Tarvo Varres 'The Shadow of a Flame' (2015). Installation with candle, sheet of metal and cardboard on the wall, halogen spotlight on stand, in a darkened room, variable dimensions. View from the exhibition 'Shadow of a Flame', Tartu Art House, Estonia, 2015. Photo: Paul Kuimet
Tarvo Varres 'The Shadow of a Flame' (2015). Installation with candle, sheet of metal and cardboard on the wall, halogen spotlight on stand, in a darkened room, variable dimensions. View from the exhibition 'Shadow of a Flame', Tartu Art House, Estonia, 2015. Photo: Paul Kuimet
Tarvo Varres 'The Shadow of a Flame' (2015). Detail. View from the exhibition 'Shadow of a Flame', Tartu Art House, Estonia, 2015. Photo: Paul Kuimet
Tarvo Varres 'The Shadow of a Flame' (2015). Detail. View from the exhibition 'Shadow of a Flame', Tartu Art House, Estonia, 2015. Photo: Paul Kuimet
Tarvo Varres 'The Shadow of a Flame' (2015). Installation with candle, sheet of metal and cardboard on the wall, halogen spotlight on stand, in a darkened room, variable dimensions. View from the exhibition 'Köler Prize 2018. Exhibition of Nominees', Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, 2018. Photo: Hedi Jaansoo
Tarvo Varres ‘How long this lasted I can’t imagine, it wasn’t an imaginary time, it also didn’t belong to the time of things that happen’ (2022). White neon tubes, Mauruce Blanchot’ sentence, 5 × 695 cm. View from the exhibition ‘Shadow of Time’, Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2023. Photo: Tarvo Varres
Tarvo Varres ‘How long this lasted I can’t imagine, it wasn’t an imaginary time, it also didn’t belong to the time of things that happen’ (2022). White neon tubes, Mauruce Blanchot’ sentence, 5 × 695 cm. View from the exhibition ‘Shadow of Time’, Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2023. Photo: Tarvo Varres
Tarvo Varres ‘How long this lasted I can’t imagine, it wasn’t an imaginary time, it also didn’t belong to the time of things that happen’ (2022). White neon tubes, Mauruce Blanchot’ sentence, 5 × 695 cm. View from the exhibition ‘Shadow of Time’, Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, 2023. Photo: Tarvo Varres
Tarvo Varres 'Corners Series' (2013). Series of photographs, 44 pigment prints on aluminium, 24 × 30 cm each, grid 150 × 380 cm.
Tarvo Varres ‘Corners Series’ (2013). Series of photographs, 44 pigment prints on aluminium, 24 × 30 cm each, grid 150 × 380 cm. Installation view in group exhibition ‘Shadows of a Doubt’, curator Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia, 2013. Photo: Krisel Raesaar
Tarvo Varres ‘Corners Series’ (2013). Series of photographs, 44 pigment prints on aluminium, 24 × 30 cm each, grid 150 × 380 cm. Installation view in group exhibition ‘Shadows of a Doubt’, curator Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia, 2013. Photo: Tarvo Varres
Tarvo Varres ‘Corners Series’ (2013). Detail.

Tarvo Varres (b. 1970) currently researches the concepts of non-self and nonlinear time in his work. Varres is known for series of photographs ‘Portraits’ (1996), ‘The Sun Series’ (2002), videos and installations occasionally using sound, text or light as in ‘Notes on Non-Self’ (2018), ‘The Shadow of a Flame’ (2015), ‘Recording Floor’ (2015). Varres started exhibiting institutionally in 1991 with the group exhibition ‘Guide to Intronomadism’ in Tallinn Art Hall; is the recipient of the Young Photographer Award (1992), Annual Award by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia as a member of ‘Group T’ (1996), and was Köler Prize 2018 nominee. He has taught contemporary art and photography as a guest tutor at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Tartu Art College (1996 -2016). His works are included in the collection of contemporary art in the Art Museum of Estonia.

Homepage