Opening of the exhibition | Photo: Berta Jänes

Ryoji Ikeda's exhibition attracted nearly 35,000 visitors to the Estonian National Museum

Wednesday, 05. mar 2025

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The solo exhibition of world-renowned Japanese artist and composer Ryoji Ikeda, which ran from 2 November to 2 March, attracted 34,024 visitors in four months. A further 704 students participated in the exhibition's educational programs.

According to Kertu Saks, director of the Estonian National Museum, the success of the exhibition confirms ERM's role as a centre for international cultural cooperation and as a world-class exhibition organiser: "Ryoji Ikeda's exhibition was an exceptional event, bringing world-class art to Tartu, which both local and foreign tourists discovered." The high level of interest from visitors shows that the exhibition and the rich public program that accompanied it enriched and broadened our cultural space. We would like to thank the Tartu 2024 team and all the other partners who helped make this unique project at our museum a reality."
 
"It was an extremely original and unique event in the cultural life of Tartu and Estonia. In preparing the exhibition, we worked closely with several teams over a long period, which resulted in the creation of audiovisually captivating works. Ikeda's exhibition was a chance to walk in the past, present, and future at the same time, to reflect on its temporality and its small size in a vast network of data," said Kati Torp, curator of the exhibition and creative director of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
 
Ryoji Ikeda's exhibition gave visitors the chance to experience a unique symbiosis of sound and visual art, combining science and art. At the heart of the exhibition were two works specially created for the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 and the ERM's space specifications. The first of these, the critical paths, was based on bio-data from the Institute of Genomics at the University of Tartu and offered the opportunity to walk through a stream of human history. The second, vox aeterna, consisted of a diverse range of voices intertwined in a powerful composition—a work created in collaboration with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. In addition, Ikeda's data-verse 1/2/3, one of his best works, was performed.
 
The exhibition's rich program for the public included light lectures, talks, and educational programs.
 
More information about the exhibition: https://www.erm.ee/et/ryoji-ikeda-isikunaitus.
 
The exhibition was part of the main programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.