Overview
Maajaam (meaning “earth station” in Estonian) is an independent art and technology farm, media art residency, and creative studio situated in the hilly rural landscape of Southern Estonia. Founded and run by artists Timo Toots and Mari-Liis Rebane alongside their family, Maajaam operates as a living-working ecosystem that bridges historical farm architecture with present-day high-tech facilities. The site houses a dedicated residency house, an open studio, an electronics lab, a heavy workshop space, a traditional 1928 smoke sauna, and 25 hectares of surrounding natural land. Additionally, Maajaam serves as the home base for Toots’s creative studio Masinism and hosts the recurring Wild Bits outdoor technological art exhibition and residency series.
Objectives
Maajaam aims to research, experiment with, and reflect upon the intersections between humans, technology, and nature through the prism of contemporary art. By replacing urban environments with a rural setting, the center seeks to examine technology in its raw form and explore its influence on human behavior, perception, and societal thinking. Grounded in creative freedom, process-based exploration, and environmental integration, Maajaam strives to foster cross-disciplinary dialogues that encourage the development of technology that is more responsible, reflective, and closely connected to natural surroundings.
Programs / Opportunities
- Self-Funded Residencies: Open-call residential stays (minimum one week) for individual creators or groups, offering private/shared bedrooms, open studio access, equipment usage, and invitation letters for external grant applications.
- Fully Funded & Topic-Specific Residencies: Organised per-project thematic residencies (such as the Wild Bits technological art residency series) that provide full financial support and culminating outdoor exhibition platforms.
- Institutional Residencies: Custom partnership residencies hosted on behalf of external organizations (galleries, museums, universities) seeking facilities and administrative expertise.
- Volunteer & Internship Program: Seasonal, hands-on opportunities (minimum 4 hours/day, 5 days/week) focusing on farm maintenance, residency management, workshop assistance, construction, and event support in exchange for shared housing and facility access.
- Production Facilities & Technical Labs: Access to specialized facilities including an Open Studio (50 m²), a Clean Lab (70 m² with 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics workbenches), a Trolley Workshop equipped for heavy woodworking and metalwork (CNC plasma cutter, welding equipment), and 25 hectares of outdoor land for site-specific interventions.
Target Community
- Multidisciplinary Creators & Researchers: International and domestic artists, makers, sound designers, filmmakers, writers, scientists, and interdisciplinary researchers working at the intersection of technology and ecology.
