Exhibition „Unknown“

The exhibition „Unknown“ is part of the Tartu 2024 programme and focuses on the cultural meaning of endangerment to bring to public attention aspects of extinction through artistic means.

The exhibition „Unknown“ integrates contemporary artworks from the Natural History Museum’s permanent collection to address human relationships with endangered and extinct nonhumans. It echoes the exhibition „Missing“ that will take place at Tartu Art House (23/08–6/10/2024), a near neighbour of the Natural History Museum of the University of Tartu. These two exhibitions aim to blur the boundaries between art and science to offer an individual grasp of environmental decline and interrogate the process and monitoring of species endangerment and extinction.

Works by Damien Beyrouthy, France Cadet, Hayden Fowler, Uku Sepsivart and the duo Flo Kasearu and Elīna Vītola will be displayed.

The curatorship of the exhibitions is rooted in a research-creation approach that brings together academic and artistic practices. Both exhibitions are connected to the University of Tartu research project „Meanings of endangered species in culture: ecology, semiotic modelling and reception (PRG1504)“, which emphasizes the contribution of arts not only to mediate this important issue but also to produce, combined with scholarly investigation, critically informed works, and „Unfit remains: A research-creation approach to species endangerment“. The Estonian Research Council funds the first research project, and the second is funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. The exhibition is supported by the French Institute of Estonia.

If you want to grab a bite or need a place to stay, see what the Tartu 2024 hospitality network offers in the area: https://tartu2024.ee/recommendations-tartucity