Starting 13 January, the Narva Art Residency will be hosting a group exhibition “9 Tons of Happiness and Sadness”, introducing the work of a new generation of Russian-speaking Estonian artists. Having grown up in an urban space with a lot of typical buildings, they reflect on the theme of finding beauty in the monotonous and sometimes depressing urban environment.
The title of the exhibition “9 Tonnes of Happiness and Sadness” refers to the weight of a concrete panel used in the construction of standard housing in the Soviet Union. All the artists were born in the 2000s and grew up in the neighbourhoods of Narva and Tallinn. They are all united by the experience of growing up in the specific space of prefabricated panel housing. The artists are writing about their creative work and the new exhibition the following: “We all tackle different themes, explore different directions, and are inspired by different things. We have come together in this exhibition to show the diversity of visual languages we work with, calling beauty something that many don’t see as beautiful. This exhibition will be especially interesting for Narva and Ida-Virumaa people, as many people living here still do not see beauty where it has always existed”.
Artists: Paulina Belik, Olga Dmitrijeva, Ksenia Kvitko, Sofia Lanman, Daniil Logovoi, Angelina Potsijenkova, Angelina Shabanova, Ilja Jakovlev, Jelizaveta Jakovleva
Curator: Yulia Poluyanenkova
Graphic design: Paulina Belik
The exhibition opening will happen on the 13th of January at 16:00.