“The Old Man and the Snowflake” by Danel Kahar

On May 27, 2025, at 18.00, Danel Kahar will open his solo exhibition The Old Man and the Snowflake at Hobusepea gallery. The exhibition will remain open until June 30.

Every evening, my grandparents would watch the news on TV. My grandfather (who had been in war) was particularly vocal, commenting on everything he watched. The overall tone was deeply pessimistic. The war in Chechnya dominated the headlines. Most of my grandfather’s remarks boiled down to the belief that Russia would never change and that Estonia’s freedom hung by a thread. If a nuclear bomb were ever dropped on Estonia, he said, those who survived would not be able to escape, instead, they would be deported to Siberia. The atmosphere grew too dreary, and I began to avoid the TV room.

But the door of the room was always wide open. I remember the uninterrupted image of the news anchor reporting in a grave tone, while two dark silhouettes sat steadfast in front of the screen. My next move was to hide in the lavatory. It was in an outdoor corridor, which meant that during colder months, the pipes were at risk of freezing. As a countermeasure, my grandfather had rigged up a red lightbulb, which emitted intense heat and hung from a wire wrapped around the pipes. When the lamp was turned on, the room was bathed in a radiant red. Hiding in this red light, as a child, I felt a creeping mix of fear and anxiety. In that moment, an existential panic took hold – the kind born from suddenly realising that the comfort of safety is nothing more than a carefully drawn illusion. The whole news saga culminated with the Russian presidential elections in the year 2000. My grandfather’s voice rang out from the TV room, steady and full of conviction: “If Putin becomes president, it’s over for Estonia.”

Danel Kahar

Danel Kahar (1990) graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a BA in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts (2013–2016). His work is defined by an unfiltered engagement with both deeply personal emotions, desires, and inner tensions, as well as urgent issues shaping contemporary society.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
Exhibitions at Hobusepea gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Estonian Ministry of Culture, and Liviko AS.

Additional information:
Hobusepea Gallery
Tel: +372 56 451 591
      +372 52 85 324
      +372 6 276 777
E-mail: galerii@eaa.ee
Hobusepea 2, Tallinn 10133
hobusepeadraakon.ee
Wed‒Mon 12.00‒18.00