Estonian Art Reaches Florence

The art exhibition Visioni dal nord. Pittura Estone dalla collezione Enn Kunila, 1910-1940. Visions from the North. Estonian Painting from Enn Kunila’s Collection, 1910-1940 will be opened on 3 March at the Museo Novecento in Florence, Italy and will remain open until 21 May 2017.

A total of 33 works by 16 artists will be on display. Among them are works by Konrad Mägi, Ants Laikmaa, Nikolai Triik, Villem Ormisson, Herbert Lukk and Elmar Kits. The main emphasis is on ten paintings by Konrad Mägi and especially his works with Italian themes.

The planning of the exhibition has taken place in cooperation with the Municipal Government of Florence, which owns the Museo Novecento. This cooperation has been broad-based, involving various institutions and art scholars on both sides. We have worked closely with the Municipal Government of Florence, particularly with Nicoletta Mantovani, Councillor of the Mayor of Florence for international relations and cooperation; and with Tommaso Sacchi, Head of Secretary of Culture of the Municipality. Museo Novecento’s Scientific Director Valentina Gensini has played an important role on the part of the museum. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, the Estonian Embassy in Rome, Estonia’s honorary consul in Florence Luigi Cecchini, the Association Italia Estonia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia and the Art Museum of Estonia have all contributed to and provided support for organising this exhibition.

The exhibition’s curator and the author of its catalogue is the art scholar Eero Epner. The exhibition’s designer is the artist Tõnis Saadoja. The designer of the catalogue and of the promotional materials for the exhibition is the designer Tiit Jürna.

The stately Museo Novecento introduces and displays 20^th century Italian art but also holds exhibitions of foreign art from the same period.

Konrad Mägi and Ants Laikmaa have returned once again to Italy, this time to Florence, the city of art where the concentration of art is immeasurable; where the world famous Uffizi Gallery is located; where art’s greats such as Raphael, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci have worked.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 130 page catalogue that contains reproductions of the paintings on display at the exhibition and essays on the art of the early 20^th century and the creative work of Konrad Mägi by the exhibition’s curator Eero Epner, the Italian art critic Arnaldo Colasanti, the art historian Liis Pählapuu from the Estonian Museum of Art, and Museo Novecento’s Scientific Director Valentina Gensini.

The exhibition’s theme artwork is Konrad Mägi’s painting from 1922-23 Capri motiiv (Capri Motif).

The exhibition is also accompanied by a diverse programme. A digital guide introduces Estonian art; several lectures and tours led by curators will be held at the exhibition, and a film programme put together by the Estonian Film Institute will be screened.

Dear art lovers, if you happen to be in Italy while this exhibition is open, be our guest and make sure to visit the Museo Novecento.