A new exhibition titled "8 Women: 4 Dialogues about Space" opened at the Estonian Architecture Museum, featuring a dialogue between four past female interior architects and four contemporary practitioners.
The Estonian Architecture Museum unveiled a new exhibition on February 19, titled "8 Women: 4 Dialogues about Space," curated by Karen Jagodin alongside co-curators Taimi Soo, Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Liis Lindvere, and Hanna Karits. The exhibition highlights four prominent female interior architects – Maia Laul, Kirsti Laanemaa, Aate-Heli Õun, and Maimu Plees – from the Soviet era, showcasing their impact on the field of interior architecture. It aims to provide a platform for four contemporary female interior architects to explore, inquire, and draw inspiration from the works of their predecessors.
The exhibition is organized around four dialogues, each pairing a current practitioner with a historical figure. This format invites a reflection on how the legacies of the past inform contemporary practices in interior architecture. The initiative encourages discussions about the relevance of past designs that were created under vastly different social and economic conditions, prompting the contemporary architects to consider what lessons or inspirations they can draw from these earlier works.
Furthermore, the exhibition not only serves as a tribute to the contributions of women in the field of interior architecture but also addresses broader themes of gender and representation within architecture. By fostering dialogue between generations, this exhibition underscores the continuity and evolution of interior design practices, highlighting the need for ongoing conversations around the influences and legacies that shape the built environment today.
