PORTRAIT OF AN EMOTION
Artists: Diana Tamane, Lydia Hannah, Yevgeny Zolotko
Curator: Laura Toots
19 September – 14 November 2021
NART – Narva Art Residency
Joala 18, 20103 Narva
Hours: Tues, Thurs – Sun 11-18 (Mon, Wed closed)
Diana Tamane film “Under the Same Sky” is in Russian / subtitles change every hour:
11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 – in Estonian
12:00, 14:00, 16:00 – in English
NART is pleased to present Portrait of an Emotion – an exhibition of new works by Lydia Hannah, Diana Tamane, Yevgeny Zolotko and curated by Laura Toots.
The exhibition is inspired by the sensitivity of the three participating artists, and their skillful treatment and combination of different materials and motifs. What unites these artists is the impactfulness of their works, showing how emptiness or absence can turn into presence, into something solid and strong. Repetitions characterise their works, whether thematic or formal, emphasizing the repetitive nature of human efforts.
According to Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet and scholar, being human is comparable to an inn, where new guests come every morning in the form of emotions. They are always changing and, most importantly, always passing. All guests, including those who are spiteful, must be greeted and invited in, because when they leave, they make room for the next ones.
All three artists bring diverse portraits to the exhibition – from real life and fictive, introspective meditations, as well as wider social inquiries, amalgamations of historical and contemporary material, planar and spatial in form, but first and foremost these can be considered self-portraying visions – Yevgeny-Zolotko-like, Diana-Tamane-like and Lydia-Hannah-like ways of experiencing the world.
Lydia Hannah is both a visual artist and a musician. Her practice explores the spaces between sound and image. She creates immersive landscapes through video, live and recorded soundscapes and music. Her work mirrors the brittle duality of human existence, caught between the imaginary distance and the shapeless closeness of the real world.
Diana Tamane focuses primarily on photography, but also uses video, sound and writing in her work. Tamane works with autobiographical material – the artist looks at the relationship between herself and her family, everyday moments, memories, dreams and how these change in time. She relates her family history to broader historical and social changes, cultural identities and generational differences.
Yevgeny Zolotko’s work centres on the relationship between the verbal and the material. In his site-specific installations, Zolotko highlights the universal traits of human nature, intergenerational sensitivities passed on through culture and religion and the suppressed subconscious.
Laura Toots is an art worker interested in different collective working practices and experiences. She has organised projects large and small – from publications to art biennials – aiming to bring together different professionals for a wider exchange of ideas. Since 2017, Toots has been a curator and project manager at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM).
Project manager: Marju Tajur
Graphic design: Jaan Evart
Technical team: Dénes Farkas, Madis Kurss, Keiu Maasik, Alis Mäesalu, Mihkel Säre
Find the exhibition brochure here.
At 14:00 the opening is preceded by a tour with a group of young people Art Revolutionaries / Narva st.ART. Together with the artist Maria Kapajeva they have produced murals based on Kreenholm designs from the Narva Museum collection. The tour will be in 3 languages (Estonian, English, Russian). The meeting point is in front of NART.
Opening of the exhibition “Portrait of an Emotion” is held on 18 September:
15:00 – Tour with the exhibition’s curator Laura Toots, in Estonian and Russian
16:00 – Opening of the exhibition
The evening continues with a live performance by Analogue Quattro – musicians from Sillamäe.
Food is provided by White Good Food Truck.
We kindly ask all visitors over the age of 18 to present a COVID-19 certificate (proof of vaccination, of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days, or proof of a recent negative test) and your ID to participate in the event. There is no rapid testing on-site.
Portrait of an Emotion is co-organised with Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) as part of the programme for the sixth Tallinn Photomonth Contemporary Art Biennial.
