The exhibition ‘Ghosts and Powers’ by Alexei Gordin runs at Hobusepea Gallery (Hobusepea 2, Tallinn, Estonia) until 5 January 2025.
Alexei Gordin: “In the exhibition Ghosts and Powers, I explore the complexities of architectural heritage and its profound influence on human lives. Set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the discourse surrounding monuments erected under occupation regimes has resurfaced, exposing societal divides. As always, the truth resides in a nuanced middle ground, obscured by the weight of emotion.
The idea for the exhibition stemmed from an article in Postimees describing a mysterious bunker beneath the Maarjamäe “space rocket.” According to old drawings, a room lies hidden beneath the monument, sealed for seventy years. What purpose did it serve and what might it hide? If a hatch to the bunker could be unearthed, might it lead to a point where all conflicting aspects converge into a unified understanding?
A video in the gallery’s basement engages with Kristina Norman’s 2007 work, Monolith. While Norman’s controversial monument fell from the sky like a meteorite, causing widespread societal disarray, the current monument launches like a spacecraft into the sky. Remarkably, in the seventeen years, the debate over monuments has not waned; instead, it has intensified.
The second part of the exhibition shifts focus to a different category of monuments — Estonian manors. Originally constructed by hostile regimes, these buildings have, over time, shed their oppressive connotations and become merely cultural heritage. While manor culture depended on the exploitation of locals, these estates have been preserved and redefined as integral to national history. Their original hostile connotation was erased through the deconstruction imposed by another oppressive regime.
In this exhibition, I present photographs taken over the years of abandoned manor apartments and personal belongings found in them. By making these monuments visible, I ask: How should we approach history? Through abstract events or the lives of ordinary people? Behind major historical upheavals lies an intricate web of personal experiences, interwoven across time and space. This interconnectedness makes history so challenging to interpret — it is composed of millions of lives and countless ambivalent concepts.”
Alexei Gordin (b. 1989) is primarily known as a painter but also works in photography, video, and performance art. His work uses dark humor to critique the absurdities of the (art) world and human alienation, while addressing issues such as inequality and marginalization. His work draws inspiration from cartoons and references comic and meme culture. Gordin began actively exhibiting in 2010.
In his solo exhibition March 1989. August 2014 (Tallinn City Gallery, 2014), Gordin explored the darker facets of post-Soviet society and its lingering influence in contemporary Eastern Europe through photography. Having grown up in Tomsk, Russia, he has used his personal experiences to shed light on the challenges of life in transitional societies. One of his notable projects, The Artist Collects Empty Bottles (Y-Gallery, 2014), addressed the themes of art-making and poverty. Since 2015, Gordin has depicted the art world, complete with galleries, fairs, and white cubes, in a caricatured style, often portraying the artist as the underdog in this system. The atmosphere in his works is harsh, with alienated characters navigating a bleak reality, underscored by comic-like text. He has continued to explore these themes through painting and video in solo exhibitions such as I Remained Silent (Kogo Gallery, 2018) and Artists, Galleries, and Abandoned Spaces (Pamenkalnio Gallery, Vilnius 2019), How Could This Happen? (ArtDepoo Gallery, 2021), Dreams Come True In This Gallery (Vaal Gallery, 2022) and Death Mill (Maksla XO Gallery, Riga, 2024).
He has studied painting in the Estonian Academy of Arts (BA, 2011) and in the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (MA, 2016). Gordin has participated in group shows in Kiasma and Kumu Art Museum. In 2017, he was awarded the Young Painter Award. His works are included in the collections of Kumu Art Museum, Tartu Art Museum, the Lithuanian National Gallery, Kiasma and in the private collections of Poco and Zuzeum.
Photography: Anna Mari Liivrand
