Photo reportage from the exhibition ‘BAGAGE CABINE’ at the Kogo gallery

BAGAGE CABINE
Artists: Jean-Baptiste Bonhomme, Émilie Brout & Maxime Marion, Julien Des Monstiers, Gwendoline Perrigueux, Guilhem Roubichou, Florian Viel, Thomas Wattebled
Curators: Elodie Bernard, Liina Raus
Dates: 10.09 – 17.10.2020
At Kogo gallery, Tartu, Estonia

BAGAGE CABINE is the first part of a cycle of exhibitions. As in a round-trip, the shows propose an artistic exchange between the two countries – France and Estonia. The first exhibition takes place at Kogo Gallery in Tartu. The show will present seven works of seven french artists. Jean Baptiste Bonhomme, Émilie Brout & Maxime Marion, Julien Des Monstiers, Gwendoline Perrigueux, Guilhem Roubichou, Florian Viel and Thomas Wattebled. Each and every one having a singular practice, which stands out from the others. Seven ways of looking at the world, seven ways of addressing the viewer. Seven thoughts in motion.

The starting point of the show is personal contact between people, and with places. The idea is to enliven cultural exchange, discover new creation that is linked with the locations – France and Estonia. The idea was also to connect artists in the format of a sustainable international exhibition where artists and curator come to install and open the show with their works in hand luggage. However, currently the situation has changed, flights between Estonia and France have been cancelled, and the works arrive at Kogo gallery by courier. The situation reminds the Estonian song “Kosmos-Maa!” (Space- Earth) – communication that takes place through electromagnetic waves without meeting each other. That song was created in 1966. It is a cover of a western song like many our popular songs of that time – the Baltic states where then part of the Soviet Union, behind the so-called Iron Curtain. Still, to some extent, the cultural exchange happened, fed our curiosity, enriched our culture and kept alive the thirst for freedom.

But what is the importance of cultural exchange now and how it should keep going? How we should travel and contact with other cultures and places? One may also ask what is the flow of artworks, how and where are they presented, and who watch them? Which curiosity do we have for the current contemporary creation that is being developed in Europe?

BAGAGE CABINE has been completely redesigned. At the last moment, at the last minute. Without the possibility of going there, the exhibition no longer has the same meaning.

That’s why we decided to adapt with the constraints. Question this project, without canceling it.

Like a world in motion.

The artist fumbles, experiments, moves forward, stops and starts again. They absorb everything that is happening around them and moves forward regardless. It is in the image of creation. Move forward in spite of everything, stay engaged with artists, institutions and spectators. It is to build and think together the future of the exhibition.

BAGAGE CABINE is about opening up to the other one, sharing a look on the world, making different cultures to meet, and discovering. It is also related to establishing links, allowing the artists to circulate their work outside their own territory, approaching questions about movement and changeability – the movement of people, artworks and cultures.

The next show will be “Käsipagas / Rokas bagāžā / Rankinis bagažas” with artists from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in France, hopefully in the situation when real physical contact and presence is possible.

BAGAGE CABINE – as a way of approaching questions of new mobility. Mobilities of Man, mobility of thoughts, mobility of works, mobility of cultures.

The exhibition program of Kogo Gallery is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the City of Tartu.