Tallinn, the heart of Estonian contemporary art carved in limestone

Kumu Art Museum at a glance

Kumu is Estonia's largest art museum, located on the hill of Kadriorg Park in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The name Kumu is a nickname derived from the first two letters of the Estonian word Kunstimuuseum (art museum), and the building itself is as famous as the exhibits. It is almost the only place where you can see the entirety of Estonian art from the 18th century to the present in one building.

Architecture resembling a limestone cliff

The current building, which opened in 2006, is the winner of an international competition by Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori. The semi-circular exterior, taking advantage of the park's slope, is finished with Estonia's unique limestone, copper, and glass, creating a landscape that looks like it was built on a Baltic coast cliff. In 2008, two years after its opening, it won the European Museum of the Year and was named as a representative example of modern European museum architecture.

Must-see collection

• Konrad Mägi — the father of Estonian modernism. A series of vividly colored oil paintings depicting Italian and Norwegian landscapes are Kumu's signature.
• Eduard Wiiralt — Master of printmaking in the early 20th century. We recommend looking at the elaborate etchings Põrgu (Hell) and Jutlustaja up close for details.
• Estonian art of the Soviet period (1940–91) — There is a separate layer carefully curating the unusual period in which socialist realism and informal art developed simultaneously.
• Contemporary Special exhibitions — On the 5th floor, special exhibitions by modern artists from the Baltic countries and Northern Europe are displayed on a rotating basis every 3 to 4 months.

Viewing Points

The most natural route is to start with the permanent collection on the 2nd floor and go up in chronological order. When you stand in the circular atrium that runs through the center of the building, you can see at a glance how each floor is connected, so you won't lose your bearings. After the tour, take a walk along the park trail that runs between Kadriorg Palace and the sea. To the old town, take tram number 1 or walk 25 minutes. The architectural impression is completely different depending on when you visit, with the limestone exterior walls covered in snow in the winter and contrasted with lime green foliage in the summer. Audio guides are provided in English, German, Russian, and Finnish. Although there is no Korean guide, the exhibition room captions are in Estonian and English, so it is not a problem to tour alone.