“Tuhast” installation at Narva city centre

“Tuhast” installation at Narva city centre

The winner of the Narva Urban Installation Residency (NAIR) Competition is Tuhast (Eng. “From the Ashes”) by Augustas Lapinskas. Their installation showcases Ida Virumaa’s transition from its industrial past towards its future as a regional beacon of ecological revival. The work was inspired by solidified layers of oil shale – the material emblem of the region – and the recent innovations that made the reuse of Oil Shale Ash (OSA) waste possible.

During this residency, the artist explored the use of bio-receptive OSA concrete — a state-of-art material that combines oil shale ash with traditional cement. Lapinskas also utilised original concrete-casting techniques to recreate the form and texture of shale-rock formation. As a part of the public program, the artist organised a series of presentations and workshops to help the local community and visiting students better understand the environmental and social impact of industry.

Tuhast will be opened to the public in October 2024 as a 3-metre-tall arch portal. This installation invites you to walk through a symbolic threshold that marks a transformative point in time for the region. The piece will represent the transition from the oil shale ash industry to a green power future, which will help to fight the climate crisis and mitigate the negative impact of concrete in the region and beyond.

Augustas Lapinskas is actively engaged in artistic research and interdisciplinary collaborations, has co-founded the interdisciplinary art collective micro-empathy, and is a member of the speculative architecture group 3022.

Photo: Patrick Münnich

Production of the installation

The “Tuhast” installation, conceptualised by Augustas Lapinskas, is in its production phase. The piece is designed to represent Ida Virumaa’s shift from an industrial past to a sustainable future. It utilises innovative techniques and materials to create a public artwork which symbolises the ecological revitalization of the region. The centrepiece of the installation is a monolithic arch, cast in a single casting mould, which was assembled out of over 500 carefully designed pieces.The production of “Tuhast” faced two distinct challenges, which required extensive research, collaboration and experimentation to overcome. The first was the production of the casting mould, which is meant to reproduce the image of a shale-rock formation. Inspired by the work and experimentation of Maya Lin, A. Labašauskas, P. Zumthor and Walter Jack, Augustas Lapinskas proposed a novel casting technique. This new approach was tested and developed at Narva Art Residency, with technical assistance from A. Sprindžiūnas. While it is common in architecture to use wooden casting moulds for concrete to achieve a wood-like texture, Lapinskas’ process makes a significant departure. In this project, varying plywood shapes were stacked, assembled, and finally burned to create a highly detailed distressed surface. The resulting wooden cast mimics the organic, shard-like texture of shale-rock.

The second challenge was formulating an ultra-lightweight concrete mix which would utilise the bio-receptive properties of OSA. The bioreceptive OSA concrete mix used in this project was inspired by the material science research conducted at Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu and Delft University of Technology. Due to limited resources, this new formula could not be tested in a laboratory environment. Therefore, multiple consultations with material providers, scientists, and concrete specialists were required – thus delaying the production schedule by over three months. More than fifteen variations of the formula were proposed until one was identified as the most effective and reliable. Once these challenges were resolved, the production process was able to proceed. 

The project was meant to ride on the edge with all the experimentation, uncertainty, responsibility, and it did. At least two occasions required invention to move forward. So much help and support we have received, it would have not been possible without the people who joined and contributed along the way. There are the last few responsible tasks ahead of us but all the leaps are in the past. All I want is that the locals, who I got to talk to while working on-site, would get to experience it and act-out the imaginaries they shared – to climb it, to greet the sun by it, to throw a party there. We were mindful of the lively attitude and we tried to produce the installation sturdy and safe to withstand the vigour of this place, which I adore. It is public art and I hope it integrates.– Augustas Lapinskas

The project is a part of TAB 2024 Satellite program, administered by Narva Art Residency, and is supported by Narva Municipality, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Ministry of Culture, and Lithuanian Council for Culture. Installation production partners: 3DKoda OÜ, Decora AS, Enefit, Ehituse ABC, Uus Saam Grupp and D&M BALKANSKI OÜ with the assistance of Tatjana Štšurikova, Delija Thakur, Ditiya Ferdous, Algis Sprindžiūnas, Marius Lukošiūnas and Lyly Letzer.  Project friends: Kohtla-Järve Museum of Oil Shale, Ragn-Sells AS.