Kuma Museum, Tallinn, Estonia

The aim of the Kumu Art Museum, opened in 2006, is to preserve and interpret Estonian art from the 18th century to the present day. It is a stunning building, and accessible on public transportation, and should not be missed. There is no place else to quickly immerse yourself in the the history of Estonian art. There is an interesting introductory film (in English with Estonian subtitles) that describes the diaspora of Estonians post-WWII and the influences both within Estonia and from abroad. Kumu views its role as being an initiator of a social and cultural debate in connection with both expositions of art history and events in the Gallery of Contemporary Art, which is the funkiest floor of the museaum.

There is an interesting interplay in the works on display between oppression and freedom. It is helpful to do a quick run through of Estonian history and keep the time line in mind when viewing the art and when it was made. Besides preservation, important tasks of the museum include displaying the works of art in its collections to initiate debates on their meaning and to shape various interpretative environments. In the fifteen years before Kumu was opened, people did not have constant access to the classics of Estonian art and the permanent display of Soviet art only became possible once Kumu opened. The expositions speak to different audiences: to the well-versed and the relatively unknowing, the old and the young, local and foreign visitors, schoolchildren and to their teachers, art lovers and art experts.