Expedition: Finno-Ugrians and the Power of Images
Finno-Ugric identity has been integral to Estonians’ self-image thanks largely to the interplay of art and scholarly research. On the one hand, this has been encouraged by expeditions involving artists, filmmakers, and other creative practitioners and how they have appropriated Finno-Ugric heritage. On the other hand, it has been promoted by the work of researchers and museums. Why did Estonians have to travel so far to find themselves? And why did the ethnographic study of other Indigenous peoples become such a crucial aspect of Estonians’ quest for identity?
In search of answers to these questions, this exhibition brings into dialogue the Finno-Ugric collections held by the Estonian National Museum, ethnographic drawings and photographs produced during expeditions of students from the State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR, and artworks, films, and designs inspired by Finno-Ugric heritage. Contemporary artists Karl Joonas Alamaa and Jaanus Samma have created their own interventions that shed light on this heritage.
Artworks displayed
Gallery
This exhibition stands in dialogue with the counterpart exhibition no beginning, no end: Decolonial Gestures in Sámi Worldbuilding (11.09.2026–14.03.2027), curated by Ann Mirjam Vaikla. Both are part of Expedition, a multi-year joint research project conducted by the Art Museum of Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Arts, and the Estonian National Museum that has been analysing Estonians’ relationships with Indigenous peoples and the impact of these relationships on the Estonian self-image.
Curator Linda Kaljundi on the exhibition:
We wish to situate Estonians’ relationships to Finno-Ugric peoples in a broader comparative context. Although belonging to the Finno-Ugric world seems a self-evident part of Estonian identity today, this understanding only became common in the 1970s and 1980s. It was encouraged both by scholarship and by the widespread use of Finno-Ugric heritage in Estonian culture – in films, art, music, and other forms. The Finno-Ugric “turn” is also significant in a broader context, as interest in Indigenous cultures was growing around the world at the time. Among other things, the energy and environmental crisis prompted people to seek solutions to the problems of modernity among Indigenous groups. Meanwhile, the energy shortages caused by the crisis led to the expansion of the oil and gas industries into Finno-Ugric territories. It is also worth comparing Estonians’ collecting and research activities during this period with their historical tradition of expeditions, which has been closely linked to colonial conquest and colonial science.
Born out of dialogue, the two exhibitions share a concern with the connections between knowledge, images, and power. Simultaneously, they are motivated by a desire to highlight the potential that art and heritage offer for activism. In the case of the Sámi, this began to become apparent in the 1970s, when many artists joined the struggle for Indigenous rights. By juxtaposing Sámi activist art with Finno-Ugric heritage, the exhibitions seek to amplify the voices of other Finno-Ugric peoples as well, particularly at a time when their opportunities to stand up for their rights are severely constrained.
Team
Curator: Linda Kaljundi
Curatorial consultants: Eha Komissarov, Bart Pushaw
Exhibition design and artistic interventions: Karl Joonas Alamaa, Jaanus Samma
Graphic design: Jojo&me studio (Martina Gofman, Johanna Ruukholm)
Coordinator: Inga Jaagus
Installation manager: Andres Amos
Technical manager: Mati Schönberg
Public programme: Maria Lota Lumiste
Education programme: Frederik Klanberg
Art studios: Maari Hinsberg
With the support of:
The preparations for the exhibition have been supported by an Estonian Ministry of Culture research grant and the US Government Fulbright Exchange Program.
