Kris Lemsalu’s practice is filled with eccentric colours, shamans, talismans, kitsch imagery and materials such as clothing, food and animal pelts. Working in installation, sculpture and performance, the Estonian artist’s works deny categorization and invite ritualistic catharsis of life and death, beauty and pain. Mimicking the formlessness of life itself, her works and performances transcend structure into absurdist mix of textures and materials; with cheap rubber bags being attached to precious porcelain, a toothbrush burning between the artist’s lips or a chicken-eggs-chandelier hanging between her legs. Lemsalu’s exquisite use of her body as a material alongside the strangeness of her inanimate objects blends the very distinction between herself, her art and life, more broadly. Fairy tales and folklore, fantasy and reality become indistinguishable in the artist’s universe of kitsch and absurdity. With no beginning or end, Lemsalu’s practice is a metamorphosis in action. ...
Margot Samel opened in Tribeca, New York, in May 2022, with a commitment to presenting research-driven exhibitions by international artists at all stages of their careers, often debuting their first shows in New York. Originally from Estonia, Margot Samel worked in galleries, museums, and artist-run spaces in Tallinn, Glasgow, and New York for over a decade before opening her eponymous gallery. The inaugural exhibition featured Estonian multidisciplinary artist Kris Lemsalu (b. 1985, Tallinn), whose complex sculptures, installations, and performances blur the boundaries between life and art, setting the tone for a program that embraces experimentation and collaboration across diverse artistic practices. While placing particular emphasis on contemporary artists from the Baltic region, the gallery also works with contemporary and historical artists from international backgrounds. Margot Samel is dedicated to fostering long-term relationships with both emerging and established artists, while collaborating with other galleries to support ambitious exhibitions. ...
