The Estonian National Museum’s (ERM) photo archive, ranging from glass negatives to digital images, is open to researchers. Four residents will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the photo archive over a six-month period and co-create a joint exhibition in ERM’s temporary exhibition hall, open from 25 November 2026 to 4 July 2027.
This residency operates within the context visual anthropology, examining photographs not just as images of culture, but as evolving cultural practice itself. What do people do with pictures and what do pictures do with people? In modern data-driven societies, photographs undergo another metamorphosis, through technical systems that are not neutral.
Residents will work with a shared body of material to ensure comparability of outcomes. Continuous collaboration is expected through workshops and feedback sessions, culminating in a jointly produced exhibition.
Financial and logistical support:
- A creative grant of 10,000 EUR per resident.
- Accommodation and transport expenses for co-working periods and during exhibition installation period.
- The production costs of the exhibition, subject to approval.
- Full access to the archives with institutional support.
- An exhibition architect and the museum’s production team to create the exhibition.
