On Slow Art Day, 11 April, our museums invite visitors to slow down instead of rushing through exhibitions and to focus on a selected object or detail.

The Tallinn City Museum’s head of collection management, Maris Rosenthal, is a master of the art of slow observation. Photo by Meeli Küttim.

Founded to make art more inclusive and accessible, this day encourages focusing on a few pieces to deeply engage senses and reduce stress.

The following branches of Tallinn City Museum are taking part with their own themes: Tallinn City Life Museum, the People’s Museum of Tallinn, Children’s Museum Miiamilla, the House of Peter the Great, Kalamaja Museum, and the Museum of Photography. In each of these museums, selected exhibits will be specially marked for the day and visitors are invited to explore them slowly using a guide sheet.

In addition to highlighted objects, guided public programmes will also take place:

Tallinn City Life Museum
Two 30-minute sessions
Furniture in Slow Observation

This 30-minute session invites you to pause and notice details that might otherwise go unseen. Using the slow observation method, we will explore one very special piece of furniture, focusing on its form, material, and story.

12:00–12:30 BUY TICKET
14:00–14:30 BUY TICKET

The People’s Museum of Tallinn
Aerial Photograph of Tallinn from 1930

For Slow Art Day, we present an aerial photograph of the Old Town and city centre from the museum’s collections. The photo can be viewed enlarged on a screen as well as in its original form in a display case. Taken around 1930, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the cityscape of the time.

House of Peter the Great
Dining Table Up Close

We will examine a large dining table, a rare piece of furniture preserved from the time of Peter the Great. We will take a closer look at its carvings and technical details, and imagine how servants once carried this table up and down the hill.

Children’s Museum Miiamilla
Rocking Horse Observation

Rocking horses are suspended from the ceiling inside the museum. Visitors are invited to slow down, lie on the floor, and – through different ways of observing and guiding questions – see the world from a new perspective. Are the rocking horses upside down, or are we?