Gallery: Playful hats pop up on Tartu statues for British artist's new show
Colorful hats and masks have appeared on prominent Tartu statues, heralding the opening of British artist Monster Chetwynd's first show at the Estonian National Museum (ERM).
After a successful run at Copenhagen Contemporary, Chetwynd's "A Feather in Your Hat!" is bringing a colorful world of costumes, creatures and imagination to Tartu as ERM hosts the artist's first exhibition in the entire Baltic region.
With a distinctive DIY aesthetic that transforms everyday materials into so much more, Monster Chetwynd presents a spectacular total installation that combines humor, fantasy and grotesque elements to form an immersive space inviting visitors to step inside, play and become part of the work.
At its center is the Red Hat Shop, a new work created specifically for Copenhagen where visitors can transform themselves with hats, masks and performative gestures.
Shelves filled with strange faces and creatures lead to a "green monster stage," where anyone can step into a new version of themselves.
Born in London and now based in Zurich, Monster Chetwynd draws on anything from pop culture and folklore to surrealistic cinema and puppet theater for inspiration.
Per installations often combine recycled materials, epic stage designs and costumes and live performance, creating works that are at once humorous, theatrical and engaging.
The artist adopted the name Monster Chetwynd in 2018, after previously working under the names Spartacus Chetwynd and Marvin Gaye Chetwynd.
Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2012, ze has exhibited at leading institutions across the world, including recent shows in China and Austria.
Part of ERM's 10th anniversary program marking a decade since the opening of its Raadi campus, Monster Chetwynd's "A Feather in Your Hat!" opens July 24 and will run through January 24, 2027.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
