Breadcrumb
Exhibition opening weekend at Tallinn Art Hall
Difficult Pasts. Connected Worlds opens on 9 August 2024 at 6 PM at the Lasnamäe Pavilion. Curated by Margaret Tali and Ieva Astahovska, the exhibition explores the themes of solidarity, empathy and the enduring legacies of historical trauma. The opening weekend promises an engaging and interactive public programme featuring artists from Estonia and around the world, providing a thought-provoking experience for local audiences.
The exhibition launch will be followed by a special live-edit event presented by video artist Joen Vedel (DK/NO). In collaboration with the audience Vedel will craft a unique film essay in real-time, using both new and existing footage related to the pivotal historical events of 20–21 August 1991. This collaborative event invites audience members to narrate their personal memories, resulting in a distinctive retelling of history. The film will intertwine diverse testimonies about Estonian Restoration of Independence, reflecting on the role of live TV in mediating these turbulent events.
Following Vedel’s live-edit event, attendees will have the opportunity to join a guided tour with the exhibition’s artists and curators. This tour will provide deeper insights into the themes and creation processes of the featured works by artists, as well as highlight the background story of the exhibition by the curators.
The evening will culminate with a spoken word performance by artist Zuzanna Hertzberg, accompanying her artwork Volunteers for Freedom. Hertzberg’s performance draws from archives, autobiographies and the memories of women who participated in the Spanish Civil War as volunteers.
09.08.2024
18:00 Opening of the exhibition
10.08.2024
13:00-15:30 Live editing event with Joen Vedel (DK/NO)
16:00-17:00 Guided tour with the curators and artists
17:30-18:30 Zuzanna Hertzberg’s (PL) spoken word performance
11.08.2024
14:00-15:00 Guided tour in Estonian
15:00-16:00 Guided tour in Russian
Save the date for these public programme events
- “33 monsters” book reading (Date and time TBC)
- 19.10.2024 Finissage: Event in collaboration with local Roma Community (Time TBC)
Keep an eye on our website for more information!
The exhibition features artists from the Baltic countries, Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. Their works confront the often silenced and uncomfortable histories of the Baltic States and Eastern Europe. Recent wars have reshaped our understanding of history, revealing how today’s violence often stems from unresolved past traumas. Difficult Pasts. Connected Worlds unites these challenging and overlooked histories, including violent conflicts and painful losses, and their long-term legacies.
The featured artists include Lia Dostlieva & Andrii Dostliev (UA/PL), Family Connection (NL/Curaçao), Vika Eksta (LV), Zuzanna Hertzberg (PL), Jaana Kokko (FI), Paulina Pukyte (LT/UK), Yaniya Mikhalina (NO/ru), Eleonore de Montesquiou (FR/EE) and Tanel Rander (EE).
The exhibition was previously presented at the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga in 2020 and at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius in 2022. It was co-organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art and is part of the project Communicating Difficult Pasts (2019–2024), realised in collaboration with the Estonian Academy of Arts, which addresses the uncomfortable and often neglected aspects of history in the Baltic States and the neighbouring countries. Through this project the curators have investigated the entanglements of past and present, exploring how visual art and creative research methods can reveal the long-term impacts of historical events and reshape contemporary understandings of history.
Supporters: British Council, Tallinn Culture & Sports Department, Nordic Culture Point, Lithuanian Culture Board, Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Office for Contemporary Art Norway, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, Danish Art Council, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tallinn, Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the Republic of Estonia, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia.
Additional information:
Madli Ehasalu
Tel: +372 5621 8422
E-mail madli@kunstihoone.ee
Tallinna Art Hall
Jaan Koorti 24, Tallinn
Wed–Sun 12.00–19.00
www.kunstihoone.ee
www.facebook.com/TallinnaKunstihoone
www.instagram.com/tallinnarthall
