Visuaalkunsti

Visuaalkunsti, in Estonian usage, denotes the field of visual arts, the art forms intended for visual experience. The scope includes a broad range of media including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, video and film, installation, performance documentation, digital and new media, and hybrid practices that combine several media. Visual art is often exhibited in galleries, museums, public spaces, and increasingly online, where works can be viewed, interacted with, or collected.

Historically, visual arts have developed from prehistoric and classical traditions to modern and contemporary movements. Key developments include the invention of perspective in the Renaissance, the rise of abstraction, and the emergence of conceptual, minimalist, and postmodern approaches in the 20th century. Since the late 20th century, globalization and digital technologies have expanded the field, enabling new formats such as net art, interactive installations, and video installations.

Practice in visuaalkunsti typically involves research, conception, and production, followed by presentation and critical reception. Artists may work independently or within studios, collectives, or institutions. Education and training are provided by art schools, universities, and academies of arts; in Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Arts is a central institution, alongside galleries, museums, and artist-run spaces that support contemporary practice.

In contemporary discourse, visuaalkunsti engages with social, political, and cultural questions, addressing topics such as representation, identity, memory, and environment. The field intersects with design, architecture, and media arts, while preserving a focus on visual experience and aesthetic inquiry.