Summer special exhibition

Summer 2023 exhibition “Out of the closet – the stories of our clothes”

Why can you felt sheep wool but not dog wool? How does Core-Tex material work? Why does drying laundry outside gives it a special smell? What kind of clothes are made from wood and which from plastic bottles? What do the labels on our clothes tell us? Who invented velcro and how?

This year’s Tartu Nature House’s summer exhibition tells the stories of our clothing. What is the origin, history, properties, uses and production technology of various materials, as well as their environmental effects? The clothes on our backs are one of the most casual everyday things but it is necessary to know what are they made of, where are they produced, what their impact is on the environment and what our choices really are.

At the exhibition, you can look at various fibers, materials and fabric types under magnification, try diffrent handicraft technologies, explore the journey of clothing around the world, get to know the personal life stories of five T-shirts, look for labels on your own clothes and enjoy playful activities like the button sea. The exhibition is intended for the whole family – there are playful activities for both children and environmental information with moments of nostalgia for adults.

The exhibition was largely put together from recycled materials sourced from both home wardrobes and second-hand shops. Many of these exhibits were provided by the people who work at the Nature House or by their friends and family. Some materials even came from the Tallinn zoo 🙂

The exhibition is in Estonian and English.

The exhibition was made possible with the support of the Estonian Research Council.

Open from 26.05 until 14.09 from Mon-Fri at 10am-6pm.

Entrance with house ticket: discount ticket 3€/full ticket 5€/family ticket 13€