From May 21 to September 14 2014 MACRO – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma presents the exhibition Shifting Identities, curated by Ludovico Pratesi and organized by Väinö Tanner Foundation, which brings together for the first time 21 members of the latest generations of Estonian and Finnish artists, united by a deep reflection on the theme of identity.
From Finland, exhibition presents works by Adel Abidin, Aino Kannisto, Riikka Kuoppala, Mikko Kuorinki, Antti Laitinen, Liisa Lounila, Nelli Palomäki, Anna Rokka, Jani Ruscica, Pia Siren and Pilvi Takala. Estonian artists are Reio Aare, Flo Kasearu, Paul Kuimet, Eva Labotkin, Tanja Muravskaja, Kristina Norman, Mark Raidpere, Eva Sepping, Liina Siib and 10×10 meters.
Curator’s statement:
Being part of two different geographical regions, Scandinavian peninsula and Baltic states, has often belittled the many links between Finland and Estonia, separated by the Baltic Sea yet very close in terms of ethnics and language. The difficult and complex relation with Russia has made Estonia’s possibility of national definition even more problematic, and has represented a constant and never appeased threat for Finland. While the identity issue has never been a focal point of Finnish post-war art (excluding the activity of the alternative group The Harvesters in the Seventies), it is a crucial theme for the artists of the latest generations both in Finland and in Estonia, analyzed through different artistic languages ranging from sculpture to photography to video. The exhibition Shifting Identities focuses on Finland’s and Estonia’s identities definition, collecting the works of 21 contemporary artists active in both countries, displaying an ideal itinerary from the Seventies to today.
Photo: Jani Ruscica: Evolutions, 2008. 16mm film to HD, still.