Two artists from Estonia and Georgia opened a joint exhibition “Room for Many” (“Ruum mitmele”) at Tartu’s Art House which highlights women’s stories of resistance and survival.
The design of Thea Gvetadze and Diana Tamane’s exhibition, which opened on Friday, references Virginia Woolf’s essay “A Room of One’s Own”, but it also includes other people’s stories.
“For example, in one room there is the story of her friend who lived through the Georgian war by making clothes. And Diana has ceramic cups that can be used to invite people to drink tea and share events,” Curator Inga Lace told “Aktuaalne kaamera”.
Tamane work mostly concentrates on photography and, in this exhibition, she is displaying photos taken in Japan. She also experimented with ceramics, video and sound.
“When you come to the exhibition, I want you to feel good about being there and to take more time. In some ways, to also take time for yourself and be in a comfortable atmosphere. I think that we live in such a fast pace. To some extent, I created this room for myself, maybe I am burnt out, sometimes an artist wants to do something that she, herself, is missing. There is a video, I have learned a little dance- and movement therapy; there is a practice that I use so the person can take it easier again by looking at the mover, to be with herself at the same time,” Tamane said.
The exhibition is part of Tartu 2024’s main program and is inspired by the capital of culture’s artistic concept, Arts of Survival. The creators also say the exhibition should be a safe space for dialogue.
“In this tense political position, while we are in Estonia next to warring Russia, Georgia is also impacted by Russia, as well as the war in Gaza. These rooms are, in a sense, meant for contemplation, relaxation, and gathering,” Lace said.
The exhibition is open until the end of June.
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