Interactive exhibition of Joanna Concejo’s illustrations now at the Tallinn Botanic Garden

From August 1 to September 29, an interactive exhibition by the renowned Polish artist Joanna Concejo, titled “You Have to Find Your Place, Sit Down, and Wait,” will be displayed at the Tallinn Botanic Garden.

According to the Consul of the Republic of Poland Anna Pełka, a specialist in public and cultural diplomacy at the Polish Embassy, the exhibition is perfectly suited to the Tallinn Botanic Garden because nature holds a special place in Joanna Concejo’s works. “Her illustrations reflect the cycles and vitality of nature. The artist herself has said that she uses every opportunity to weave nature into her pictures, as much as possible and then a little more. Using ordinary colored pencils and a regular pencil, Concejo masterfully demonstrates that greenery has an infinite number of tones and shades. One just needs to observe nature closely. And where better to do that than in a botanic garden,” said Pełka.

The exhibition will be displayed in two locations within the Tallinn Botanic Garden: the new visitor center and the Palm House hall. The interactive exhibition brings the artist’s illustrations to life. Interactive, in the context of this exhibition, does not only mean technical solutions. Concejo’s work can be explored by viewing her delicate drawings, composing one’s own versions from elements of her illustrations, processing them with artificial intelligence, and listening to sounds and entering a book or an illustration. The exhibition features 3D covers of several books, such as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Wild Swans,” “The Prince in the Pastry Shop,” and the recently translated and published “The Lost Soul” in Estonian. Visitors can delve into these and many other books and browse the samples.

„Polish illustrator Joanna Concejo is a global  ambassador of Polish art. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is committed to supporting and popularising the work of Polish artists who, with their talent, skills, and passion, demonstrate that art knows no borders and is a space for shared experiences and emotions, as in the case of Joanna Concejo’s wonderful illustrations and graphics,” remarked Olga Wysocka, director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Joanna Concejo graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań in 1988. In 1998, she moved to France, where she lives and works to this day.

Concejo has illustrated over 20 books and has received numerous awards for her work. Her illustrations are familiar worldwide and have been exhibited in countries such as Portugal, Italy, Poland, Taiwan, South Korea, France, and others. Joanna Concejo is also the Grand Prix laureate of the prestigious Tallinn Illustration Triennial “The Power of the Picture” in 2023. Concejo’s works were first presented in Estonia in 2015 at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre.

The exhibition at the Tallinn Botanic Garden was made possible in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish Embassy in Estonia.

Curator: Adrian Chorębała (EKA/AFA Katowice)
Exhibition Design: Natalia Jakóbiec (Wzorro Design)
Interactive Installations: Kacper Mutke, Michał Urbański/tajny_projekt
Translation into Estonian: Anna-Magdalena Peterson
Translation into English: Dorota Szczepanek (IAM)
Content Creation and Consultation: Dorota Hartwich, Format Publishing Exhibition Organization Team: Dorota Szczepanek (Adam Mickiewicz Institute), Jaan Mettik, Annika Lepp (Tallinn Botanic Garden), Sławomira Borowska-Peterson (Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tallinn)
Organizers: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Tallinn Botanic Garden, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tallinn
Partners: Estonian National Museum, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre in Tallinn, EUNIC-Estonia
Project Funders: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Tallinn Botanic Garden, and others.

The Tallinn Botanic Garden is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. The Palm House is open from 11:00 to 19:00.