Museum exhibition invites grandparents to rediscover the joy of play

The Estonian National Museum’s exhibition “With a Tail and Horns” invites adults, including grandparents, to rediscover the joy of play, museum director Laura Kipper told ERR’s Vikerraadio.

The exhibition by British artist Monster Chetwynd opened at the museum last week. It is Chetwynd’s first exhibition in the Baltic states and is designed as an imaginative, participatory experience.

“The participatory aspect of the exhibition is the most important part for us,” Kipper said. She described it as a project that explores the boundaries between art and culture, linking symbols, meanings and stories across time.

Museum educator Anna Liisa Regensperger said visitors had already begun returning for a second or third visit, despite the exhibition having been open for only a few days. Parents who were initially hesitant to touch the exhibits had later built a monster house at the architecture school or made large hats to take home.

Kipper said play was an important part of the exhibition experience. At the artist’s request, the display contains as few explanatory texts as possible, encouraging visitors to consider the meanings of the images and visual elements. The exhibition also includes numerous references to films and offers an introduction to British and wider cultural influences connected to Chetwynd’s work.

Chetwynd is due to visit Estonia in early October for the Estonian National Museum’s anniversary. A performance and discussion with the artist are planned, along with social evenings and lectures on Estonian monstrous creatures and the meaning of play.

“Monster’s work invites all of us to play,” Kipper said. Children respond most directly because they have not forgotten what playing means, but adults should also find the courage to put on a hat, go on stage or simply run around and play together.

Kipper said the exhibition’s focus on monstrous creatures should not frighten children. Instead, she said, it offers a chance to explore whether people can change by putting on a hat and play more boldly with their identities.

The exhibition also addresses how people have imagined and named fears through culture. A reading corner introduces visitors to Estonian mythical figures including Põhja Konn and Kalevipoeg, inviting them to examine what these figures mean today.