Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins’ solo show “Who Remembers Last, Who Remembers Better?” opened at Tütar gallery on Thursday, January 18. The focal point of the exhibition is a five-meter-long rag rug created as a collaborative effort by Kadrina community, telling the story of a vanished village and hill in Lääne-Virumaa in 1977.
Koplimetsa is a historical village in Kadrina parish, established in 1877. The village disappeared in 1977 when farms were replaced by collectives, and people were resettled from farm buildings to apartments. Concurrently, changes were made to the local landscape, most notably the removal of a four-kilometer-long esker wall, Niinemäe. The gravel obtained from the hill was used for nearby military objects and the construction of the Tapa-Loobu road. This episode is not unusual in Estonian history; there are many such villages that have disappeared. The lost Koplimetsa serves as an example to narrate the story of Estonia and, more broadly, our entire region.
The central piece of the exhibition, a five-meter-wide rug woven in the rag rug technique, was completed over a month and a half in the Kadrina community center, as a collaborative effort between the artist and hundreds of volunteers. According to the artist, the rag rug technique is suitable for conveying the story of Koplimetsa and Niinemäe because, just like there is much forgotten in historical memory, the original design seems to fade away when weaving in the rag rug technique.
Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins’ exhibition will stay open until February 25 and is free to the public. The gallery is located at Vesilennuki 24 in the Noblessner Port area, opening hours are Thursday to Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm and Saturday to Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Artist expresses gratitude to: Ahto-Lembit Lehtmets, Kevin, Maarika, and Enely Teinfeldt, Francesco Rosso, Zane Shumeiko, Johanna Mauer, Ille Ambos.
The exhibition is supported by Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Centre of Folk Culture, Kadrina Community Center, UAB Teksrena, and Elpec Ehitus.
Photos by: Roman-Sten Tõnissoo
