On March 30, 2018, the large international illustration exhibition “It’s Always Teatime” will open in Oxford, England. The exhibition, curated by Viive Noor, includes 72 artists from 19 countries and will be accompanied by an Estonian cultural programme.
Over 150 years have passed since the publishing of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. To celebrate the occasion, Noor invited her artist-friends from around the world to have teatime with Alice. Thus, an international illustration exhibition was born, and will begin its journey from the Oxford Story Museum, where it will be displayed until July 7.
“Most of the artists taking part in the exhibition are the world’s cream of the crop of illustrators. All the works are original pieces, and were made specially for the exhibition,” Noor commented. Since the autumn of 2015, the exhibition has been displayed in Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Germany, Poland, and Hungary. From the UK, it will head onward to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In addition to illustrations, visitors to Oxford will be able to see a doll collection based on the same theme, which was curated by Tatyana Mokhryakova and includes pieces by several top artists from around the world. The Estonian ceramist Karin Kalman’s contribution was a china set for the bizarre tea drinkers. During May and June, the Estonian musician Silver Sepp, storyteller Piret Päär, and illustrator Kertu Sillaste will tell Estonian stories as part of an accompanying cultural programme. International Alice’s Day will take place in early July, and to mark the occasion, the Estonian curator and artist Viive Noor and Latvian illustrator Gundega Muzikante will erect an installation titled “Jõgi / River” in the city of Oxford.
The Story Museum is a private museum and activity centre where stories are discovered, collected, and told in all kinds of ways, including through exhibitions, performances, educational programmes, and other events. The museum also organises the annual International Alice’s Day every July.
Schedule:
March 30 – July 7: “It’s Always Teatime” international illustration exhibition open
May 31 – June 1: “It’s Always Time for a Good Story” events featuring Silver Sepp, Piret Päär, and Kertu Sillaste
July 5–8: “Jõgi / River” installation by Viive Noor and Gundega Muzikante
The “It’s Always Teatime” Oxford exhibition is organised by the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre with support from the Estonian Graphic Designers’ Association, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Estonian Publishers’ Association, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in London, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
