Tallinn Art Hall sought a new director through an open competition. Candidates were expected to have management experience, a strong understanding of the cultural field, and a clear vision for Tallinn Art Hall’s future. Maria Arusoo was selected as the new director by the Supervisory Board of the Tallinn Art Hall Foundation, which comprises Bianka Soe, Tanel Veenre, Tarmo Tallermaa, Eve Kask and Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla. A total of ten candidates applied.
“The next director of Tallinn Art Hall must understand the needs of the art field, take the organisation forward and be able to situate Estonian art within a broader international context. In the Supervisory Board’s view, Maria Arusoo combines these strengths exceptionally well. We were impressed by her strategic thinking, her clear vision for the future role of Tallinn Art Hall and her ability to bring different stakeholders together. Her extensive experience in building international partnerships gives us further confidence that Tallinn Art Hall will remain a strong and visible contemporary art institution, both in Estonia and internationally,” said Bianka Soe, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Tallinn Art Hall.
Maria Arusoo has extensive experience leading cultural organisations and international art projects. At Tallinn Art Hall, she plans to continue its artist-centred approach, work with partners to give exhibitions and art projects a longer life, and provide artists with meaningful curatorial and production support, as well as sufficient time to develop projects in depth.
“Tallinn Art Hall is an institution with a distinguished history, an experienced team of experts and a forward-looking way of working that is contemporary in the best sense of the word. I am delighted to have been entrusted with guiding this landmark institution into its next chapter. Tallinn Art Hall is entering an exceptionally exciting phase. The newly renovated building on Freedom Square offers an extraordinary range of possibilities: exhibition spaces, a black box hosting performance and video programmes, an artist residency, art in public space, food culture, club events and nightlife – something that deserves to be revived on the edge of Tallinn’s Old Town,” Arusoo said. “The many possibilities offered by the renewed historic building, combined with the Lasnamäe Pavilion’s continued focus on younger audiences, create enormous potential, which I look forward to developing together with the Tallinn Art Hall team and our partners. My aim is to expand the organisation’s scope and open up new ways of thinking about and engaging with art and culture. I want to build the Art Hall’s programme around meaningful collaboration and participation, while also strengthening its interdisciplinary dimension.”
Maria Arusoo is a curator, dramaturg and cultural manager. Since 2013, she has led the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art and served as Commissioner of the Estonian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Previously, she worked as a freelance artist and curator, as a curator at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art, and as project manager at artist Martin Creed’s London studio. She has also worked in media, contributing to the production of a documentary series on artists and writing articles and interviews.
Arusoo holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory, Aural and Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and a BA in Painting from the University of Tartu. She has also pursued MA studies in Fine Arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She has curated exhibitions and performance projects, served as a visiting lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is one of the founders of the art magazine A Shade Colder.
Maria Arusoo’s five-year term as Director of Tallinn Art Hall will begin on 1 January 2027. Current director Paul Aguraiuja will take up his new role as Estonian cultural attaché in Germany at the start of 2027.
Further information
Bianka Soe
Chair of the Supervisory Board of Tallinn Art Hall
Head of the Arts Department, Ministry of Culture
bianka.soe@kul.ee
