An overlooked chapter: the international influence of avant-garde Scandinavian and Baltic art
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Scandinavian and Baltic artists have participated in numerous important transnational exhibitions and have appeared in countless Central European publications. Works by Viking Eggeling, Henrik Olvi, Thorvald Hellesen, Otto Carlsund, Franciska Clausen, Alexandra Belcova, Gustav Klutsis, and GAN have been presented alongside those by avant-garde artists such as Fernand Léger, Theo van Doesburg, Amédée Ozenfant, Le Corbusier, and Juan Gris. However, they experienced little enthusiasm on returning to their home countries, as they were accused of producing irrelevant art that is not interesting in a national context. Most of them have not been included in the main narrative of the international European avant-garde. This pioneering publication repositions their work between 1918 and 1931 in relation to the international movements of the time and sheds light on their shared global visions.
Exhibition schedule: Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Hovikodden, September 26-December 15, 2013 | Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, January 23-May 18, 2014