In her freshly opened first solo exhibition, Elu nagu filmil, visual artist and photographer Mari Marta Makarov invites viewers into the deeply personal, emotionally textured world of analog photography. The show, now open at Viimsi Artium’s Tünnigalerii, brings together fashion, portraiture, street photography, and landscape into a body of work that feels both cinematic and raw – a fitting reflection of her own creative path, which has unfolded across industries, countries, and mediums.
Below, Mari shares the stories behind three featured series – each rooted in memory, intuition, and a quiet love for the accidental magic of film.
From Viimsi to the world and back
Mari grew up by the sea in Viimsi, Estonia – not far from the very location of her exhibition. Her creative path began at just 14, when a travel video she made for friends caught the eye of a production company in Tallinn. Drawn to her intuitive sense of rhythm and editing, they offered her a first paid job as a video editor. That small gig sparked a bigger fire: one that led her to pursue post-production professionally and eventually study Visual Effects and Motion Graphics at the University of South Wales in the UK.
She spent seven years in the UK, sharpening both technical skills and visual storytelling instincts. After graduating, she joined a production company that primarily served music industry clients – artists, producers, and fashion-forward brands. Over time, her role naturally evolved into one that blurred the lines between still photography and motion work. She later collaborated with creative agencies across diverse formats: documentaries, commercials, artist profiles, and editorial shoots. These years, she says, were like a creative boot camp – full of long nights, intense sets, and constant experimentation.
“Aasal” – Craftory Fashion Series (2024)Photographed in Paljassaare , one of Makarov’s favorite escapes in Tallinn, this series fuses nature and fashion with minimal intervention. A green leather bag blends into tall summer grasses, evoking the soft haze of an Estonian summer – sun-warmed skin, the stillness of lying in a field, a mood rather than a moment.
Coming Home, camera in hand
After nearly a decade abroad, the pandemic brought Mari back to Estonia. Since returning in 2022, she has worked as a freelance photographer and videographer for brands like Nike, Red Bull, Kaubamaja, Timberland, and Estonian fashion houses including KÄT, Liisi Eesmaa, Craftory, and Woolish.
She also spent time at Get Shot Films as a TV commercial producer – but even then, you'd often find her with a camera in hand, capturing BTS stills on set. The title may have shifted, but the instinct to frame a moment never left.
“Laguun” (2023)Shot in the abandoned Pirita Top swimming complex, this fashion editorial features Estonian model Ave, now based in Paris. As a child, Mari spent countless hours training in that same pool. Returning to photograph it nearly 20 years later, now eerily empty, was surreal. The team explored the crumbling building, discovering rarely seen spaces. The shoot gained attention online and even sparked renewed interest in the space – which later appeared in several commercials and music videos. Ave has since become a creative partner and muse; the pair reconnect every summer to explore new locations and create together.
The constant: film photography
Throughout all these transitions, film photography has remained a steady anchor in her creative life. For Mari, shooting on 35mm film has a way of transforming everyday moments into something cinematic – accidentally magical, raw, and timeless. Just like life itself.
This year, she made a personal commitment: to take her work off the screen and into physical space. Elu nagu filmil is the result – a body of work that captures the surreal, fleeting beauty of real life. The title riffs on the Estonian expression “elu nagu filmis,” used when life feels too cinematic or beautiful to be real. Her exhibition invites viewers to feel that same sensation through analog stills – moody, intimate, atmospheric.
“Portree Viini tänaval” (2021)
Not everything Makarov shoots is fashion. Street photography remains a quiet obsession. In Vienna, she noticed a woman from afar – cigarette in hand, Cruella De Vil energy, utterly composed. Expecting a rejection, she still doubled back and asked to take her portrait. The woman nodded. It’s that brief, fragile connection with strangers – the attempt to capture their essence – that keeps Makarov drawn to the street, lens always ready.
Exhibition Info
📍 Location: Viimsi Artium, Tünnigalerii 🗓️ Public dates: June 19 – July 20 🕛 Open: Friday–Sunday, 12:00–17:00 🎟️ Entry: Free
Why Viimsi? Because it’s home.The gallery – once a military fuel tank – sits at the edge of a nature reserve. Raw, industrial, poetic. A perfect match for the photographs it holds.
If you're coming from Tallinn, make a day of it: wander the Karulaugu nature trail, end up at Haabneeme beach, and lose track of time – like a scene from a film you’ve seen before, but can’t quite place.