Short tours of the exhibition From Mittens to Köler: The Birth of the Museum’s Collection
Join us to celebrate Curiosity Day and the 105th anniversary of the Art Museum of Estonia at Kadriorg Art Museum. Come explore the origins of the museum’s collections and discover a selection of art treasures that have been hidden away in storage for a long time.The tours are led by Kersti Kuldna, Head of Collection Management of the Art Museum of Estonia, Aleksandra Murre, Director of the Kadriorg Art Museum, and Kerttu Männiste, Curator at the Kadriorg Art Museum.
At 12 noon, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Estonian
At 2 p.m. in Russian
At 4 p.m. in English
Which building was the first home of the Art Museum of Estonia? What were the first objects in the museum’s collection? Why did the collection of the Art Museum of Estonia once feature beer tankards, mittens and a Persian warrior’s helmet?
The tours offer an interesting glimpse into the development of the collection of the Art Museum of Estonia, from the museum’s foundation in 1919 until World War II. At that time, the collection included not only works of art, but also farm objects, traditional handicrafts and other cultural assets. Many of the paintings, prints and sculptures added to the museum’s collection in the interwar period are now on display for the first time. Each tour will highlight a selection of fascinating objects, exploring their origins and subsequent fates. This will help illustrate the day-to-day research, conservation and outreach efforts undertaken with the museum’s collections.
Each tours lasts around 25 minutes.
The events are part of the Curiosity Day programme of the Art Museum of Estonia. Curiosity Day has been celebrated in Estonia since 2022 on the initiative of Alar Karis, President of Estonia. It highlights curiosity as the foundation for lifelong learning. The aim of the day is to encourage everyone, regardless of age, to broaden their horizons by acquiring new knowledge and skills.
