An exhibition of contemporary art inspired by Johann Köler opened in the Kumu Art Museum’s project space

To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Köler, the first professional artist of Estonian nationality, the exhibition Köler 200: Interpretations opened in the 3rd floor project space of the Kumu Art Museum. The exhibition is a further development of the show at the Rüki Gallery in Viljandi, where five artists – Mihkel Ilus, Jass Kaselaan, Marge Monko, Tõnis Saadoja and Johanna Ulfsak – offered contemporary interpretations of Köler’s work. This new version is being curated by Tiiu Saadoja.

Köler 200: Interpretations is a dialogue between contemporary artists and themes from Köler’s legacy that interest them.

Mihkel Ilus, a painter and installation artist, explores the connection between art from a century ago and contemporary art through his use of materials. For the exhibition, Ilus has created easels whose hardwood components are made from the old stretcher bars of paintings dating from Köler’s time or even earlier, sourced from the conservation department of the Art Museum of Estonia.

The painter Tõnis Saadoja’s works are based on the question of how to allude to Johann Köler’s academic background in his paintings, while also incorporating a perspective that Köler himself was unable to experience in his own time. Saadoja’s paintings are modelled on Köler’s studies of foliage and landscapes, the most timeless themes in his work.

The sculptor Jass Kaselaan engages with Johann Köler’s oeuvre through two works. His concrete statues of saints are inspired by Köler’s religious works, while the sculpture Mouse explores the artist’s legacy of portraiture. The work forms part of the series Portraits from the Year 2026, through which Kaselaan explores how to create and interpret portraits when the specific subject does not exist.

The photographic artist Marge Monko uses Köler’s The Spinner to examine the reproduction of art from a medium-critical perspective, highlighting how both photographic and technical printing conditions influence the final form of a reproduced image.

The textile artist and designer Johanna Ulfsak chose Johann Köler’s painting Monks Put a Curse on Lorelei as her dialogue partner. Ulfsak’s fabric is made using traditional handicraft techniques and mirrors the composition of Köler’s painting.

As a continuation of the exhibition at the Rüki Gallery, Kumu is exhibiting works by Johann Köler from the collections of the Art Museum of Estonia alongside interpretations by contemporary artists. The exhibition mainly features Köler’s studies, which allow visitors to trace the artist’s creative explorations. Visitors can thus see preparatory sketches for Köler’s works The Faithful Guardian and Monks Put a Curse on Lorelei, which have rarely been shown to the public.

Johann Köler (1826–1899), born 200 years ago, was the first Estonian painter to receive an academic art education; he became known primarily as a portraitist. After graduating from the St Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1855, he continued his studies in France, Germany and Italy, among other places. In 1861, he was awarded the title of Academician by the St Petersburg Academy of Arts, and in 1867, that of Professor. In addition to his creative work, he played an active role in the Estonian national movement as a member of the “St Petersburg Patriots’ Circle”. Many of Köler’s best-known works, including portraits of his parents and The Faithful Guardian, are on permanent display in the Kumu Art Museum’s permanent exhibition Landscapes of Identity: Estonian Art 1700–1945.

The exhibition Köler 200: Interpretations is open in the project space on the third floor of the Kumu Art Museum until August 2027.