Köler Prize laureate Anna Mari Liivrand opens exhibition in Tartu

Artist Anna Mari Liivrand, a Köler Prize laureate, has opened a solo exhibition at Kogo gallery in Tartu, ERR reported. “The Allure of Curving Paths” explores complex relationships between memory, nature and the past.

The exhibition presents Liivrand’s latest works in drawing, sculpture and installation. Continuing her earlier focus on the passage of time, the artist combines metal and glass from different periods with objects found in urban spaces.

“I arrived at using glass and metal through urban elements, especially by observing industrial architecture and abandoned environments, as well as Tallinn’s distinctive wrought-iron elements,” Liivrand said. “The interaction between glass and metal is very appealing to me. It creates a pleasant tension and, on the other hand, a balance between the tenderness and fragility of glass and the harshness of metal.”

Curator Elina Drake said Liivrand’s ability to combine different media was particularly compelling. The works bring together architecture, visual art, design and handicraft.

Ornamental wrought iron and plant-related motifs run throughout the exhibition. Liivrand has engraved Estonian poisonous plants on glass, saying that abandoned environments often become the basis for renewal and the emergence of new nature. In the context of natural disappearance, she said, this rebirth may not be gentle, but could instead emerge in a threatening form, like poisonous plants.

The exhibition will remain open until October 24.