Estonian-Finnish collaborative exhibition opens for Tallinn Photomonth
On Thursday, September 25, "just juuri nüüd nyt," the third exhibition in Tallinn Photomonth's main program, opened at the Hobusepea and FOKU galleries.
The show brings together ten photographic artists from Estonia and Finland, who explore the role of photography in contemporary art and test its conceptual and material boundaries.
"Images hum around us. Tiny screens glowing in our palms, glossy faces passing by in the street, endless scrolls slipping through our fingers. Most we don't even meet; they blur. But art asks us to stay. To let the picture breathe into us, to notice the air it shifts. Sometimes it whispers, sometimes it shouts. Sometimes it just waits – quietly – for us to ask: why are you here? who made you? what do you want from us?," said Hertta Kiiski, the exhibition's curator who is also an artist and member of the board of the Finnish Association of Photographic Artists (VTL).
According to Kiiski the works that will be shown at the Photomonth exhibition reflect an interrogation of what photography is, not just technically but also culturally, emotionally and politically.
"Some artists dismantle the image to explore its components; others hybridize photography with sculpture or text. Across the board, there's a restlessness, a desire to move past the image as mere representation, toward something more layered, more alive. It's photography unbound," said Kiiski. "If the show raises questions rather than offers conclusions, I consider it a success."
The artists participating in the exhibition are Andre Joosep Arming, Cloe Jancis, Karel Koplimets, Kristina Õllek and Maria Kapajeva from Estonia, and Andrey Bogush, Karl Ketamo, Maija Tammi, Noora Geagea and Saara Ekström from Finland. They were selected from more than 500 artists belonging to the Finnish Association of Photographic Artists (VTL) and the Estonian Union of Photography Artists (FOKU).
"We were drawn to artists who treat the photographic medium not just as a way of making images, but as a way of thinking. Here, the image is not flat. It is a room, a joke, a dream you can enter," explained Kiiski.
On Friday, September 26 from 2 p.m., an English-language artist panel discussion moderated by Marten Esko will take place at FOKU Gallery.
The exhibition runs until October 19 at Hobusepea Gallery and until November 29 at FOKU Gallery
The 8th Tallinn Photomonth takes place from September 5 to October 31. In addition to the main program, Tallinn Photomonth also includes a public program and satellite program of 14 exhibitions in Tallinn, Tartu and Viljandi.
The full Tallinn Photomonth program and information about all the participating artists and venues is available here.
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Editor: Michael Cole
