Viinistu Art Museum is a perfect destination for a daytrip

Viinistu Art Museum has permanent exhibition with around 400 works by Estonian artists from the private collection of Jaan Manitski, who can be frequently spotted giving tours in the museum and around the premises of the former fish factory complex, which now also houses a hotel, restaurant, chapel, theatre hall and marina. Located 70 km east of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). by the seaside, Viinistu has become a popular destination for art lovers.

Gateway to post-industrialism

Its founder Jaan Manitski was born in Viinistu in 1942 and fled Estonia with his parents during the Second World War in 1943, along with 80 000 other Estonians. He grew up in Sweden where he made a bright career as the investment director of the world-famous pop group ABBA. Manitski was one of the first exile Estonians to return to his country of birth when Estonia regained its independence in 1991. Manitski first served as Foreign Minister and later headed the privatisation agency. He bought the production facilities of the former Kirov fishing kolkhoz in his native village Viinistu and continued fish production there for several years.

Hundreds of workers were transported with buses from the nearby town Loksa, sprats were smoked, cured and tinned in the large halls until Russia closed its market to Estonian products in the late 1990s. Today, art lovers come to the former fish factory by the busload.

Manitski realised that a new approach was needed to keep the village alive: “We could not compete with Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). as a production location.”

In 2002, on the 630 th anniversary of the village, the former cold storage for fish opened as an art gallery. Over the years, the exhibition halls have expanded into the former pump house, giant water tanks and other former industrial objects. An old production facility was converted into a conference centre and hotel with rooms looking towards Mohni island across the bay. The former heating plant turned out to have excellent acoustics after it was cleared of boilers and pipes and has become a theatre and concert hall attracting performances throughout summers. A former storage building was turned into a charming non-confessional chapel by architect Emil Urbel and designer Toivo Raidmets; a giant window now forms an ever-changing seascape altar painting with Mohni island and a lighthouse in the background.

To make space for the collection, an annex was built according to plans by Emil Urbel and Manitski himself. The new part of Viinistu Art Museum includes large windows with a sea view that exhibit ever-changing artworks by nature itself. Manitski stops at one of the large windows where a large boulder can be seen in the water. He had heard legends about this boulder in his early childhood in Sweden: “Viinistu-people used to say that here babies are not delivered by storks like in many other places around the world but rather parents find their babies behind the ‘baby-stone’.” Now the ‘baby-stone’ of Viinistu has become part of the art collection of Manitski.

The Barrel gallery was built inside giant water tanks that were filled during the night and the water was used during daytime in the fish factory. “The rusty internal walls become alive in sunshine and could be artworks themselves – just put a frame around them,” thinks Manitski out loud.

There is a bustling marina, village museum and sports hall with more ideas in the pipeline. Yet, with all the surroundings in constant development, it is obvious that the large art collection of Jaan Manitski is the heart and soul of Viinistu today.

How it all began

“At the time – late 1990s – I didn’t have much knowledge of art. After fleeing to Sweden my parents were simple textile workers, there was no place for art in the factory flat. So, the first piece I bought was almost a coincidence. Jüri Arrak had invited me to his studio in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). in 1997. He showed me one, and then another, and then a third piece of his work, but my taste in art was not very developed at the time. Finally, he took out a painting with a red bird on a blue background and told me that this bird, which had been made to fly artificially by winding the key, symbolised the Soviet Union. It too would only fly until the wind-up mechanism lost its power. This is what sold it to me – the political message.”

Manitski was smitten: “I discovered that art is a great way to educate myself – who is the artist? What’s the story? Now I’m surprised myself that the collection has grown so big. Obviously, I had a lot to learn.”

Many works in his collection have a story to tell. For example, “Outcast” by Eerik Haamer (see p. 55) who fled Estonia in 1944, rowing all the way from Vilsandi island to Sweden. Manitski later met Haamer’s son in Sweden, who told him that his hands had no skin left and it took a whole year of recovery before he could hold a paintbrush again. “Outcast”, painted in 1945, at first seems associated with the escape, but a closer look tells a grim story from Ruhnu island where the artist used to spend time before fleeing Estonia.

