Interactive exhibition by British artist Monster Chetwynd opens in Tartu

The Estonian National Museum (ERM) in Tartu has opened the exhibition "With Tail and Horns" by British artist Monster Chetwynd – the first of its kind in the Baltic states. The exhibition is interactive, encouraging visitors not just to view but to create.

Educational technologist Anna Liisa Regensperger from ERM notes that Chetwynd is a very free and open person. Unlike traditional exhibitions, here one can play, enjoy, and create. Visitors might even forget they are in a museum, though the exhibition hides many historical layers and symbols.

The display blends fairy tales, science fiction, and world culture. Among the exhibits is a reinterpretation of the "Hell's Mouth" – a famous medieval image that, in Chetwynd's version, is no longer frightening. Nearby is a giant cat head inspired by "Alice in Wonderland," and the central installation "Red Hat Shop" references one of the artist's early films.

ERM director Laura Kipper explains that Chetwynd loves mixing and reconnecting her own works. In one of her films, two puppet explorers travel into space and see the Red Hat Shop from Earth, where one can find the elixir of eternal youth.

Materials are simple – old boxes, paper, coconut fiber. The artist values imagination over materials. Visitors are invited to forget they are adults and simply start creating – masks, tiaras, hats, tails, or wings. There are no rules, only fantasy.

Kipper adds that Chetwynd's art aims to awaken joy in life and inspire play in both children and adults.

The exhibition will be open until January 24, 2027.