The Adamson-Eric Museum introduces the fascinating world of conserving Estonian 20th-century art classics

The exhibition From Restorer to Conservator  will open in the Adamson-Eric Museum on 6 March, celebrating the golden jubilee of the Conservation Department of the Art Museum of Estonia.

“The 50-year history of the department is not just a list of completed works. It is much broader than that, including people, work methods and circumstances that have shaped both time and flexibility. Every decision made, method used and solution created has been part of the process that determines the value and durability of a work of art,” said the long-time conservator of paintings of the Art Museum of Estonia Alar Nurkse.

The exhibition introduces the profession of conservators through seminal works and artists representing 20th-century Estonian art. Conservators have been dealing with works by artists from the previous century on a daily basis ever since the department was founded. “Twentieth-century paper, modern sculptures and paintings present complex challenges to conservators, because the materials used have not stood the test of time as well as those used by old masters centuries ago,” explained the conservator of the Art Museum of Estonia Kärt Lend.

The display of the exhibition From Restorer to Conservator includes graphic art, paintings and sculptures, but at the centre of it are works of art on paper: a delicate and fragile base material. Works of art on paper have been executed in various techniques, the most widespread being different graphic art techniques, but there are also charcoal, Indian ink and pencil drawings, pastels and watercolours, as well as gouache, tempera and oil paintings. The display presents works by the most prominent 20th-century masters: Eduard Wiiralt, Nikolai Triik, Konrad Mägi, Kristjan Raud, Ado Vabbe, Ants Laikmaa, Adamson-Eric, Enn Põldroos, Ando Keskküla, Maire Männik, Osvald Timmas and Andrus Kasemaa, and dealing with their works is both a challenge and a joy for conservators. Works by Urmas Viik represent more contemporary paper art and present a challenge to conservators with their large size and fragile artist’s technique.

Works displayed at this exhibition are accompanied by texts and photos showcasing how the works were conserved and inviting viewers to examine their structures, materials, techniques, lifespans and conservation histories. Viewers get an idea of how conservators work and solve problems, and how restoration developed into modern conservation. “Because of their techniques and artistic solutions, all of the works displayed here are special in one way or another. To ensure their preservability, the Conservation Department of the Art Museum of Estonia has had to come up with and apply novel conservation methodologies,” explained the experienced conservator of artworks on paper Margit Pajupuu.

The basement floor display introduces the colourful history and people of the Conservation Department of the Art Museum of Estonia, and includes video clips where conservators show fascinating conservation techniques. Viewers can also acquaint themselves with conservation tools and try their hand at conserving.

The exhibition is accompanied by a diverse educational and public programme. In spring, public lectures dedicated to the preservation of art will be held by conservators of the Art Museum of Estonia for artists, collectors and other owners of artworks. They will also run practical workshops where paper conservation and plaster casting techniques will be introduced. The programme will include thematic creative workshops given by the artists Mall Nukke, Kaspar Tamsalu, Teele Ülesoo and Kerttu Siplane, and museum lessons for schoolchildren, who can learn about conservation techniques through creative tasks.

The first event in the programme is a curator’s tour at 5 pm on the day of the opening, 6 March.

The exhibition will remain open until 7 June 2026.

The Conservation Department of the Art Museum of Estonia is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the diverse exhibition project From Restorer to Conservator: it includes not only the display in the Adamson-Eric Museum but also exhibitions in the Niguliste Museum and the Kadriorg Art Museum, which will open in April.

Exhibition curators: Kärt Lend, Margit Pajupuu, Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova and Kersti Koll
Exhibition design: Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova
Graphic design: Inga Heamägi
Public and educational programmes: Maris Paal