Estonian painter Kristi Kongi's largest solo exhibition, 'Chromatic Drift,' will open at the Kumu Art Museum on May 22. The exhibition fills the museum's great hall, courtyard, and windows with new works featuring earthy tones like purple, brown, and burgundy, described by curator Ann Mirjam Vaikla as reflecting the aesthetics of the Anthropocene. The show is accompanied by a book with essays by Sara Garzón, Sirje Helme, and Vaikla, and includes works created during Kongi's residency at Cerámica Suro in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The exhibition is significant because it marks a rare commission for Kumu's great hall, previously entrusted only to Jaan Toomik (2007) and Kaido Ole (2012). It also coincides with Kumu's anniversary year, offering a major platform for a contemporary Estonian artist. Kongi's appointment as associate professor and head of painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts further underscores her influence in the local art scene.