On Wednesday, November 11 at 5:00 PM, the Pärnu City Gallery Artists' House will host the opening of “Underground Light”, a collaborative exhibition by artists Joonas Parve, Merike Tamm, Herkko Labi, and Margit Terasmees.

Underground Light is a synthesis of sculptural forms, organic sounds, and rich textures, bringing together sculpture, painting, ceramics, and printmaking to depict an encounter with the living organisms inhabiting the damp forest floor—just centimeters beneath the surface. Here, within dark burrows brimming with immense vital energy, life thrives not only through fungi and bacteria but also across the domain of human archetypes. It is an exploration of the unknown and the mystical—a mycorrhiza of the subconscious that yearns for new cosmic myths and fresh light amidst the accelerating loss of natural landscapes and the encroachment of an algorithm-driven reality. The exhibition stands as the artists’ homage to humus and the millions of chthonic creatures residing within it: ancient subterranean forces that, despite relentless external pressure, continue to sustain the biosphere's cycle of life.

The exhibition functions as a cohesive ecosystem, uniting the works of printmaker and sculptor Joonas Parve, ceramicist Margit Terasmees, and painter Merike Tamm with an immersive soundscape composed by Herkko Labi.

Joonas Parve originally trained as an actor at the Viljandi Culture Academy and currently lives and works in Tallinn. Following a decade-long career in theatre with the Cabaret Rhizome ensemble, his passion has shifted from the performing arts toward the fine arts, with a primary focus on wood-fired ceramics and printmaking. His work is inspired by dialogues with the past—archaic symbols and narratives that the artist interprets through a personal and subconscious prism.

Merike Tamm graduated from the Tartu Art College and furthered her studies in Tampere and Ghent. She lives and works in Tallinn, occasionally spending periods on the island of Manilaid. Her practice focuses primarily on painting and graphic design. Her work is born from the impressions and fleeting moments captured during extended excursions into nature. Her paintings serve as a visual diary of her time spent in the landscape, with entries dedicated to biodiversity and archetypal terrains.

Herkko Labi is a videographer and producer who has spent over a decade dedicating his interludes from daily routine to recording soundscapes deep within forests and bogs. By recomposing these natural sounds, blending disparate ecosystems and species, and treating the audio, the artist creates entirely new, unfamiliar habitats and acoustic fields for the listener.

Margit Terasmees is a designer and ceramicist who holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) and is a member of the Estonian Ceramicists' Association. She has participated in various exhibitions since 2015, showcasing both her drawings and sculptural ceramic forms. While the majority of her practice consists of functional, wood-fired ceramics, she also creates sculptural forms in both porcelain and wood-fired clay. For this exhibition, she utilizes porcelain in both its fired and raw states, seeking to unveil the memory and layers embedded within the material through playful figural fragments.

After the opening of “Underground Light”, at 5.30 PM Eveli Varik’s solo exhibition “The Happy Prince” will open in the Project Space of Pärnu Artists’ House. 

Admission to Pärnu City Gallery exhibitions is free.

Pärnu City Gallery opening hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat 11:00-14:00 (closed on public holidays)