Gallery: Exhibition of Elisàr von Kupffer and Jaanus Samma's work opens at Kumu
The exhibition "Elisarion. Elisàr von Kupffer and Jaanus Samma", which brings together the works of Baltic-German artist Elisàr von Kupffer (1872–1942) and Jaanus Samma (1982) is on show at Kumu Art Museum until September.
Kupffer, also known as Elisarion, was a colorful personality, versatile creator and something of a visionary, the museum said. He was passionate about painting, literature, art history and philosophy. He was also one of the founders of the neo-religious movement Clarism (German: Klar, meaning "clear").
Today, Kupffer, who was born near Ambla in Järva County, is recognized as a pioneer who promoted tolerance for people of different sexual orientations.
In the exhibition, his homoerotic paintings, influenced by ancient and Renaissance art, are in dialogue with contemporary works by Jaanus Samma, who explores the sexuality of Estonian peasants and queer folk art.
His works highlight the relationship between Estonian peasants and the German-speaking elite: a fusion of fear, hostility and desire, and a juxtaposition of the high and the low.
Samma has created a new video work for the exhibition, The Clear World of the Blissful.
The exhibition is open until September 8, 2024.
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Helen Wright
