Ave Vellesalu “Rodeo”

Ave Vellesalu’s Rodeo questions the ethics of global work culture and its impact on society. How much should an organization consider individual needs to ensure optimal performance, and how significant is employee well-being in the success of a company? On the other hand, the work presents the possibility of viewing labor as an attempt to reach bliss, where earthly hard work is a form of redemption to ascend to heaven. The stairway to heaven is a corporate ladder, and climbing to its top is becoming increasingly difficult.

The infamous sculpture Charging Bull on Wall Street in New York symbolizes professional optimism and financial growth. The charging bull has also been used both literally and metaphorically for decades as an entertainment object. The moving figure, in addition to the life-threatening bullfights, has been seen in amusement parks, pubs and movies as a form of entertainment, where climbing onto it makes one feel like a powerful cowboy.

In the artwork, Vellesalu gives a new meaning to this entertainment-driven machine. It represents an animal dreaming of greener grass and an idyllic life, while being in a weaker position in the hierarchy of living beings and systematically trapped in a hopeless situation.

Ave Vellesalu is a contemporary artist and musician based in Tallinn, Estonia. She has

studied contemporary arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn and the Academy

of Fine Arts in Helsinki. Vellesalu’s works are mainly focused on contemporary conflicts within society and the environment, shown in moving spatial installations mixed with photo, video and sound. The artist tries to match the organic with the sterile, while looking for a place for herself in the midst of domesticated nature. She uses different natural materials to create new

indoor experiences. Ave Vellesalu is a cofounder and member of the art pop music duo Vera Vice.

Thanks: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Ivar Murd, Kalle Tikas, Eve-Ly Pakkonen, Ann Vellesalu, Allan Vellesalu