Karin Leivategija
Illuminating Estonia's nocturnal culture through research and curation
Karin has been academically exploring urban nightlife since 2016, beginning with her research into Estonia's 1990s club culture. She works as a researcher and exhibitions curator at the Estonian National Museum. After studying visual anthropology at the University of Manchester, she is now pursuing a PhD in ethnology at the University of Tartu. Her thesis, titled "Nocturnal Culture or Moral Transgression? Researching, Curating, and Representing Colliding Narratives of the Night," investigates socio-cultural attitudes and tensions surrounding night activities, highlighting the complex relationship between people and darkness in modern urban life.
In February 2024, the Estonian National Museum opened an exhibition titled "Who Claims the Night?". Four years in the making, this grand exhibition was lead-curated by Karin, alongside a team of creative researchers, artists, and curators. It explores how people have experienced the night in Estonian cities throughout history and delves into the multitude of meanings of the contemporary night. The exhibition will be open to the public until February 2025.
