Nikolai Triik. Classics of the Modernist Era
Location: 3rd floor, B-wing
As of Friday, 30 May, a survey exhibition of works by Nikolai Triik, a great figure of Estonian Modernism, will be on view at the Kumu Art Museum. After a 30-year interval, the public will again be able to see a thorough exposition of the artist’s work, including several works that have never been seen before by the Estonian public.
Nikolai Triik (1884–1940) was one of Estonia’s most important Modernists. The evolution of his life and work clearly reveals the new ideas and ideals of the young people who entered Estonian cultural life in the early 20th century, and who set their gaze on the activities outside the province. Triik’s arrival on the Estonian art scene occurred during the period when the ideals of the Noor-Eesti group of young intellectuals recognised the fact that Estonian culture lagged behind the rest of Europe and set the goal of bringing the European mentality to Estonia.
In Triik’s work, landscapes and portraits dominate, but there are also politically motivated works and powerful visionary compositions. His art fed the soul, the spirit and the intellect. In addition to Nikolai Triik’s most famous works, the exhibition also includes many unusual lesser known works. For the first time, the Estonian public will have a chance to see two large portraits painted by Triik in Denmark, which are great discoveries from the viewpoint of Estonian art history.
The exhibition is accompanied by a book, which includes a detailed survey of Nikolai Triik’s life and work written by the exhibition’s curator, Liis Pählapuu, along with rich pictorial material. The book is in Estonian and English.
Curator: Liis Pählapuu
Exhibition design: Liina Siib
Author of graphic identity and book design: Angelika Schneider
Exhibition sponsors:
Data Print, Sadolin
