The opening exhibition of the 17th season of the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) centres around the current acute political situation in Europe, influenced by the full-scale attack of Ukraine by Russia. In his curatorial exhibition Goodbye, East! Goodbye, Narcissus! Tanel Rander looks at East Europe as a collective consciousness and its complicated relationship with an aggressor state and the signs of narcissism and co-dependency it involves. The East European identity, only based in a short period in history is no longer relevant, claims Rander, and, in fact, it might be dangerous for us, as it hinders healing from trauma and development. Artists of the exhibition approach changes in the self-image of East Europeans in a conceptual and sensitive manner. The opening of new season of EKKM and the exhibition takes place on the evening of 14 April.
We wish the space of the museum be a meeting point for a variety of fields of art. So, EKKM is reviving the format of surprise curators, which means we invite a creator, who is not working daily with issues of contemporary visual culture to curate an exhibition. The previous surprise curator was the film director Marko Raat, this season, the curator is creator working the field of music. The name of the surprise curator will be announced shortly before the exhibition opens on 16 June.
On 23 August, we open Jaanus Samma‘s solo exhibition based on case studies that illustrate the relationship between national narratives and myths and power from various angles. At the exhibition, installations making an ironic comment of national myths, queering the image of the hero and eroding conservative morale. The exhibition is curated by Krist Gruijthuijsen, the director of KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin.
The season concludes with an international group exhibition The Original Wound, focusing on the bodily experiences and sexuality of women, offering alternatives to the image of women pervasive in the media and evoking different visions of what is erotic and attractive for the female gaze.
EKKM’s yard and community garden continue to welcome visitors with artworks from the museum’s collection on display. This season, Brigit Arop, a curator and gardening enthusiast will take on the role of the head gardener. Additionally, this season marks the second coming of an artistic outdoor project – in 2023, it is dedicated to the ginkgo tree as a symbol, led by artists Tanja Muravskaja and Margit Säde.
The visuals for the museum and exhibitions for the 2023 season of EKKM are created by the graphic designer Maris Nisu. Music events for the season will be hosted by Mark Alexander Ummelas.
In 2023, EKKM will also continue with its art school, providing regular tours in four languages (ET, RU, EN, UA) as well as organising performances, various activities, workshops and discussions alongside the exhibition programme.
In the 2023 season, EKKM is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00 and entrance continues to be free of charge.