Shaping the Unclaimed
Artists:
Mia Dudek (PL), Giovanna Petrocchi (IT), Eva Stenram (SE/GB), Mare Tralla (EE), Elo Vahtrik (EE), Sigrid Viir (EE)
Curators:
Kati Ots (EE), Trine Stephensen (NO)
Installation: Johannes Säre, Veiko Illiste
Open:
24/7 (A. Laikmaa pedestrian tunnel 05:00–00:00)
Starting point of the exhibition: 2 Gonsiori Street
Free entrance
Wheelchair accessible
Public Programme:
07.09.2025
13:00 Curators’ tour (in English). Starting point: beside the sculpture „Hämarik“ in the outdoor area of Viru Keskus Department Store.
14:00 Performance All Unicorns are Born Free and Equal by artists Mare Tralla (EE) and Roberta Lima (AT/BR). Beside the sculpture „Hämarik“ in the outdoor area of Viru Keskus Department Store (30 min, in English).
Thanks to:
Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department, Gonsiori 13 apartment association, Gonsiori 3 apartment association, Rannaauto KB OÜ, Johannes Luik, Markus Emmott, Mare Mikoff, Johanna Jolen Kuzmenko, Tina Hanssen (Buskerud Kunstsenter), Trage OÜ, Estconde Invest OÜ
The exhibition is part of the Main Programme of the 8th Tallinn Photomonth
Tallinna Kaubamaja Department Store intersection (Gonsiori/A.Laikmaa)
Shaping the Unclaimed is an international urban space exhibition that takes place in seven locations around the junction of Gonsiori and Laikmaa streets, known as the Kaubamaja Department Store intersection. In an urban environment saturated with an overwhelming amount of stimuli, the project seeks ways in which art can offer moments of relief and open new perspectives on what we see and experience daily.
This urban landscape is a visually and historically charged area where layers of different eras, as well as important landmarks of Tallinn, meet. Kaubamaja Department Store and Viru Centre – two symbols of commercial architecture from different eras. A new skyscraper being built on the site of the former Estonian Academy of Arts. The controversial statue Dusk located on the terrace of the Viru Centre. A constant flow of people, both underground and at ground level. You are standing in a monumental environment, not just in terms of scale but also in terms of meaning and visual intensity.
The exhibition approaches photography across disciplines: all artworks are based in photography, yet their modes of expression range from installations and digital collages to sculptural objects. We invite you to explore how photography can operate not only as a visual image but as a sculptural element that shapes space and intervenes in our experience of it.