Tallinna Fotokuu / Tallinn Photomonth (–)
Kaasaegse kunsti biennaal / Contemporary art biennial

just juuri nüüd nyt

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For the first time, the Estonian Union of Photography Artists (FOKU) collaborates with the Finnish Association of Photographic Artists (VTL) within the framework of Tallinn Photomonth. The joint exhibition taking place across Hobusepea and FOKU galleries displays works by both Finnish and Estonian photographic artists that have been selected by a jury of professionals from both countries. The exhibition focuses on the question of what photography means in the context of contemporary art at the present moment and how artists are constantly redefining its essence through their work. The exhibition highlights currently relevant topics, as well as different ways in which contemporary photographic art is presented – from the selection of original materials to the use of experimental formats.

The aim of this exhibition project is, among other things, to strengthen the cooperation between the photographic artists of the two countries, and to exchange experiences in exhibition-making and contemporary art practices. The exhibition will be accompanied by a gathering and discussion panel aimed at the fields’ professionals of the immediate region. The exhibition series that takes off from Tallinn, continues in 2026 in Finland.

Kristina Õllek (b. 1989) is a visual artist based in Tallinn, Estonia. She works in the field of photography, video and installation, with a focus on investigating marine ecosystems, geological matter and the human-altered environment. In her practice, she uses a research-based approach, but she also incorporates her own fictitious and speculative perspectives. With her work, she raises questions around the relationship between natural and synthetic, original and copy, and understandings of materiality through reinterpretation. In her recent projects, she has been focusing on marine habitats and the notion of new technologies, including the geopolitical and ecological conditions associated with them. 

Kristina Õllek’s works have been shown in various international group and solo exhibitions, including at Kai Art Center (Tallinn, Estonia), Kumu Art Museum (Tallinn, Estonia), Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (Oslo, Norway), State of Concept (Athens, Greece), La Traverse (Marseille, France), the Zeppelin Museum (Friedrichshafen, Germany), A Tale of a Tub (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), Le Lieu Unique (Nantes, France), Screen City Biennial (Stavanger, Norway) and Fotomuseum Winterthur (Switzerland).