Tallinn Biennale opens with street art show that explores death as capitalist entertainment

The inaugural edition of the Tallinn Biennale is set to open on 2 July with an exhibition by Estonian street artist Edward von Lõngus.

Titled Doomsday Cathedral, the street art show will entwine representations of death and the modern consumer world. It will take place in Ülemiste City, a tech hub in the Estonian capital built on the site of a former nuclear plant.

“It’s easy to relate to Lõngus’ work. His stencilled street art has the same effect as the memes of the virtual world we are so familiar with,” the Biennale’s chief organiser, Andra Orn, said in a press statement. “Lõngus is known for his playfulness, although over the years he has become increasingly serious and critical of society,” she added.

Last year, Von Lõngus was awarded Estonia’s 2018 Culture Award by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his pan-European digital street art project, “(R)estart Reality”, which consisted of street artworks made in 11 European cities and referencing Estonian painting and culture.

Get your ticket to the exhibition here. Currently, citizens of Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland can travel to Estonia without the 14-day quarantine obligation but the list is being reviewed weekly.