The art of slowing down: International exhibition at the Adamson-Eric Museum
Opening on 19 September at the Adamson-Eric Museum, The Politics of Slowness is a compelling new exhibition that explores what it means to be human in today’s fast-paced, productivity-obsessed world. Curated by Brigita Reinert and Karin Vicente, the exhibition presents slowness as both a survival strategy and a form of resistance in the face of constant acceleration.
This international group exhibition reflects the contemporary art world’s growing interest in “slow” technologies and traditional materials. In today’s “acceleration society”, is slowing down even possible? Highlights of the exhibition include a large-scale macramé installation by the Polish-Slovak artistic duo Julia Gryboś and Barbora Zentková, inspired by the need to combat fatigue. Tõnis Jürgens presents an immersive spatial installation, inviting us to think about sleep as a method of defiance and resistance. Krista Vindberga (Dzudzilo) explores the human perception of time through concrete and sound, while Nele Kurvits revives archaic tools to propose new ways of measuring time. Killu Sukmit uses “political” embroidery to explore how gender inequality limits women’s ability to slow down.
“In a modern society, people are always in a hurry. The relentless pace of work, overwhelming information flows, rapid technological advances and social pressures all push us to move faster and perform more efficiently. By ‘the politics of slowness’ we mean a conscious decision to resist this acceleration: to step back, take one’s time, and do less, but more meaningfully,” said the curator Brigita Reinert.
“‘Slowing down’ serves as an important umbrella concept for practices that push back against a societal model that glorifies speed, productivity and constant efficiency,” explains the curator Karin Vicente. “The German sociologist Hartmut Rosa has insightfully described how societal acceleration influences our perception of time and reshapes our relationship with the world around us.”
The exhibition poses a central question: is it possible to step out of the hyper-speed machine of modern life? It invites us to learn to appreciate time not only as a tool for productivity, but as a value in itself, to enjoy process and presence. In recent years, a wave of ‘slow’ technologies, traditional craft techniques, and natural materials has found its way into contemporary art. Increasingly, artists are prioritising care and responsibility in their creative practices and are consciously making sustainable choices. The new exhibition at Adamson-Eric Museum explores how artists approach the themes of time, slowness and sustainability in their work from various perspectives.
The exhibition will be complemented by educational and public programmes, including “slow watching” and art workshops, offering a meaningful opportunity for visitors to pause and take time out. The opening event on the first day of the exhibition features a curatorial tour and an artist talk with Krista Vindberga. Click here for more information.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a special issue of Kunst.ee magazine, edited by Brigita Reinert and Karin Vicente. This edition features contributions from a diverse group of authors, ranging from historians to artists, who explore the concept of time and the value of slowing down. Their reflections span both broad philosophical perspectives and specific insights into the Estonian art scene, addressing theoretical frameworks and practical expressions within Estonian art institutions, artists’ creative practices and the ways in which we experience art.
The Politics of Slowness is open at the Adamson-Eric Museum until 15 February 2026.
Participating artists: Julia Gryboś (PL) & Barbora Zentková (SK), Tõnis Jürgens (EE), Sandra Kosorotova (EE), Nele Kurvits (EE), Sten Saarits (EE), Killu Sukmit (EE), Gintautas Trimakas (LT), Johanna Ulfsak (EE), Sigrid Viir (EE), Krista Vindberga (LV), Elīna Vītola (LV) & Ieva Kraule-Kūna (LV)
Curators: Brigita Reinert and Karin Vicente
Exhibition design: Arvi Anderson
Graphic design: Kersti Heile