Curator tour of the exhibition “Metamorphoses: Power. Violence. Gender”
The curator-led tour of the exhibition “Metamorphoses: Power. Violence. Gender” explores the role of the Roman writer Ovid’s mythological epic Metamorphoses in European art and cultural history, and introduces myths that have inspired artists for centuries.
Using the story of Diana and Actaeon depicted in the ceiling painting of the Great Hall of Kadriorg Palace as a starting point, we will examine how Ovid’s work and biography were used in 17th- and 18th-century Europe in the service of power and ideology, while reflecting on the themes of power, punishment and violence embedded in ancient myths. From a contemporary perspective, we will also discuss themes of empowerment, gender identity and the abuse of power as explored through the myths presented in the exhibition.
The tour will be led by Sophie Turner, one of the exhibition’s curators.
Sophie Turner is a cultural historian, specializing in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France, in particular early modern literature, the history of the book, and intellectual history. She defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Oxford (2015). Currently she is a visiting lecturer in the Estonian Art Academy.
Participation is free of charge with an annual pass to the Art Museum of Estonia.
