The anniversary exhibition of Tartu Art School at Gallery Pallas

On Friday, 18 September at 5 pm, an exhibition marking the 75th anniversary of Tartu Art School will open at Gallery Pallas.
The anniversary exhibition consists of three sections, each located on a different floor and curated by different curators. On the ground floor of the gallery, ‘WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?’ will open, showcasing works by nearly one hundred Tartu Art School alumni. The exhibition is curated by Krista Roosi, Katrin Maask and Maarja Roosi. Two sections of the exhibition have been drawn from the Tartu Art School’s methodological collection. In the basement is ‘BORDERLESS PATTERN’, curated by Mari-Liis Krautmann, and in the second-floor gallery hall is ‘7 1/2 STILL LIFES’, curated by Ilja Jakovlev.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
“Where Are You Going Next?” is a people- and history-centred look at the alumni of Tartu Art School and the paths they have taken after leaving the school. What kind of mark have they left on Estonian art and culture – and, more broadly, on the environment of our everyday lives?
The exhibition focuses on what came after graduation: paintings, sculptures, photographs, illustrations, graphic art, furniture, textiles, jewellery, ceramics and leatherwork, as well as architecture, design, music and other fields, spanning different decades.
The names of every graduate of Tartu Art School are displayed on the gallery windows, making visible a network of people that has developed over 75 years and whose influence extends far beyond the exhibition space.

BORDERLESS PATTERN
The exhibition of student works on the basement floor explores the theme of “unlimited spaces in limited times.” The works were created at a time when none of the artists yet knew the answer to the question: “Where are you going next?”
The exhibition is dedicated above all to those who did not complete their studies, as well as to those who, for one reason or another, have remained anonymous until now. The blank labels in the exhibition offer an opportunity to bring these missing names back into view. Because the history of art can never be fully written.

7 1/2 STILL LIFES
The exhibition on the second floor presents 7 1/2 still lifes created by students between 1957 and 2026 have been selected from the school’s collection. Chosen from approximately five hundred still lifes, each work represents a decade in the school’s history, offering a glimpse of its time – its spirit, aspirations and atmosphere – through the objects depicted and the artistic choices made.
As Tartu Art School celebrates its 75th rather than its 80th anniversary in 2026, the current decade is not yet complete. It is therefore represented by an unfinished work – we do not yet know where this period will lead or how it will remain in our memory.
The exhibition will remain open until 17 October.
Press Photo: Tartu Art School 75 – 3 exhibitions.

More Information:
Madleen Vapper
Communications Manager
Tartu Art School
+372 5684 4541 madleen.vapper@tartukunstikool.ee

Gallery Pallas
galerii@pallasart.ee +372 734 9954
Tue–Sat 11–18, Riia 11, Tartu
https://www.facebook.com/GaleriiPallas