Silja Truus "Sugar River"

Bodies that have lived on Earth—from our earliest ancestors to contemporary beings—are all interconnected. One body gives rise to another; one is consumed by another and becomes part of it. For a brief moment, we stand at the end of this long, unbroken line, and already new beings arrive, taking their place after us. The river of life flows on, through generations, through the history of bodies, across different species. Our bodies and those of others are without boundaries; we are directly and inseparably connected to our ancestors, our descendants, and non-human organisms. They all feel, they all want to live, and they all eventually become someone or something else. We are not alone; we live closely with other beings, and we are responsible for all of them.

The body is our primary and most certain reality. Bodies have always carried and held pain, fear, and sorrow. But did our ancestors feel fear as a pressure in the chest, or sorrow rising from the throat, or were their bodies different? And what about a crab or a crow?

The works in this exhibition are made from sugar. Sugar is not only biodegradable but also a physiological material—most bodies use it as energy. Sugar changes in form and state, and eventually it is consumed by someone. Just like all bodies.

The exhibition is made possible with support from City of Tartu and Kultuurkapital.