The X-Files [Registry of the Nineties]
Location: 5th floor, Gallery of Contemporary Art
The X-Files is an exhibition that delves into the deeper layers of the decade and tries to shed light on works that have been overshadowed, have been forgotten or have even disappeared from the cultural memory. It attempts to view some of the works by disregarding the main narrative of 90s art, which has already been relatively well-developed, attempts to recover phenomenal works from a decade that was quite indifferent to the preservation of these works, and searches for definite beginnings in the local art field in regard to general trends and individual authorial positions. The exhibition also tries to accurately depict the societal metamorphoses that characterised this explosive decade, as they are reflected in the art found outside of canonical works.
The exhibition curators focus on individual works and the mapping of their mutual connections in relation to the living environment and the perception field. Along with an introduction (Intro) and the thematic sections that frame the exhibition (The Flow of Reality: Social Transformations I & II), the exhibition is divided into eight abstract sections, with the following subtitles: “Estonian Studies”, “Cyber Tower”, “Phenomenon: Commercial-Performance”, “Metamorphoses of Masculinity” and “Autompsyko Supervegos”. These divisions developed as the result of working through the “catalogue”, as links between the files, including sub-catalogues and groupings, started developing. Therefore, there are at least two possible ways to look at the exhibition: 1) by looking at each work autonomously, as an individual case, which summa summarum could comprise a narrative, or 2) through the divisions suggested by the curators.
The exhibition is part of the programme to celebrate the centennial of the Republic of Estonia.
Curators: Eha Komissarov, Anders Härm
We wish to thank:
Centre for Contemporary Arts Estonia, ERR Archive, Bank of Estonia Museum, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Rain Lõhmus, Raivo Kelomees, Ain Järve and Kadriorg Park
