National Library of Estonia picks giant cabbage sculpture as ode to books
A bronze sculpture of a giant cabbage is coming to the courtyard of Estonia's fully renovated National Library, celebrating well-loved books with a playful Estonian pun.
The over three-meter-tall "Monument to Books Read to Tatters" by Jass Kaselann and Jenny Grönholm evokes books and stories read and reread until dog-eared.
It embodies the Estonian phrase in its original title, "Monument raamatutele, mis on loetud kapsaks" — referring to books that have been read literally "to cabbage."
Martin Öövel, director general of the National Library of Estonia, noted that the choice of symbol could inspire smaller works used to honor the library's various collaborators and supporters.
Kaselaan, who holds master's degrees in sculpture and animation from the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA), recently presented "Shepherd. Grave. Human with Wings" at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM). He has received several prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix of the Köler Prize, the Kristjan Raud Art Award and the Anton Starkopf Sculpture Prize.
Finnish-born co-author Jenny Grönholm came to Tallinn as an Erasmus student, earned a master's in art at EKA and has since made Estonia her creative base. Her latest solo shows were hosted this year at Hobusepea Gallery in Tallinn and Pärnu City Gallery.
Second place in the contest went to Urmas Viik's "Word Eater" ("Sõnasööja"), a stainless steel, 2.5 by 8.5-meter sculpture of a machine-like creature devouring letters, words and sentences until only fragments remain. Lights inside highlight the structure at night as two small red bulbs in its megaphone-shaped eyes glow invitingly.
The jury praised the work for blending mythological motifs with modern technical aesthetics and raising poetic questions about language and meaning.
Third place went to Hannes Aava's "The Lizard's Path: A Geological Garden" ("Sisaliku tee. Geoloogiline aed"), a dolomite landscape and meditative moss garden referencing Karl Ristikivi's poem on the eternal nature of thoughts and feelings, the influence of small beings (or nations), the right to exist and the existential equality of all life.
The jury highlighted how this work created an immersive spatial experience.
Honorable mention went to Tiiu Kirsipuu's bronze installation "Invisible Readers" ("Nähtamatud lugejad"), showing two children with a table of books and hands symbolizing the realization of the potential hidden within all of us.
At three meters long, it combines human-scale detail with delicate color choices, which the jury described as an excellent exhibition piece fully deserving of recognition for its poetic concept.
The commission for the contest-winning work is €110,000 exclusive of VAT. The monument is expected by the end of 2026. The National Library of Estonia is scheduled to reopen to the public the following year.
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
