Artists: Melanie Bonajo, Liisa Hirsch, Anu Põder, Alina Szapocznikow, Iza Tarasewicz
Curator: Rebeka Põldsam
Architectural design: Maarja Kask & Neeme Külm
Be Fragile! Be Brave! is a sequence to 2017 exhibition Anu Põder. Be Fragile! Be Brave! at Kumu Art Museum. The first show evolved around retrospective, historical, thematic and material recontextualisation of the work of Estonian sculptor and installation maker Anu Põder (1947–2013). Põder never ceased to explore woman’s relationship with her immediate circle in the contexts of childhood home, work, sexuality or family. Working with ephemeral materials such as wax, soap, textile, plaster, chocolate, she focused on intimate narratives of personal sphere and inner life as opposed to durable materials and grand narratives officially accepted by the USSR or independent Estonia. In the exhibition these themes and materials can be seen reflected and elaborated in the works of by other participating artists as well.
The exhibition presents early and rare bronze sculptures, from Polish sculptor Alina Szapocznikow (1926–1973) express her witty humour on time and age, a large scale installation by sculptor and installation maker Iza Tarasewicz (b. 1981), a sound installation by Estonian composer and experimental musician Liisa Hirsch (b. 1984). Dutch artist Melanie Bonajo’s video installation Night Soil – Nocturnal Gardening (2016) examines farms from the unconventional perspectives of people who refuse to exploit non-human animals for food production and deals directly with current world politics.
More information: http://www.poriartmuseum.fi/eng/exhibitions/2019/229/