Tanja's Gardens

The first comprehensive monograph of Tanja Muravskaja presents her work from 2005-2022. Several works exhibited in the book have acquired a new dimension after the war started by Russia in Ukraine. Among other works the book also reproduces the video ‘Three Sisters’ (2015), one of the most recognized works by Muravskaja where two cousins, one from Ukraine and the other from Russia, express their views on the Maidan revolution and the annexation of Crimea. The third sister (the title refers to a play on words, as in Ukrainian and Russian cousins are also called sisters) in the artwork is the artist herself, hidden behind the camera. Based in Estonia, located on the border of Europe, the Muravskaja has always witnessed the constant feeling of danger in her society. She has photographed the soldiers of the allied forces of NATO who sometimes gather for practice nearby the Russian border. Alongside them are Estonian boys and girls: the youth corps of the Estonian Defence League. Tanja Muravskaja is an artist who lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia. Her work proceeds from an analytic approach and psychological observation–be it the psychology of an individual, society, or a place. In her artworks, she tackles topics such as identity and memory and relationships between society and its members. While being concentrated on photography, the medium’s qualities, and its agency in contemporary art, she creates installations that evolve into total environments and embrace the viewer.

The first comprehensive monograph of Tanja Muravskaja presents her work from 2005–2022. Several works exhibited in the book have acquired a new dimension after the war started by Russia in Ukraine. Among other works the book also reproduces the video ‘Three Sisters’ (2015), one of the most recognized works by Muravskaja where two cousins, one from Ukraine and the other from Russia, express their views on the Maidan revolution and the annexation of Crimea. The third sister (the title refers to a play on words, as in Ukrainian and Russian cousins are also called sisters) in the artwork is the artist herself, hidden behind the camera. Based in Estonia, located on the border of Europe, the Muravskaja has always witnessed the constant feeling of danger in her society. She has photographed the soldiers of the allied forces of NATO who sometimes gather for practice nearby the Russian border. Alongside them are Estonian boys and girls: the youth corps of the Estonian Defence League. Tanja Muravskaja is an artist who lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia. Her work proceeds from an analytic approach and psychological observation–be it the psychology of an individual, society, or a place. In her artworks, she tackles topics such as identity and memory and relationships between society and its members. While being concentrated on photography, the medium’s qualities, and its agency in contemporary art, she creates installations that evolve into total environments and embrace the viewer.