Border Poetics. Estonian Art 1918–2018
The exhibition Border Poetics. Estonian Art 1918–2018 was open within the framework of the international programme marking the centenary of the Republic of Estonia. The exhibition, born out of collaboration between the Art Museum of Estonia and the State Tretyakov Gallery, offers a mosaic of Estonian art from 1918 until 2018, and it is based on the collections of the two museums.
The exhibition is focused on the decades after World War II, when the Tretyakov Gallery established its collection of Estonian art. Works from the Art Museum of Estonia will provide a regional art history context for those works. The exhibition can be seen as providing concentrated insight into Estonian art history, by highlighting the significant creative figures of Estonian Modernism from the years preceding World War II until the early 21st century.
In Estonian, the word “border” has many meanings, and is not limited to an association with state borders. The phrase “border poetics” is used in studies related to social and cultural experiences, which, among other things, deal with how borders are depicted. Border experiences have enriched Estonians in their search for their roots and their fundamentals, as well as in their art practices. The themes that run through the exhibition explore the concepts of border and place, and how their meanings have changed over time. The exhibition is divided into five sections: “The Classics”, “Teacher and Student: Elmar Kits and Ülo Sooster”, “Seascape”, which is a symbol of the region, “Here and Elsewhere” and “Female Artists”.
Works of the following artists are represented in the exhibition: Eduard Wiiralt, Peet Aren, Eerik Haamer, Arnold Akberg, Aleksander Krims, Felix Randel, Rein Tammik, Elmar Kits, Nikolai Kormašov, Ülo Sooster, Ando Keskküla, Jüri Okas, Lilli-Krõõt Repnau, Paul Sontag, Malle Leis, Anu Põder, Marge Monko, Dénes Farkas, Anna Škodenko, Krista Mölder and Ene-Liis Semper.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog in Russian.
Curators: Eha Komissarov and Tatjana Zeljukina
Exhibition organisers: Dimitri Mironov, Karin Pastak, Tatjana Gubanova and Anastasia Khristenko
Graphic design: Sandra Kossorotova and Aadam Kaarma
Book design: Anna Škodenko
Sponsors and cooperation partners: State Tretyakov Gallery, Estonian Embassy in Moscow, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia and EV100
We wish to thank: Elnara Taidre, Evelina Vedom, Vitali Belobrovtsev and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Estonia.
Collections: Art Museum of Estonia, State Tretyakov Gallery, Tartu Art Museum and private collections
