemianäitus (Raja Gallery, Tallinn)
2012 - Sculptones / Skulptoonid (Georg Ots named musical school, Tallinn)
2012 - Perfect Forest / Perfektne mets (EKKM, Tallinn)
2012 - Host Guest Ghost #4 (Dansens Hus, Copenhagen, Denmark)
2023 - SSSS: Whole Is Less Than the Sum of its Parts (Performed by Sten Saarits and Matthias Kampf (THRVS), Walls Have Ears Sound Art Festival, Tallinn, Estonia)
2022 - Audiovisual performance "The Message Is the Medium" at sound art event "Patient, Portal, Creative Monsters and many more" (ARS Project Space, ARS Art Factory, Tallinn)
2020 - SSSS: Confluence (Üle Heli Quadrophonic Sound Evening, Tartu New Theatre, Tartu, Estonia)
2020 - "Midrange" with Jaanika Arum (ARS Project Space, Tallinn)
2019 - SSSS: Genetic Material (Üle Heli festival, ERR 1. stuudio (F.R.Kreutzwaldi 14, Tallinn), broadcasted on Klassikaraadio)
2019 - "t1RjQjDbPQ9Syp97DHFyzvgZhcjgLTMwhaq" (Experimental Art Evening at the "Kaarel Kurismaa. Yellow Light Orchestra" exhibition finissage, KUMU, Tallinn)
2018 - "Rabbit Owners’ Meeting" with Kristel Saan, animations by Egle Ehtjen (TAVA – Tartu Light Art Festival, Tartu)
2016 - SSSS live at Noisy November vol.3 (Supersonicum, Viljandi)
2018 The first sound and light installation of the reconstructed Tartu arch bridge. Co-authors: Liisi Kula, Martin Rästa, Roman-Sten Tõnissoo, Aivar Tõnso. Technical concept: Tipriit Valgusdisain, Audio System Design, Elinvar.
2018 4-channel outdoor sound installation and dynamic sound composition for Metro Plaza building in central Tallinn for the Estonia 100 birthday period (extended for 2019).
2018 Estonian Landscape Architects’ Union’s awards. Special prize for sound art and space synthesis: The first sound and light installation of the reconstructed Tartu arch bridge. Co-authors: Liisi Kula, Martin Rästa, Roman-Sten Tõnissoo, Aivar Tõnso. Technical concept: Tipriit Valgusdisain, Audio System Design, Elinvar.
2018 Young Artist’s Prize of Faculty of Fine Arts of Estonian Academy of Arts (MA)
2014 Eduard Wiiralt scholarship / Estonian Ministry of Culture
2013 Young Sculptor Prize / Estonian Academy of Arts Department for Installation and Sculpture
2012 Young Sculptor Prize / Estonian Academy of Arts Department for Installation and Sculpture
2016 Production Assistant for "Michael Portnoy: Relational Stalinism – The Musical" at the Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam.
2023 Copper Leg Art residency (Vaskjala, Estonia)
2017 MoKS Residency (Mooste, Estonia)
2017 MIMstuudio (Tallinn, Estonia)
2022+ Organizer for the biennial sound art festival 'Walls Have Ears' in Estonia
2018 - 2019 Organizer at the Resonart Studio, Tallinn