Marika Agu, the archive project manager and curator at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art was selected as the curator of the main exhibition of the XIX Tallinn Print Triennial. The triennial opens at the Lasnamäe pavilion of Tallinn Art Hall in summer of 2025 and focuses on contemporary art from the Baltics.
Tallinn Print Triennial is among the oldest art festivals in Estonia, first established in 1968. The triennial has contributed significantly to critical developments in printmaking and broader visual culture, leading the way for innovation in printmaking in the local field.
The exhibition curated by Marika Agu is titled Save As… and looks at questions of saving and recording the past, seeking new perspectives on traditional ways of safekeeping memory. It also highlights struggles of various social groups, technological tools and climate change.
“Surrounded by a continuous barge of information, we face challenges in deciding what we would like to safekeep and in which form we want to preserve the past. The exhibition is centred around the question of what happens when the value of previous data and knowledge changes or is transferred,” explains the curator.
Brita Benno, the director of the Tallinn Print Triennial says that Agu’s project considers both the tradition previously established by the triennial as well as highlights printmaking as a medium. “Printmaking has always been tasked with preserving and archiving memory, so Agu’s concept is a perfect fit for the triennial. I also highly value the curator’s in-depth research into the work of Baltic artists both in their studios and in collections and the way Agu places printmaking in a context of contemporary exhibitions,” adds Benno
One of the main focal points of the upcoming triennial is to strengthen collaboration between artists in the Baltic region and establishing cultural ties.
“Historically, the Tallinn Print Triennial was an event involving all three Baltic countries, so in a way, we are going back to our roots. At the same time, it also strives for a slower, more local and modest way of working – something that environmentally conscious art events should all aspire to. There is so much exciting happening in our region’s art scene that we should exhibit this more,” concludes Benno.
XIX Tallinn Print Triennial will take place at the Lasnamäe pavilion of Tallinn Art Hall from June to September 2025.