The exhibition focuses on works by ten artists based on local traditions and inspired by the unique landscape and harsh weather of the Nordic region. The exhibition “The Weather Diaries” has been created in cooperation with the artist-curator duo Sarah Cooper (1974, USA) and Nina Gorfer (1979, Austria), who over the course of two years visited Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Their aim was to explore the influence of these island environments, cultural identities and traditions on the creativity of local artists and designers. As opposed to the scientific approach of traditional anthropologists studying local communities, Cooper and Gorfer transform their observations into poetic stories captured through a camera lens. Their experiences are transformed into staged portraits filled with symbolism, layers of colour, and textures. The staging of each portrait was conducted in collaboration with local fashion designers, whose work can be seen side by side with the photograph at the exhibition.

The exhibition takes a step away from the conventional world of fashion and its seasonal trends and instead focuses on the creativity and the factors influencing it ‒ cultural identity, traditions, nature, landscapes, weather, as well as the Nordic innovative approach in creating sustainable fashion by using local resources.

Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer, based in Gothenburg and Berlin, began working together with collaborative photographic projects in 2006 and have since exhibited internationally and published several books. Their method of working involves travelling and meeting people and their stories and retelling them through photographs.

The exhibition was commissioned by the Nordic House in Reykjavík (Iceland) and had its premiere at the 3rd Nordic Fashion Biennale that took place at Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, Germany. It has since been exhibited in Denmark, the Netherlands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, USA, China, Sweden and Greenland. In 2019, the exhibition will be shown in the Baltics.

The exhibition features ten artists: Barbara I Gongini, and Guðrun & Guðrun (Faroe Islands); Bibi Chemnitz, Nikolaj Kristensen, and Najannguaq Lennert (Greenland); STEiNUNN/Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, JÖR/Guðmundur Jörundsson, Kría, Mundi, and Shoplifter a.k.a. Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir (Iceland).
The exhibition in Estonia is presented in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic House.

The exhibition is supported by Estonian Cultural Capital; Nordic Council of Ministers; Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia; Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Iceland; The Nordics; Danish Cultural Institute, and DSV Global Transport and Logistics.

Curators: Cooper&Gorfer (Austria, USA)
Exhibition coordinator at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design: Ketli Tiitsar
Partner: Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia, Eha Vain
Graphic and exhibition design: Tuuli Aule

Gallery

Photos: Paul Kuimet