Hobusepea galerii (Hobusepea 2, Tallinn)
Start Date:
28.08.2026
End Date:
27.09.2026
28 August – 27 September 2026
Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn
On 27 August at 6:30 PM, the artist Andre Joosep Arming’s debut solo exhibition Chain Reaction will open at the Hobusepea Gallery with a festive, Renaissance-themed masquerade ball, directed by Linda Mai Kari.
The exhibition is an exploration of human fragility, solitude, adaptation and perseverance, focusing on the tension field between the ending of life and new beginnings. The exhibition will remain open until 27 September.
Chain Reaction is about celebrating the joy of existence and the privilege of being alive. Arming’s works serve as a poignant reminder to inhabit the present fully, with complete intensity, despite not knowing what the future holds. The artist adds: “I would like to remind everyone and acknowledge that life is hard, but it is worth it.”
The exhibition showcases works from 2018–2025, alongside three new series created specifically for the show: Don Quixote I, Detachment Does Not Exist and Epistemic Heart. A core element of Arming’s practice is the poetic autobiographical portrait, through which he presents an uplifting, life-affirming philosophy despite a complex medical background. His works move across the border between personal and universal, intertwining memories, identity, time, love and mortality.
Arming draws inspiration from both pop culture and the visual everyday environment. In his works, maximalism manifests itself not only as an aesthetic choice, but also as a viable lifestyle and resistance to simplification. During the exhibition, the artist’s alter ego “Non Mors” also comes to life, opening up the theme of death through playfulness, absurdity and drama.
Andre Joosep Arming (b. 1995) holds a BA in Photography (2018) and an MA in Contemporary Art (2024) from the Estonian Academy of Arts. His practice primarily utilises Polaroid photography and video. Recurring themes in his work include autobiography, the cyclical nature of birth and death, and the concept of timelines. Arming is a member of the Estonian Union of Photography Artists (FOKU) and the Estonian Artists’ Association, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions across Europe (including Germany and Lithuania). He is also a member of the NGO Siirdatud süda (Transplanted Heart).
Dream team: Kleer Keret Tali, Helle Ly Tomberg, Karl-Christoph Rebane, Linda Mai Kari, Sirel Soans, Mio Kurm, Johanna Ruukholm, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo, Hans-Otto Ojaste, Johannes Säre, Hugo Leinola and Artproof.
Exhibitions in the Hobusepea Gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Estonian Ministry of Culture and Liviko AS. The gallery is managed by the Estonian Artists’ Association.