Estonia as a country first participated in the Venice Biennale in 1997. The artists were chosen by a special committee at the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and not through an open competition as became the rule after 1999 when CCA took over.
In 1997, Estonia was represented by Jaan Toomik, Raoul Kurvitz and Siim-Tanel Annus who held performances on the waterfront near San Marco.