Kunsthalle Zürich presents Intermezzo, the first institutional solo exhibition outside Estonia by Tallinn-based artist Kaarel Kurismaa (b. 1939, Pärnu). Running from February 7 to May 25, 2026, and curated by Fanny Hauser, the show focuses on kinetic sound sculptures from the late 1990s onward, displayed in dialogue for the first time.
Pioneering Estonian kinetic and sound art since the 1960s, Kurismaa created objects from readymade materials amid Soviet-era constraints, later shifting to public commissions and film before returning to personal hybrid instrument-machine works post-1990s.
Central pieces include the titular Intermezzo (1997, with a new edition), featuring unsynchronized motors activating tiny cymbals for evolving percussion; the large amplified Alma’s Railroad (1997), blending deep tones with personal and linguistic references; and his sole video, Racing the Waves (2001), documenting a seaside brass-sheet performance.
The exhibition forms a dynamic visual-acoustic ensemble exploring transition and connection. Kurismaa’s multidisciplinary practice spans sound, sculpture, painting, design, and kinetics, with works shown internationally, including recent group exhibitions in Vilnius, Graz, Moscow, Berlin, Istanbul, and New Jersey.
Vernissage Kaarel Kurismaa: Intermezzo at Kunsthalle Zürich. Zürich (Switzerland), February 6, 2026.
