Adamson-Eric Museum’s new exhibition focuses on mental health

Starting on 23 February, the Adamson-Eric Museum will host the exhibition (Un)Balanced: Exhibition About Noticing and Peace of Mind, which invites us to reflect on how to maintain balance in life and cope with change and difficulties.

The exhibition features works by eight contemporary artists, all of which, in one way or another, explore the concept of balance. How can we find balance between worries and joys, work and leisure, dreams and commitments, anxiety and peace of mind? The works include a display of sombre objects by Urmas Lüüs, delicate ceramics by Ingrid Allik, a set of evocative photos by Karel Koplimets, vibrant glass mosaics by Maret Sarapu, humorous photos by Sigrid Viir, a light installation exploring life’s contradictions by Merle Kannus, a fairytale-like video work by Flo Kasearu, and a distressing series of portraits by Piret Räni.

“While the exhibition addresses painful issues, such as loneliness and burnout, it also invites us to look at the brighter side of life, and take pleasure in small everyday things,” says the exhibition curator, Karin Vicente. “The upheavals of recent years – especially war and the climate crisis – have had a direct impact on individual well-being. But our peace of mind may also be affected by changes in brain chemistry. How to maintain balance is one of the key skills in today’s world.”

The exhibition is accompanied by educational programmes for different age groups and a series of lectures in cooperation with the mental health portal Peaasi.ee. The lecture series will cover such topics as mental health “vitamins”, how to manage anxiety and how to find peace of mind.

“Seeking balance is a part of human nature, and falling out of balance from time to time is also a perfectly normal part of life. Everyone can do quite a lot for their mental health. In this series of lectures, we will discuss what practical steps to take to achieve this,” said Elina Kivinukk, a psychologist and Peaasi.ee coach, who will give the opening lecture on 7 March, entitled “Vitamins for mental health. How to maintain balance in life” (in Estonian).

For more information on the exhibition’s public and educational programmes, see the museum’s website. The exhibition will be open until 13 October 2024.

Participating artists: Ingrid Allik, Merle Kannus, Flo Kasearu, Karel Koplimets, Urmas Lüüs, Piret Räni, Maret Sarapu and Sigrid Viir
Curator: Karin Vicente
Exhibition and graphic design: Aadam Kaarma
Exhibition team: Richard Adang, Siim Hiis, Kersti Koll, Kaja Kährik, Tõnis Medri, Kaisa-Piia Pedajas, Renita Raudsepp, Brigita Reinert, Stanislav Stepaško, Laura Tahk, Allan Talu and Annika Teras
We thank: Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts, Jaanika Palm and Peaasi.ee