Until March 27, the solo exhibition by Kristel Saan, “Paradise Revisited” is open at the gallery of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design in the old town of Tallinn. Covering the entire exhibition hall, the installation merges the natural with the man-made and intertwines the past with the future and the familiar with the unknown.
“‘Paradise Revisited’ is about the cyclical nature of life and the constant repetition of these circles. The exhibition is about being taken care of, the journey and the intertwining of its different parts. Although life is an exciting fast-paced process, its stages are not all of the same length, significance and volume. Some moments pass quickly, whereas others require time and patience to form a whole. And there are those we keep coming back to, again and again,” explains Saan, briefly introducing her exhibition at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design.
The exhibition reflects Saan’s wide-ranging creative practice, combining her everyday work as an artist and designer. The works displayed in “Paradise Revisited” follow a clockwise course, as if observing time or movement, our own journey, truths and beliefs. This speaks about affection, the search for balance between our deeper self and the boundaries of the rational mind. The themes in this exhibition are somewhat like seasons with their various facets and light and dark sides.
“The works by Saan reflect the fragile and transient yet meaningful moments we face every day. The exhibition creates a sense of security and belonging in us: interruptions that can be unexpected and complicated always provide an opportunity to bring together fragmented moments and adapt to a possible new way forward,” curator Merilin Talumaa says.
The materials used also convey different themes and periods in life. Some are soft and naturally flowing – they have been allowed to grow organically. Others are closely combined with reason, constructed and consisting of numerous repetitions. But even this so-called practical and well-thought-out part has its dark side and a deeper self that cannot be fully controlled. The journey begins with something safe, secure and natural. Something we know so well and are afraid to let go of.
“However, letting go of what is safe is always followed by a dizzying sense of freedom and flying. Everything is possible, I am immortal and invincible; I rejoice in happiness and it intoxicates me,” the artist adds.
Curator: Merilin Talumaa
Graphic design: Kert Viiart
Sound: Sten Saarits
Photography: Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design
