Gallery: 'Gendered Lens' exhibition opens at Tallinn's photography museum

The Museum of Photography's first exhibition of this year's theme, the body in Estonian photographic history, opened last week and focuses on nudes and portraits.
In the exhibition "Gendered Lens" ("Sugu ja lugu") you can find pieces where the body represents symbolic meanings and sensations. For the first time in Estonian art history, you can, if you wish, find a historical pornographic photograph that exists as an independent genre from the start of the history of photography.
Besides the typical portraits, it is possible to view photographs from the late 19th century and the early 20th century which also show people in non-traditional roles and activities. There include photographs of carnivals and queer culture, as well as private intimate practices.
Most of the photographs are from the Museum of Photography, and other culture institutions, as well as from private collections. Over half of the photos are on public display for the first time.
Many of the items discovered alter Estonia's photographic history. For example, an original piece by Estonian pornographic photographer Ned de Baggolt from the 1930's, an amateur pornographic album which was specially made during the soviet times, and imaged by a lesser-known author Einar Tiits (1963-2016), have all been rescued from the historic dustbin.
In the courtyard of the photo museum, visitors can also view a photo series of found negatives by Anna Stina Treumund (1982-2017). In the Secret Staircase Gallery, there is Merilis Roosalu's and Relika Kala's exhibition "Summer Holidaymakers" ("Suvitajad") about the 1930's beach culture enthusiasts.
The exhibition's curator is Annika Haas, and the artist-designer is Katri Haarde.
The texts at the exhibition are supported by authors Katrin Kivimaa, gender equality expert Mari-Liis Sepper, folklorist Andreas Kalkun and Annika Haas.
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Editor: Helen Wright