“Nations themselves are narrations,” observed Edward Said in Culture and Imperialism (1993), a statement that holds true in our current socio-political moment. While wars and conflicts continue to be waged over the ownership of land (and resources), issues of who has the right to work, live, settle, and travel, and indeed the question of a nation’s future are nevertheless echoed, challenged or even decided upon in narratives, both written and visual. This exhibition brings together two artists who share the experience of growing up in the Soviet and post-Soviet space(s), as well as a thematic interest in transcending borderlines, the constructedness of national identity, the entanglement of art and politics, and the im/mobility of migrants. The global refugee reception crisis, as well as the dramatic political transformations in Europe and the United States, have been catalysts for these artists to create artistic narratives that go against the grain and engage with forms of being in-between geographies and the struggle over self. With humour and empathy this exhibition, the first collaboration between Bliumis and Muravskaja, will introduce inventive forms of togetherness at the intersection of art, politics, and education.
Tanja Muravskaja is a photography artist with Ukrainian roots, who resides and works in Tallinn. Her works are mainly conceptual series using portraits. Muravskaja studied at the Estonian Academy of Arts and University of Westminster. Before turning to photography, she studied journalism at Tallinn University. She rose to prominence on the Estonian art scene in the late 2000s with solo exhibitions of photographic portraiture dealing primarily with (neo)nationalism. Her most significant works are “Positsioonid” (“Positions”, 2007) at Tallinn Art Gallery, “Nemad, kes laulsid koos” (The Ones Who Sang Together) in 2008 at Vaal Gallery and “Lucky Losers” in 2009 at Tallinn City Gallery. Muravskaja’s works can be found in the permanent collections of the Kumu Art Museum and Tartu Art Museum.
Alina Bliumis is a Minsk-born, New York-based artist. Alina received her BFA from the School of Visual Art in 1999 and a diploma from the Advanced Course in Visual Arts in Fondazione Antonio Ratti, Como, Italy in 2005. Alina has exhibited internationally at the first Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (Russia), Busan Biennale (South Korea), the Bronx Museum of the Arts (US), Galerie Anne de Villepoix (France), Museum of Contemporary Art (US), the Jewish Museum (US), the Saatchi Gallery (UK), the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK). Her works are in private and public collections, including MAC VAL – Musée d’art contemporain du Val-de-Marne, France; Musée national de l’histoire de l’immigration, France; The Victoria and Albert Museum, UK; Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia; Bat Yam Museum for Contemporary Art, Israel; The Saatchi Collection, UK.
Gallery name: Tallinn Art Hall
Address: Vabaduse väljak 8, Tallinn
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11:00 - 18:00
Open: 17.07.2020 - 06.09.2020
