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Photo reportage from Anna Kaarma’s exhibition ‘Type 121’ at EKA Gallery

‘Type 121’ is Anna Kaarma’s first solo exhibition. The show’s central motif is the building type 121, characteristic the tower block district Lasnamäe in Tallinn. The construction of the microdistrict began in the 1970s . Lasnamäe was initially planned to house 160,000–180,000 inhabitants, making it the largest of its kind in Tallinn. In the 1980s, for the Estonian population Lasnamäe became synonymous with mainly Russian-speaking migrant population and in the 1990s the development of the district came to a halt. Since then Lasnamäe has provoked conflicting attitudes – while being the most densely populated city district in Tallinn, the area has been considered bleak and unattractive. However, over the recent years the development of Lasnamäe has gained momentum again and there is a growing interest in reviving the district as a vibrant urban space.

In her works Kaarma looks at Lasnamäe as a particular architectural environment, while also analysing her own experience and changing attitudes towards this area. By using various media like video, photo, installation, artist book and drawing, the artist creates a fragmented, yet diverse and structured environment in the gallery, thus addressing her own experience with living in Lasnamäe, but also trying to generalise it and connect to that of others.

Anna Kaarma (1992) is a Tallinn based artist and graphic designer. In 2015 she received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Graphic Design Department of the Estonian Academy of Arts. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in the Photography Department in the same academy.

The exhibition is open until 29 April.
EKA Gallery is located in Vabaduse Väljak 6/8 (entrance through the inner courtyard of Tallinn Art Hall) and is open Tue–Sat, 12–18.

Photography:  Marianna Gunja, Anna Kaarma