Hitherto unexhibited works by Konrad Mägi can be seen at Mikkel Museum, accompanied by a catalogue of the painter’s oeuvre
From 27 August to 18 September, the Mikkel Museum of the Art Museum of Estonia presents the exhibition Konrad Mägi. Unseen Paintings. Local art audiences will be treated to never-before-exhibited works by the early 20th century Estonian painter Konrad Mägi (1878–1925). Most of the works on view are sourced from private collections and a few are on loan from the collections of foreign museums. The exhibition is accompanied by a substantial album that introduces the entirety of Mägi’s known works.
Konrad Mägi. Saaremaa. 1913–1914. Estonian Museum Canada
Recent years have seen the discovery of several dozen Mägi works – in Estonia, Canada, Sweden and elsewhere – that the public had never seen in their original form and which are familiar only from reproductions. These unseen works represent nearly all of the artist’s creative periods, adding to our understanding of Mägi’s legacy.
Eero Epner, the most prominent contemporary Mägi scholar, who is one of the exhibition coordinators, describes the importance of the album in the context of local art history: “The newly discovered works, updated facts and the survey of his works, now consolidated into one publication, are a good foundation for building various interpretations and adding new information.”
“With this exhibition, we’re looking to emphasize the role of private collections as a repository for art and expanding our ideas of artists’ oeuvre. One of the coordinators of the exhibition, Mikkel Museum director Aleksandra Murre, said the new works would unlock a fuller understanding of Mägi. “The exhibition of Mägi paintings brought from private collections to public light as a culmination of a long research process gives art aficionados a chance to see the works in a museum environment, and tie them to the previously known works by the artist.”
The exhibition will run until 18 September. During the exhibition period, the museum will have longer opening hours than usual: Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 to 20.00.
Coordinators: Eero Epner, Aleksandra Murre
Exhibition designer: Mari Kurismaa
The exhibition was made possible in collaboration between the Mikkel Museum (Art Museum of Estonia) and the Konrad Mägi Foundation.
More information: https://mikkelimuuseum.ekm.ee/en/syndmus/konrad-magi-unseen-paintings/