30.11.2023 - 06.01.2024

Galerija "Māksla XO"

Elizabetes iela 14, Rīga, LV 1010

MARKO MÄETAMM

Once upon a Time. Life like a Fairy Tale

“Once upon a time, there lived a woman with pitch-black hair and very fair skin. She had seven dwarfish male slaves. As these men were much smaller than the woman, they were very much afraid of her. They lived together in a big house deep in the woods, and the men did everything the big, fair-skinned woman wanted them to do. Because they knew what would happen if they didn’t.” ˗ Marko Mäetamm, 2023.

Fairy tales are often regarded as the fundamental narratives that underpin our culture, serving as its very roots. More or less hidden truths written in fairy tales act on human instincts and dreams, carrying us away since childhood and evoking a sense of wonder or fear. From an early age, they carry us away on flights of imagination. Fairy tales play a vital role in our personal development, helping us to explore and define our identities while also aiding us in confronting our deepest fears. They possess the remarkable ability to enable us to embrace the seemingly impossible with a smile and, at times, even convince us of the potential for the extraordinary. Fairy tales, as our collective unconscious, sometimes allow us to choose to live out a fantasy.
In his latest series of 14 works, designed like a page of a book of fairy tales, one of the most prominent contemporary Estonian artists and a master of black humour, Marko Mäetamm offers a fresh perspective on the well-known narratives within the fairy tales, adding a new layer of interpretation to timeless tales by documenting what is happening now: Karlsson on the Roof; The Three Little Pigs; The Tooth Fairy; The Mermaid and the Gas Pipe; Leda and the Swan; Little Red Riding Hood; Hansel and Gretel; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Sleeping Beauty; Aladdin’s Lamp; The Three Brothers; The Flying Carpet and the Missile; Bambi and a Skull; The Witch.

Marko Mäetamm’s art practice is very autobiographical – centred around family life and society. The artist explores the grey area between private and public. His works, despite their sometimes dark content, are full of humour. They include stories that, at first glance, seem very personal and intimate but are actually about each of us because they touch the basic instincts of humanity. Often, they represent something so close to our experience that we do not recognize it, and sometimes, we are uncomfortable talking about it.
Marko Mäetamm (1965), based in Tallinn, Estonia, is an accomplished artist with a strong academic background. He obtained a Master’s degree from the Department of Graphic Art of the Estonian Academy of Arts (1995). Throughout his career, the artist has actively participated in the art world, beginning in 1992. He has showcased his work in 70 solo exhibitions and has been part of over 150 group exhibitions across the globe. Notably, he had represented Estonia at the Venice Biennale in 2003 and 2007. Mäetamm’s art has been exhibited in prestigious galleries and venues worldwide. His outstanding contributions to the art world have earned him several awards, including the Kristjan Raud Art Award in Estonia in 2000, the Baltic Assembly Award in Art in 2009, and the Estonian Cultural Capital Foundation Award in 2011. In recognition of his achievements, Marko Mäetamm was also honoured by the Republic of Estonia with the Order of the White Star V Class in 2008. Marko Mäetamm’s work can be found in public collections at esteemed institutions such as the KUMU Art Museum (Tallinn, Estonia), Viinistu Art Museum (Viinistu, Estonia), PoCo – Pop and Contemporary Art Museum (Tallinn, Estonia), Aston University (Birmingham, UK), and Colgate University in Hamilton (New York, USA).