Warhol Murakami Lichtenstein BANKSY Haring COLLEGATIVE Hamilton Wang Hirst Lapin Kiwa Mäetamm Kostabi Koons Richter Kusama Duchamp Paolozzi Shepard Fairey

Book Tickets

welcome to PoCo

… where past, present and future meet.

Each room is dedicated to a certain topic.

There are 7 rooms in total, around 1000m²

The rooms are specifically dim to put the artworks into the spotlight and offer a chance to have an intimate moment with them.

Scan the QR codes to find our more.

ROOM 1

the beginnings

This hall is about the different beginnings. Firstly, the reference to the seeds of Pop art, the Dada and Surrealism movement in the first half of the 20th century, when Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray started changing the context of everyday objects and presenting them as artworks.

Even though one cannot use Man Ray’s “The Gift” for ironing anymore, one can appreciate how he pushed the limits of the very essence of the artwork and what art can be made out of.

Secondly, the emergence of Pop art in the late 1950s and early 1960s in both the UK and the USA, represented by Eduardo Paolozzi and Andy Warhol as examples from that period.

Thirdly, the bow to the beginning of Estonian Pop art and avant-garde artists at the time when Estonia was under Soviet Occupation such as Leonhard Lapin and Raul Meel. “Laulev puu” is an example on creating images on a typewriter and represents another paradigm shift.

Lastly, the start of digital art, namely computer generated NFT (non-fungible token) art, artworks by LarvaLabs and Damien Hirst.

ROOM 2

cult of celebrity

Focus is on the cult of celebrity and the fact that Pop art innovatively started depicting portraits of well-known people at the time. Bright colors, large scale. As a historical comparison, the artists used to paint gods and rulers, those of power and/or money.

Andy Warhol, King of Pop art started depicting the stars of his era, the actresses Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor and singers such as Elvis Presley. At the same time series of the artworks were made and oftentimes silkscreen technique was used. While printmaking easily allows the repetition of motifs, Pop art also changed the essence of the term original. Therefore, there could be hundreds of Marilyns in the world, but being part of the series they are all original.

The artworks by Roy Lichtenstein offer a different approach. Roy chose individual panels from the comic books, enlarged them and used bright colors. Even though they were out of context, this shift paired with Ben-day dots worked out well, establishing an immediately recognizable Lichtenstein style still used today.

ROOM 3

changing meaning

Artworks, where the meaning of the subject is changing. Everyday food of the consumerism society, specifically Campbell soup can become art made by Andy Warhol. As iconic as the soup can was Mickey Mouse who Andy paid hommage to, placing him in midst of shining diamond dust.

Damien Hirst has also depicted the famous Disney character, but he has done it his way, using laconic blue spots.

At the same time, the value of money changes in this room. Namely if Banksy changes it totally, it is theoretically possible (he is the most famous anonymous artist) to sue him. Then again, when Andy Warhol signed the dollar bills at the height of his fame, its notional value went up.

At this point, one can recall the artwork exhibited in the first hall, Damien Hirst’s “The Currency” explores how art becomes money and vice versa. It’s been years since the high and low culture have mixed, for example the skate decks by Denial bring together top brands and street culture containing critique about “being addicted” to top brands.

ROOM 4

contraculture

The fourth hall sheds light to the contraculture and alternative options. Unlike warfare, the art seen in this room uses creative and peaceful ways to protest. For example Shepard Fairey’s artwork “Make Art Not War” stresses that the artist’s brushes, pencils and other tools are more powerful than any weapons.

Also, Banksy’s artwork “Choose Your Weapon” asks the audience to choose their “weapon” wisely, whether it is an image, a word, a favour or something else. Banksy is an excellent example, an artist-activist, who supports people with his art both morally and materially.

Being critical about the expansion of Tesco, the dominant foodstore in England, Banksy created the “Tesco Value Petrol Bomb”. The profit from the sales went directly to pay for the legal advice needed by the arrested Bristol locals, who were protesting against Tesco.

In 2017 Banksy opened The Walled Off Hotel, a boutique hotel and an art gallery in Bethlehem. The institution attracts attention to the wall that separates Palestinian territories and Israel. It also acts as a fund for locals, who get their projects subsidized from the hotel profit.

ROOM 5

marko mäetamm

The fourth hall sheds light to the contraculture and alternative options. Unlike warfare, the art seen in this room uses creative and peaceful ways to protest. For example Shepard Fairey’s artwork “Make Art Not War” stresses that the artist’s brushes, pencils and other tools are more powerful than any weapons.

Also, Banksy’s artwork “Choose Your Weapon” asks the audience to choose their “weapon” wisely, whether it is an image, a word, a favour or something else. Banksy is an excellent example, an artist-activist, who supports people with his art both morally and materially.

Being critical about the expansion of Tesco, the dominant foodstore in England, Banksy created the “Tesco Value Petrol Bomb”. The profit from the sales went directly to pay for the legal advice needed by the arrested Bristol locals, who were protesting against Tesco.

In 2017 Banksy opened The Walled Off Hotel, a boutique hotel and an art gallery in Bethlehem. The institution attracts attention to the wall that separates Palestinian territories and Israel. It also acts as a fund for locals, who get their projects subsidized from the hotel profit.

ROOM 6

contraculture

In the sixth (and fourth) hall one can see digital art, which is very contemporary. Art is always connected to the era, society and the advancements in technology. Nowadays the artists use artificial intelligence and one can contemplate if humans are helping machines or is it vice versa.

For example the artworks from the series “Life in West America” by Roope Rainisto act like scenes from the familiar world at first glance, but the program has made “mistakes” seen by human eyes and something is wrong.

In the current hall one can also watch an 1964 avant-garde movie “Sleep” by the legendary Andy Warhol. The movie lasts over 5 hours and it depicts his lover sleeping.

ROOM 7

pop is more

The last hall in the PoCo museum celebrates the fact that pop is always more. Even though Pop art began in the 1950-1960s, the new wave is happening and pop is very colourful, exciting and full of life. There are plenty of younger generation artists, who have built their careers based on combining elements from today’s popular culture, iconic Pop art masterpieces and artist’s signature styles.

The audience is offered the joy of recognition, the playful- ness of finding associations and endless conversations happening in between the artists and the artworks. Why not join the conversation about Kalev Mark Kostabis artwork referring to Andy Warhol’s “Flowers”, which one saw in the first hall of PoCo?

Try this: find all the heart and smiley images, plus symbols of positivity in the room. Contemplate on the variations of “Dance of Death” or wonder if human equality in front of the Death means the equality of the artworks as well?
How and when do artworks finish anyway!?