Evald Okase Museum has stayed open year-round for three years

The Evald Okase Museum in Haapsalu has been open year-round for the past three years, museum host Üla Koppel told ERR. The museum is currently showing the exhibition “Keskustelu” by Mare Mikoff and Berit Talpsepp-Jaanisoo, which runs until the end of October.

Koppel, Evald Okas’s granddaughter, said the museum had previously operated as a seasonal gallery for 20 years. Okas bought the building in 1999 after it had stood empty, seemingly waiting for him, she said, as he had long wanted a place for his work.

“The city itself plays a very important role, because Evald Okas had no connection to Haapsalu. He came from Põltsamaa and was born and raised in Tallinn. Haapsalu was the result of a coincidence,” Koppel said.

Renovating the building was a substantial undertaking, she added. “The builders even asked why we were not constructing a new building, because, as is often the case with old houses, this one was full of surprises.”

The exhibition’s curator, Peeter Talvistu, said its title referred primarily to a dialogue between the artists, while also involving their relatives and friends.

Talvistu said the exhibition was particularly interesting because Talpsepp-Jaanisoo is going through a hyperrealist period, while Mikoff also worked in a hyperrealist style when she was the younger artist’s age. The works by both artists also contain an element of quirky humour, he said.