An exhibition to revive the spirit of a lost village

Text Mark Taylor
Photos Roman-Sten Tõnissoo, Tütar gallery

Textile and installation artist Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins’ new solo exhibition, “Who remembers last, who remembers better?” will open at Tütar gallery in Tallinn on January 19. The centerpiece is a five-meter-long rag rug, collaboratively crafted with the Kadrina community.

The exhibition narrates the poignant tale of Koplimetsa, a vanished village in Lääne-Virumaa. Established in 1877, Koplimetsa succumbed to radical changes in 1977, when the thriving village was transformed into collective farms, something that happened to many villages across the region.

Teinfeldt-Grins, a native of Koplimetsa, knew little of the village’s past before making the pieces. Embarking on a quest to discover her own roots and to revive the village’s lost history and traditions from elderly locals. This culminated in many pieces, the centerpiece of which is the community-woven 5m wide rag rug, which was made by hundreds of volunteers.

The exhibition, which is a tribute to Estonia’s forgotten villages, will run at Tütar gallery in the Noblessner Port area until February 25.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Art Collective Farms History Koplimetsa Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins Noblessner Tallinn Tütar Gallery