In 2024, the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) focused on international collaboration and strengthening cultural ties in the near region. This direction was followed in publishing, archiving, and curating, as well as through projects that brought together international experts and the local art scene. One of the most significant international projects of 2024 was the Estonian pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale.
Venice Biennale
In 2024, Estonia was represented at the Venice Biennale by Edith Karlson with the exhibition “Hora Lupi.” The Estonian exhibition, held in the church of Santa Maria delle Penitenti in the Cannaregio district of Venice, created an experiential environment inspired by the historic church, enchanting audiences with its melancholic sensitivity both in sculpture and sound. Contributors to the pavilion included dramaturge Eero Epner, graphic designers Jojo & me, architect Piero Vespignani, the installation team Technical Director and many others.
From the very first days, “Hora Lupi” received very positive feedback and was highlighted on lists of the best pavilions by notable art publications. Numerous Estonian media outlets such as Aktuaalne Kaamera, Reporter, Eesti Ekspress, Postimees and Müürileht covered the opening of the pavilion on site as well. Estonia’s Minister of Culture, Heidy Purga delivered a speech at the pavilion’s opening.
A comprehensive exhibition catalog, “Edith Karlson. Hora Lupi,” was published in collaboration with Mousse Publishing, featuring contributions from 16 authors, including Cecilia Alemani, Maria Arusoo, Bärbel Balodis, Eero Epner, Edith Karlson, Nikolai Karlson, Quinn Latimer, Emilia Palmipuu, Alana Proosa, Risto Pärna, Agne Raceviciute, Melany Raud, Dieter Roelstraete, Mona Lee Tšetõrkina, Anu Vahtra and Piero Vespignani.
To bring “Hora Lupi” to an even wider audience, preparations are underway to present the next chapters of the exhibition to Estonian audiences and to showcase the pavilion’s works in art institutions in neighbouring countries. The 60th Venice Biennale was open from April 20 to November 24.
In November 2024, the artist to represent Estonia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 was also selected. In a two-round competition, the international jury chose Merike Estna.
Publishing activities
In 2024, the CCA published new issues of the English-language art magazine A Shade Colder. Along with other publications by the CCA, the magazine was represented at three international art book fairs this year: Under the Leaf Book Fair in Helsinki in September, Miss Read Art Book Fair in Berlin in October and the Index Art Book Fair in Venice in collaboration with Fair Enough Book Fair.
Additionally, the Arts and Culture Magazine Publishers Forum (ACMPF), a network of art and culture publishers in the Baltic and Nordic countries, continued its activities. A Shade Colder is a founding member of this network. In November, a research trip to Helsinki and Tallinn took place, followed by a public discussion on the responsibilities of cultural publications. Furthermore, A Shade Colder partnered with the UK-based distributor Stack Magazines, producing a special edition of its 2024 print issue.
Curatorial work
Maria Arusoo, the director of the CCA curated the sculpture exhibition “Path” at the ArtVilnius art fair in October, featuring numerous Estonian artists. Marika Agu, the archive and project manager of the CCA, was chosen to curate the 19th Tallinn Print Triennial, which will take place in the summer of 2025.
Terje Ojaver. Woman and Her Pets (detail). Photo: Mika SavicliuIteI
Archival projects
The CCA’s archive worked closely with artists, organizations and festivals in Estonia and beyond. This year, the archive received new video pieces documenting the work of artists connected to Pärnu since the late 1990s. In September, the international film festival BEAST, showcased a programme with focus on Estonia and featured a video art programme compiled from the CCA’s archive. Printed materials from the CCA archive were featured in the travelling exhibition “in a maze”, curated by Marija Repšytė on display at the Klaipėda Cultural Communication Center. Additionally, Marika Agu participated at the 70th Oberhausen International Short Film Festival and in a research group for film professionals in North Rhine-Westphalia.
International film festival BEAST in Porto
Facilitating visits of international art experts
In 2024, the facilitation of visits by international art experts continued, including curators, artists, journalists, representatives of art institutions and others. In total, 38 experts visited Estonia this year at the invitation of the CCA, offering the guests tailored programs to introduce them to the Estonian art scene.
Exhibition statistics
The CCA also compiled and published exhibition attendance statistics for 2022 and 2023, revealing that Estonian art exhibitions attracted a record-breaking 2.5 million visits in 2023.