Ave Palm exhibition explores Käesalu manor’s history and nature

Artist Ave Palm’s solo exhibition “Daisy Peeling Off the Wall” opens at the Käesalu Art Centre on September 13, ERR reported. The exhibition is the result of a 10-day residency during which Palm explored Käesalu manor house, its architecture, history and surrounding nature.

The manor house is currently undergoing changes. The historic building is being gradually restored, with later layers removed to highlight its valuable elements and details. Palm focused on the transitional period in which the building’s former use has faded but a new one is still taking shape.

During the residency, Palm documented the interior and exterior of the manor using photographs and photograms. Large cyanotypes on fabric and smaller works on paper were made from materials found on site and natural elements.

The artist treated everything she discovered as potentially valuable. An old window frame, nail, spoon, plant or piece of wallpaper could each carry part of the place’s story. By turning discarded or seemingly unnecessary materials into the basis for artworks, their meaning and value also change.

The exhibition brings together architectural heritage and nature. Its use of cyanotype, a technique for creating images with sunlight, establishes a direct connection with the place where the works were made.

The exhibition is installed in an orangery near Käesalu manor. Its design was based on a project by J. W. Krause for the University of Tartu botanical garden.

“Daisy Peeling Off the Wall” is open from September 13 to October 31 at the Käesalu Art Centre. Visits require prior arrangement with the centre’s owners.