During the conversation, Inesa Brašiškė, Head of Research at Sapieha Palace, will speak with artist Edith Karlson and curator Maria Arusoo about the narratives explored in the exhibition March!: the animalistic nature of the human being, the distrust of the masks that conceal it, and their absurd fragility in a world shaken by political and ecological crises. The discussion will also delve into the behind-the-scenes of Karlson’s practice, as well as her past and ongoing projects.
Edith Karlson is one of Estonia’s leading sculptors, known for her thought provoking, emotional and technically highly skilled large-scale installations. Her more recent exhibitions include Estonian Pavilion “Hora Lupi”, 60th Venice Biennial (2024); “Return to Innocence”, Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn (2021); “Roots and Ruins”, Temnikova & Kasela, Tallinn (2020); “Sisters”, with Mall Paris, Tallinn Art Hall Gallery (2019-2020); “Do Come in, the Door is Open!”, with Mary Reid Kelley and Eva Mustonen, KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn (2019-2020) among others.
Maria Arusoo is a curator and dramaturg who has served as the Director of the
Estonian Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) and Commissioner of the Estonian
Pavilion at the Venice Biennale since 2013. Arusoo has been a visiting lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She has published articles in numerous leading newspapers and cultural publications in Estonia and has been the Editor and Co-editor for numerous books and catalogues published by the CCA, Lugemik, Sternberg Press, and Mousse. She is the co-founder of the magazine A Shade Colder. Recent curatorial and commissioning projects include: the Estonian Pavilion at the
60th Venice Biennale 2024 featuring Edith Karlson “Hora Lupi”; the exhibition When Body Says Yes + by melanie bonajo at Kumu Art Museum (2024); “Sequences – a real time art festival” in several institutions in Reykjavik (2024); Ongoing projects include: the Estonian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale with a solo exhibition by Merike Estna (2025).
Inesa Brašiškė is an art historian and curator specializing in modern and contemporary art with a particular focus on East Central Europe. Brašiškė’s writing has appeared in publications such as Mousse Magazine, MoMA C-Map Post, and CAA News. Currently, Brašiškė serves as Head of Research and Curator at Sapieha Palace in Vilnius.
Conversation between Edith Karlson, Maria Arusoo, and Inesa Brašiškė
2025.06.14, Saturday, 6PM
Sapieha Palace, 1st Floor Southern Gallery
The conversation will be held in English, and admission is free.
