Maria Arusoo Appointed Director of Tallinn Art Hall

Maria Arusoo will become Director and a Member of the Management Board of Tallinn Art Hall on 1 January 2027. She succeeds Paul Aguraiuja as the institution prepares to return to its historic building on Tallinn’s Freedom Square following extensive renovations.

Arusoo was selected through an open competition that attracted ten applicants. The Supervisory Board of the Tallinn Art Hall Foundation cited her strategic vision, experience building international partnerships and ability to bring different stakeholders together.

Since 2013, Arusoo has led the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art and served as Commissioner of the Estonian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. A curator, dramaturg and cultural manager, she previously worked at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art and at artist Martin Creed’s London studio. She is also a co-founder of the art magazine A Shade Colder.

At Tallinn Art Hall, Arusoo intends to continue the institution’s artist-centred approach, giving artists time and curatorial support to develop projects in depth. She also hopes to build partnerships that allow exhibitions and art projects to reach audiences beyond their initial presentation.

The renovated building on Freedom Square will offer exhibition spaces, a black box for performance and video programmes, and an artist residency. Arusoo also sees opportunities for public art, food culture and nightlife, alongside the Lasnamäe Pavilion’s continued focus on younger audiences.

Arusoo holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory, Aural and Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a BA in Painting from the University of Tartu. Her five-year term begins on 1 January 2027. Aguraiuja will take up a new role as Estonian cultural attaché in Germany at the start of the year.

Image: Maria Arusoo at Merike Estna’s exhibition The House of Leaking Sky at the 61st Venice Biennale, 2026. Photo: Silver Mikiver.