Happy Openings!

14.12.2018 – 2.02.2019

Happy openings!
Heiki Raudla’s collection of openers and Christmas tree installations by interior designer Riina Eigi

The exhibition title “Happy openings” is a paraphrase to Christmas wishes, but it could be kept in mind that the word “opening” has multiple meanings. The word pairs “opening–closing”, “closed–open” create various associations that are amplified at Christmas, during the breathing time, in anticipation of the new year. Christmas is the time of miracles, and the time of expectancy and the opening of souls. At the end of the year, when it is customary to look back on the past, we leave something permanently behind. Some doors close in the hope that others will open and that the new will be better than the old. In this sense, an opener is a necessary tool, which makes our lives easier.

Heiki Raudla is a well-known person in Viljandi. In recent years, regardless of the fast pace of life, he has found time for an interesting hobby, collecting bottle openers. Now he has already gathered a few boxes of them. Collectors sooner or later develop a need to share their passion with others... At the end of the year, the rich collection of Heiki Raudla will be presented at the Kondas Centre in the most untraditional way – as Christmas tree decorations.

There are about 250 openers on the Christmas tree installations, half of them are wine openers and half are crown cap openers. There are simple and traditional examples, but also weird-looking multifunctional ones. There are openers from nearly all continents, mostly from Europe, but also America, Africa and Asia. The oldest wine opener is about 120 years old.

Mari Vallikivi