Manuscripts of Arvo Pärt’s works are being exhibited outside Estonia for the first time

From 8 May, the exhibition Spiegel im Spiegel: Encounters between Estonian and German Art from Lucas Cranach to Arvo Pärt and Gerhard Richter” will be on display. It is the largest exhibition of Estonian art ever to be held in Germany. It highlights twelve encounters or dialogues throughout the centuries of shared history between Estonia and Germany. The opening dialogue is a meeting between the works of the composer Arvo Pärt and the Dresden-based artist Gerhard Richter. The exhibition includes manuscripts of Arvo Pärt’s works and music diaries selected by the Arvo Pärt Centre, which are being exhibited outside Estonia for the first time.

‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ takes visitors on a journey through Estonian and German art and history. Reflecting the complexity of the relationship between the two countries, as well as questions of colonial power and identity, the exhibition showcases the remarkable cultural interplay between German, Baltic German and Estonian art.

The works on display mainly come from the collections of the Estonian Art Museum and the SKD, but there are also loans from other museums and private collections in Estonia and Germany. The exhibition comprises around 150 pieces, two thirds of which are from Estonian collections. These include paintings, prints, sculptures, objects, videos and installations. Contemporary artists taking part include Kristina Norman, Jaanus Samma and Edith Karlson, whose work, ‘Hora lupi’, which was created for the Estonian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, will form a central part of the exhibition.

This exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) and the Estonian Art Museum.

It is accompanied by a book available in German, English and Estonian. Edited by Kadi Polli, it features contributions from the Arvo Pärt Centre, Marion Ackermann, Eero Epner, Sergei Fofanov, Linda Kaljundi, Andreas Kalkun, Greta Koppel, Ivar Leimus, Kadi Polli and Elnara Taidre. The German and English versions of the book also include an insightful essay by Professor Karsten Brüggemann on the history of Estonian–German relations. It is published by the Art Museum of Estonia.

The exhibition ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ is open:

at the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau in Dresden from 08/05/2025 to 31/08/2025.
Kumu Great Hall, Tallinn: 24/10/2025–12/04/2026.