Liina Siib

1963– · Estonian artist (born 1963)
Eesti Kunstimuuseum; Haus Galerii; Ruki galerii; Saaremaa Muuseum; Tartu Kunstimuuseum; Vaal galerii

trained at Estonian Academy of Arts

Liina Siib (1963) works mainly in photography, video and installation. The most prominent and recurring themes in Siib's work include social spaces, marginalised groups and overlooked experiences. Siib has said that she aims not to document but to deconstruct the everyday life of her contemporaries, guided by a feminine approach and experiences from her childhood. In her work Siib looks into how history gets written and the role of memory in shaping various groups in society, often using interviews, observation or archival materials as her method of working. The first half of the 1990s in Siib's practice was characterised by experiments with means of printmaking, collage and found objects, however, in the second half of the decade she mainly focused on photography. In the 1990s Siib's photography often highlighted socially sensitive themes. One of her most notable works from that period is “Desidentifikatsioon” (Disidentification, 1996), exhibited at the show “Estonia as a Sign” in 1996. The work consists of a double-sided photo board with the detail of Saint Victor's decapitated head from an altarpiece in St Nicholas church in Tallinn painted by Hermen Rode in 1481 on one side and a police photo from 1996 of a human head found near Pirita River on the other. This work drew attention to the different readings of a similar scenario and used the comparison to provoke the viewer to examine how they read visual images – why is it that in one case we look at an act of violence from a religious and art historical perspective, but in the other in horror and disgust. Siib often focuses on social groups that have fallen behind in the new neoliberal and West-oriented system. For example, in the photo installation “Külalislahkus” (Hospitality, 1997) we see a house inhabited by homeless people and objects found there and “Hooaja palitu” (Coat of the Season) brings attention to people living in poor conditions. In the five-part video series “Kompromiss välistatud” (Compromise Excluded, 2003) Siib asks what compromises are made by people who say compromises are out of question. She is also visualising the monophonic history-writing in 20th century Estonia. To exemplify that the artist asked Russian-speaking and seemingly not very well-off people to repeat in a choir in the Baltic Station: “I am dead!”, thus creating a narrative of “yesterday's heroes”. The installation “Huldufólk / Varjatud rahvas” (Huldufólk / Hidden People, 2020) focuses on the activity at the back of a 24/7 shop in Reykjavík. Her photo series, evoking capitalist realism, and video shows the activ.

2 auction lots · 0 sold · 2004–2023 — as the auction houses published them; not a valuation

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Browse 41 works in the catalogue →

Similar artists — same period, media and subjects: Arne Maasik · Toomas Kalve · Mark Raidpere · Urmas Viik · Annette Merrild · Anna-Stina Treumund

Also trained at Estonian Academy of Arts: Eduard Wiiralt · Evald Okas · Andrus Johani · Johann Naha · Leonhard Lapin

Contemporaries in Eesti Kunstimuuseum: Helga Roht Poznanski · Hannes Starkopf · Uno Hoffmann · Inessa Josing · Tõnu Tulev

By decade: 1990s · 2000s · 2010s · 2020s
By medium: Photograph · Print · Installation · Sculpture · Other
Where the works are: Art Museum of Estonia · Tartu Art Museum · Saaremaa Museum

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Museum records from MuIS and the EKM Digital Collection; gallery stock from the galleries' own catalogues; auction results as Haus Galerii, Vernissage, Allee galerii, Vaal galerii, E-Kunstisalong, Eesti Kunsti Oksjonid and Kunstikoda published them, and the lots Osta Noort Kunsti offered (it publishes no results). Full catalogue · Corrections, removals, questions: info@museaal.ee · Privacy