Or, the landscapes “Morning” and “Evening” (see pp. 56-57) by Andres Tolts, that once decorated the main lobby of the Olümpia Hotel in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Jaan Manitski accidentally saved them from the rubbish container during the renovation of the hotel as these had just been broken to pieces and a corner stood out from the dump. Luckily the works were not broken beyond repair.

The collection consists of more than 1000 works by Estonian artists from the 19 th century up to contemporary art, from Estonia as well as Estonian artists in exile during the Cold War era. Manitski admits that the collection grew fast and at times erratically. It was only organised in a digital catalogue by art students a few years ago. “One day, when I retire again, I will make a proper catalogue with facts and stories to each piece,” says Manitski.

A lot to see

This new exposition is the first time the collection has been viewed and organised through a curatorial lens. As part of the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). Biennial, curators Mary-Ann Talvistu and Kädi Talvoja created a concept that brings together top pieces from auction houses, contemporary street-art favourites and works by lesser-known artists. According to project manager Andra Orn, a few focal points became visible while working with Manitski’s collection.

The new exposition has been organised in several distinct sections. The Baltic German section includes artists from the Düsseldorf Academy together with the first Estonian professional artists like Johann Köler, August Weizenberg and Amandus Adamson. The hall of genre paintings brings together relaxed still lifes, festive leisure moments and painful loss of the homeland by artists such as Johannes Greenberg, Eerik Haamer, Richard Sagrits and Olga Terri. Seascapes are represented by modernists like Konrad Mägi as well as contemporary artists like Tiit Pääsuke, who has depicted the symbol of Viinistu – the lighthouse on Mohni island.

A separate room is dedicated to rare sketches of Eduard Wiiralt Wiiralt is an Estonian rock-band. that Manitski dug up himself in the drawers and back rooms of Paris antique shops. Many well-known pictures by the artist can be first recognized on the back of an envelope or a napkin.

The mythology section brings together motifs of the Estonian epic hero Kalevipoeg Kalevipoeg is the Estonian National Epic. by Evald Okas and the religious symbols of Jüri Arrak, among others. Landscape paintings, which are popular among Estonian artists, form a season of their own in Viinistu. Among other works, you can find the scenes of spring-summer by Elmar Kits and Linda Kits-Mägi. The tribune section includes social and political messages from Leonhard Lapin, Lola Liivat, Kaido Ole and Marko Mäetamm.

The section of portrait paintings brings together autoportraits and dialogues with models. The flowers by Malle Leis presented in the middle can be seen as an allegorical reference to the artist herself. Indirect connections are also created in the section of fantasy.

The newest masterpiece of the permanent exhibition was born moments before the opening when street artist Edward von Lõngus arrived to create a stencil painting “PaperPlane” on the white brick wall of the museum. The staff of the museum said that the artist was accompanied by a group of friends who all participated in completing the painting, hence the secret persona of Edward von Lõngus was not revealed in Viinistu.

The owner of the collection likes the new concept: “Earlier, it was an exhibition, now it’s an art museum. It is thought through and designed professionally by Tiit Pääsuke, whom I trust.

On the other hand, the old expo had a certain charm as well. And there are still some paintings that I think should be up there that were not selected by the curators. I might sneak them in once the curators are gone. Surprises still to come!”

Viinistu is by no means ready. Manitski says, he doesn’t like to make plans … but: “I hope to get on with the reconstruction of the 800 square metre, former factory/restaurant. It looks ugly now, but it is actually interesting architecture. I want to open the seaside wall with a huge window and create art studios there. We have a few guest apartments, so artists could stay there and use the studio. Art residencies would be great here, it’s a very inspiring environment to work.”

Another idea being contemplated in cooperation with NOBA (Nordic & Baltic Art Centre) are house museums of Estonian artists in Viinistu – a studio setting of an artist will be recreated and the works exhibited in an intimate way.

For more check the museum's website. Or take a daytrip.