The Baltic Triennial 13: Give Up the Ghost

On 29 June at 6 pm, the second chapter of this year’s largest international art festival in the Baltic states, the Baltic Triennial 13, under the title Give Up the Ghost, will be opened at the Tallinn Art Hall. This triennial circles around the concepts of belonging and identity. The exhibition will remain open until 2 September.

The Baltic Triennial 13 exhibitions seek answers to the question: What does it mean to belong in an era of fragmented identities? Baltic Triennial 13 brings to Tallinn, Vilnius and Riga acknowledged international and local artists interpreting the concepts of belonging and identity based on the role of an individual in the 21st century, as well as the specific location of the Baltic countries on the map and history of Europe.

According to Vincent Honoré, chief curator of the triennial, the Tallinn exhibition focuses on the body: “This means the moving body, the fragmented body, the organic body, the political body and the desirous body. Sensuality plays the role of a meter at the exhibition, to calculate our sense of belonging.” For Honoré, identity is not only something political or geographic, but also something personal, sexual and corporeal. Many artists have created new works for the exhibition based on the theme of the triennial.

Originally founded in 1979, this year’s Baltic Triennial is the first in its history to be organised jointly by all three Baltic countries. The triennial takes place in Lithuania (11 May – 12 August), Estonia (29 May – 2 September) and Latvia (21 September – 18 November). Although different, all three exhibitions share the same title, as if they were chapters in a book.

Vincent Honoré is a London-based French curator who has worked for a long time as a curator at Tate Modern and the David Roberts Art Foundation. He currently works as senior curator at the prestigious Hayward Gallery. Honoré was selected the curator of the triennial at the invited competition judged by the Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius and kim? Contemporary Art Center, Riga. His winning project attracted attention due to its interesting structure, well-considered vision, fascinating visual language and highly contemporary thematic setting.