Artists: Merike Estna, Flo Kasearu, Kristi Kongi, Paul Kuimet, Kris Lemsalu, Marko Mäetamm, Marge Monko, Krista Mölder, Katja Novitskova, Kaido Ole, Kristina Õllek & Kert Viiar, Laura Põld, Taavi Suisalu, Sigrid Viir

Each art exhibition in the ECB’s annual series entitled “Contemporary art from the Member States of the European Union” sets its own unique tone in showcasing the exhibiting country’s range of artistic output and highlighting some of the key ideas informing the current artistic discourse. So it is with a sense of keen anticipation as well as great pleasure that we welcome the launch of the 21st exhibition in the series in the ECB’s main building in Frankfurt. The art display is deliberately staggered across the ground floor of the Grossmarkthalle so as to offer an intriguing exhibition path through the spatial ambience. It is a fitting time to present art from Estonia, as the country is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary of independence this year. The centenary celebrations are being reflected on a cultural level by a raft of major exhibitions across the Baltic region, such as the Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art and the 13th Baltic Triennial which, after being staged for 40 years in Lithuania, is now taking place simultaneously in all three Baltic States. We are pleased to be able to show in Frankfurt, in cooperation with Eesti Pank, the Estonian central bank, over 50 works created by 14 artists and artist groups that will familiarise our colleagues, visitors and the general public with Estonian artistic commentaries on topical issues. Estonian artists today embrace a global world that was inconceivable 28 years ago when the “Iron Curtain” fell. Most of the participating artists were born in the 1980s, grew up in the 1990s and so experienced both the Soviet system and the restoration of national independence while they were still children. Estonia, which joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in January 2011, is a respected and esteemed member of the European Union and one that deeply cherishes its democratic freedom following decades of occupation. This chequered history gives Estonian artists a special take on political and ideological situations and on socio-political themes such as nationalism, capitalism or the role of women – not least in tracing the changeover from a communist society to western liberalism. This includes scrutinising everyday phenomena such as commercial advertising or the social and cultural role of architecture, e.g. in the changing housing market. Thus when independence gave Estonians new lifestyle options, a preference for a single-family home expressed not only a rejection of Soviet-style prefabricated apartment blocks but also a desire for a larger independent personal space that had not existed previously. We see this in Flo Kasearu’s practice, which deals with questions of identity and belonging. Her work revolves around her own home, which serves both as a dwelling and as her “house museum”. The building was formerly owned by her grandparents, was then confiscated by the communist regime and subsequently returned to her family after Estonia regained its sovereignty.

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