International Fashion Exhibition “Hõimulõim”

On October 16, Narva Art Residency will host the largest international fashion exhibition in Narva to date, “Hõimulõim (Tribal Thread),” led by the Fashion Design Department. The exhibition will open as part of the official program of “Narva Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025” and will take place during the most important week of the tribal peoples’ calendar year, Tribal Week.

“Hõimulõim” is an exhibition that weaves Finno-Ugric tradition into contemporary fashion design. It is a tribute to a rich heritage, the survival of which depends on how skillfully we can bring it into our lives today. Tradition does not remain in a closet or archive – it only lives if we let it grow with time, wear it and love it.

The exhibition features the work of designers from nine Finno-Ugric peoples. The works of Sami, Khanty, Udmurt, Mari, Komi, Hungarian, Karelian, Finnish (including Ingrian) and Estonian (including Seto and Võro) creators highlight that clothing can be both a practical object and a carrier of identity and collective memory. Each author asks in their own way what it means to be a Finno-Ugric designer in the 21st century – how to weave one’s tradition into a modern form and what to tell the world about its multi-layered field of meaning. These works also open up ethical choices: what material to use, how to preserve local skills and how to tell the story of one’s people in a way that creates a dialogue even for those who were not born into this cultural space.

The “tribal thread” (hõimulõim) is an invisible but tenacious bond between Finno-Ugric peoples. It does not ask for national borders or political sentiment, but runs deep in the undercurrents – in language, patterns, songs, dance and beliefs”, says the exhibition curator Piret Puppart and adds: “In today’s world, where the song of some peoples is quieter than ever before and the weavers of many patterns have become isolated, this thread between tribal peoples is particularly fragile.”

Various social tensions are increasingly testing the survival of traditions and forcing us to look for ways to keep them alive for future generations. “Hõimulõim” invites us to notice that preserving culture is not only about preserving the past, but also about creating the future. It is an invitation to wear our heritage on a daily basis – be it a piece of jewelry, an object or an ornament – ​​and to understand that every such choice strengthens the thread that connects us across borders and eras.

The exhibition’s interactive, technologically innovative experiences are also exciting. Visitors can discover patterns hidden in dresses created by Piret Puppart using magnets, as well as experience a hologram waterfall dedicated to the world of Votian patterns designed by artist Alyona Movko-Mägi. Hologram art is a little-known technique in the world of conjuring visual elements that cannot be touched with the hand, but can be touched virtually and with the eye. This is the first time this medium is coming to Narva in such a volume.

Finno-Ugric roots also have a wider international reach in the world of design and art than one might think. The Komi compass pattern has found its way into Kandinsky’s paintings, and Udmurt mannerisms into Tchaikovsky’s music. However, only recently was a designer with Karelian roots awarded the Diesel Design Award, while Izhor blood has dressed Estonian Olympic athletes in Athens. The representative of the Mari nationality was behind the knitting collections of the legendary Estonian brand Mosaic for years, and when wearing Adidas shoes, you can feel the Udmurt heart. The Diesel Design Award-winning collection and the best pieces from Helsinki Design Week are also coming to the exhibition that will open soon. The exhibition can be visited until January 11.

Curator: Piret Puppart

Artists: Antrea Kantakoski, vainio.seitonen (Johanna Vainio & Merja Seitsonen), Sigrid Kuusk, Ramona Salo, Dina Andreeva, Natalja Lill, Darali Leli, Eneken Johanson, Stella Tukia, Kaia Kuusmann, Zsófia Papp, Zsófia Papp, Maria Roosiaas, Hanna-Tiina Pekk, Anneliis Reili, Kertu Kivisik, Nadežda Kasatkina, Lana Vakhovska, Karl Joonas Alamaa, Piret Puppart and Alyona Movko-Mägi 

Graphic design: Eva Sepping

Many thanks: Anna Kuznetsova, Muš Nadii, Nikolai Anisimov, Nikolay Kuznetsov, Barbi Pilvre, Jaak Prozes, Žanna Toht, Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Helena Schilf, Natalia Ermakov

Supporters: Estonian Academy of Arts, Fashion Design Department, Tribal Peoples Program, Cultural Endowment, NGO Fenno-Ugria, NART, Narva Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025