Women Artists at Kumu

Text Susanna Poikela
Photo Karolin Köster

At the Kumu Art Museum: Ragnar Kjartansson’s six video works, and the painting series “Weekdays in Arcadia”, created especially for Kumu.

This summer, the Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn radiates an Icelandic atmosphere with the first Estonian exhibition of Icelandic star artist Ragnar Kjartansson. The exhibition offers visitors a glimpse into the work of one of the most distinctive figures in international contemporary art.

Kjartansson’s art draws influences from pop music, art history, and indirectly from the political tensions of our time. On display are six large-scale video works created between 2004 and 2025, as well as a new painting series titled Weekdays in Arcadia, created specifically for Kumu.

Ragnar Kjartansson rose to international fame with Iceland’s pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Over the past decade, he has become one of the most in-demand artists in Iceland and the broader Nordic region. The exhibition at Kumu is open until September 21.

Also on display on Kumu’s third floor is an exhibition dedicated to the Mei sisters, Estonian artists Kristine, Lydia, and Natalie Mei. The daughters of a sailor from Hiiumaa, the sisters emerged on the Estonian art scene in the late 1910s. They created colourful and insightful watercolours, sculptures, drawings, and caricatures, earning their place among the classics of Estonian modernism.

Kumu’s lobby is undergoing renovations until the end of the year, but this does not affect the exhibition experience. The renovated lobby will reopen during Kumu’s 20th anniversary celebrations on February 17, 2026.

Kumu Art Museum, Weizenbergi 34 / Valge 1, Tallinn
kumu.ekm.ee

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Art Art Exhibitions Exhibitions Kristine Mei Kumu Lydia Mei Natalie Mei Ragnar Kjartansson