At the beginning of the 1990s Albert Gulk (born in 1969 in Antsla) began making pencil drawings of monumental size, filling the surface of the paper with densely inhabited worlds. The exhibition Polar Night will offer a selection of drawings and watercolours from this period.
In Gulk’s pictures, landscapes turn into creatures and creatures into landscapes. There are no clear lines between species: a bug might take on humanoid features and a person might take on bestial characteristics. Even the border between the living and the mechanical becomes blurred: a bird might resemble a machine, and a landscape might seem to breathe.
These works reflect deep attention to nature, an interest in popular scientific illustrations and influences from science fiction and popular culture. The exhibition focuses on the period where all these layers are visible simultaneously.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, which takes a wider view of the artist’s works from this period and also includes reproductions of some of his largest drawings, measuring upwards of 7 or 10 meters.
Curator: Kadri Mägi
Sound: Tont
Graphic design: Jaan Evart
Coordinator: Rene Kriisa
Exhibition team: Richard Adang, Nele Ambos, Indrek Grigor, Joanna Hoffmann, Margus Joonsalu, Katrin Lõoke, Jaanika Peebo, Anti Saar, Kristel Sibul, Ago Teedema, and Peeter Talvistu
The exhibition is supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
