Opening programme of the exhibition “no beginning, no end: Decolonial Gestures in Sámi Worldbuilding”
On Saturday, 12 September, the opening programme for the exhibition “no beginning no end. Decolonial Gestures in Sámi Worldbuilding” will take place, celebrating the opening of the international group exhibition at Kumu Art Museum. The programme includes curator-led tours, a glossary making workshop in the education room located at the centre of the exhibition, and a panel discussion with participating artists.
Schedule:
12:00 Curator-led tour by Ann Mirjam Vaikla, in conversation with the artists. Featuring Ketlin Kuusing, Kalli Kalde and Alo Paistik (in Estonian)
13:00 Workshop: “Words That Speak of Power” (In Estonian & on English)
14:30 Panel discussion. Worlds in Relation: A Conversation on Sámi Worldbuilding with Jenni Laiti, Áslat Holmberg and Lada Suomenrinne. Moderated by Jaanika Vider
16:00 Curator-led tour by Jenni Laiti and Ann Mirjam Vaikla, in conversation with the artists. Featuring Lada Suomenrinne and Carola Grahn (in English)
This international exhibition examines the complex journey being taken by the Sámi people as they strive for Indigenous justice and self-determination through decolonial worldbuilding. The politicization of Sámi art that began in the 1960s and 1970s, developing in parallel with the Sámi self-determination movement, has received widespread attention over the last decade. Today, Sámi art has become one of the most visible and dynamic parts of the Nordic contemporary art scene, and is increasingly prominent in the global artistic arena. This exhibition presents works by artists from different generations, including figures who prepared the ground for the vigorous developments currently being seen in Sámi art, as well as younger artists.
no beginning, no end stands in dialogue with the exhibition Expedition: Finno-Ugrians and the Power of Images (2 October 2026–21 February 2027), curated by Linda Kaljundi. Both are contributions to Expedition, a joint multi-year research project undertaken by the Art Museum of Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Arts, and the Estonian National Museum that has been investigating our relationships with Indigenous peoples and the impact these relationships have had on Estonians’ own self-image.
The opening programme is part of the public programme for the exhibition “neither beginning nor end. Building the Sámi World.”
Participation is free with an annual card from the Art Museum of Estonia.
