Anu Vahtra

Anu Vahtra’s works investigate observed spatial situations. Initiated by the architectural characteristics as well as historical and contextual background of a certain site, they often focus on issues of urban space but also tackle specifics of an exhibition space. Vahtra composes both physical and photographic space as if through the camera, bearing in mind distinct vantage points. What’s important is that the focus of attention is equally on what her work depicts and how it relates to and is displayed in a specific space.

Vahtra has participated in numerous group exhibitions internationally, and has had solo exhibitions in Amsterdam, Bochum, Brussels, Budapest, Cologne, New York, Prague and Tallinn. She has been nominated for the Kristjan Raud Prize (2015) and the Sadolin Art Prize (2014); in 2015 she won the Köler Prize 2015 grand prix, and in 2017 received the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Foundation for Fine and Applied Arts. In 2017 Vahtra was an artist in residence at the International Studio and Curatorial Programme (ISCP) in New York, where she produced a new performance piece for the Performa 17 Biennial. In 2020 she participated in the residency programme at the WIELS Contemporary Art Centre in Brussels. Vahtra currently works as the head of MA Contemporary Art program at the Estonian Academy of Arts.