Merike Estna is a painter based in Tallinn and Mexico City. Her work focuses on the processes of painting as well as integrating works of art and life. Estna often uses craft practices, combining these with an expanded approach to painting to highlight traditions that have not been traditionally recognised in the medium of painting.
The open call for the 2026 Estonian pavilion received 25 submissions. The selection process was conducted in two stages by an international jury. First, the jury reviewed all submissions – a portfolio, a letter of motivation, and an idea-in-progress for the Estonian pavilion – and selected six artists for the second round. During the second round, the members of the jury conducted studio visits in Tallinn. The six artists included Merike Estna, Karel Koplimets, Paul Kuimet, Urmas Lüüs, Ene-Liis Semper and Kristina Õllek.
The jury consisted of Chus Martínez, Head of the Institute Art Gender Nature, Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW in Switzerland; Hendrik Folkerts, Curator of International Contemporary Art and Head of Exhibitions at Moderna Museet in Stockholm; Lolita Jablonskienė, Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Vilnius; Anu Allas, Vice Rector for Research at the Estonian Academy of Arts; Maria-Kristiina Soomre, Art Adviser to the Estonian Ministry of Culture; and Maria Arusoo, Director of the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art and Commissioner of the Estonian pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
Commenting on the process and selection criteria, the jury embraced the opportunity for engagement, reflecting on the artists’ methodologies and their approaches to uniquely contemporary questions. “One needs to see a jury like this not only as an instrument of decision-making but more broadly as providing an exchange between local artists and the international community. The jury recognised in the work of all twenty-five artists a valuable attempt to contribute to urgent questions about art and society, using a personal and unique language. The jury particularly acknowledges the very positive reception of the dialogues that took place during studio visits and the artists’ willingness to open up the work, to receive feedback, and to share concerns. This made the process a very valuable format in itself that may result in future collaborations. We would like to thank all artists for taking the time to respond to the call – it shows true commitment to art and culture,” the jury noted in a joint statement.
Regarding Merike Estna’s work, the jury was impressed by her ability to use the medium of painting as a space for politically and socially relevant questions, as well as the grounds for activating questions of artist labour. The jury recognised Estna’s work for its maturity and impact, appreciated the artist’s insistence on situating painting at the intersection of performance and the social. Her approach shows how traditional media can be re-invented as tools to regenerate a collective trust in art.
As the next stage, Estna will start developing the exhibition for the 2026 Estonian pavilion together with a team of the pavilion and consultants. The search for the location of the next Estonian pavilion starts in spring 2025.
Merike Estna (1980) lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia and in Mexico City, Mexico. She graduated from the painting department at the Estonian Academy of Arts (BA, 2005) and from Goldsmiths, University of London (MFA, 2009). She has received several Estonian art awards, among them the Hansapank stipend (2004), the Eduard Wiiralt Grant (2005) and Konrad Mägi Prize (2014). From 2017–2023, she was an associate professor at the Department of Painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Estna was among the recipients of the national artists’ salary between 2020 and 2022. More information about Estna’s work is available at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art’s artist database here.
Participating since 1997, this will be the fifteenth time Estonia will be exhibiting at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art is the official representative of the Estonian exposition and it is financed by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.
