2025 November 16 to 2026 February 28

“Eduard Timbermann (1905–1935)”

The name of the Viljandi artist Eduard Timbermann has remained relatively little known, although he accomplished a great deal despite his short life. Timbermann studied at the Pallas Art School under Ado Vabbe, alongside artists who would later gain wide recognition, including Karl Pärsimäe, Karin Luts, Hilda Kamdron, Nikolai Kummits, Karl Liimand, Rudolf Sepp, Juhan Kangilaski, and others. Despite difficult circumstances, he completed his studies in 1930 and returned to Viljandi.

During the following five years, Eduard Timbermann devoted himself — notwithstanding serious illness — to the development of Viljandi’s artistic life. Working alongside figures such as Gustav Mootse, Peeter Akerberg (Põldmaa), Juhan Kangilaski, and Lydia Nirk-Soosaar, he helped shape the character of the town’s cultural scene. He organised exhibitions, wrote articles on art, contributed to the newspaper Sakala, published travel writings, and delivered lectures through which he sought to bring audiences closer to contemporary art.

In Viljandi, he co-founded the town’s first art club together with like-minded colleagues, creating a platform that united local artists.

Timbermann was regarded above all as a highly accomplished watercolourist. His works were noticed and praised in exhibition reviews, even though watercolour painting was not formally taught at Pallas at the time. As with many artists of his generation, Timbermann’s life’s work remained unfinished. Yet his efforts bear witness to a spirit that believed in the transformative power of art. The rediscovery of artists who died young serves as a reminder that creativity belongs not only to its own time, but also to the future — provided there are those willing to engage with it.

Curator of the exhibition: Mari Vallikivi
The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Art Museum of Estonia and the Tartu Art Museum, with support from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

12 February – 26 April 2026
At the Kondas Centre, a memorial exhibition of Rolan Paul Firnhaber (1936–2025) is open to visitors.

Paul Firnhaber, a cultural anthropologist of American nationality with German roots, first came to Estonia in 2001 when he was invited to deliver a presentation at a scholarly conference organised by the Viljandi Culture Academy. Thereafter, he began spending his summers in Estonia and his winters in Colorado, USA. In 2010, at the age of 74, he settled permanently in the quiet town of Viljandi. On the second floor of a former smithy, he established Gallery Imagi, creating a space in which to share his art and ethnographic collection with fellow enthusiasts of history and art. Exhibition openings at the gallery became memorable occasions, characterised by a distinctive atmosphere of conviviality, music, and the enjoyment of art. Over time, Paul Firnhaber developed a wide circle of acquaintances, with visitors travelling to see him from across Estonia.

The Kondas Centre’s close and warm relationship with Paul Firnhaber began in 2008, when we organised the first exhibition of his photographs depicting old doors characteristic of Viljandi’s historic town centre. A few years later, after his permanent move from the United States to Viljandi, the collaboration deepened. Reflecting the Kondas Centre’s special interest in outsider art, visitors were introduced to works from Firnhaber’s collection, including woodcuts by the Brazilian folk artist José Francisco Borges, satirical intaglio prints by the Scottish barber John Kay, and exhibitions presenting the life and book illustrations of the French noblewoman Gyp. On the occasion of Paul Firnhaber’s 80th birthday, the Kondas Centre organised the museum-wide exhibition Finds, drawn from his collection, accompanied by a conference.

At the small memorial exhibition, open until 26 April, visitors may also view Vaiko Edrur’s evocative and, despite its title, life-affirming documentary film Dance of Death (2019).

In accordance with his wishes, Paul Firnhaber’s final resting place will be Viljandi Forest Cemetery.