Presented in a playful format, the exhibition focuses on key themes of civic education. At its centre is the cat as a symbol of soft power—an elegant and silent ruler who, through quiet dignity, subtly guides our everyday actions and decisions.
According to the curator of the exhibition, Olga Einasto, head of the library’s services department, the exhibition fulfils a long-standing dream of hers to explore the nature of the cat in greater depth. “The cat is a paradoxical creature,” Einasto notes. “Independent yet affectionate, a silent observer who unobtrusively sets its own rules. And yet it influences our behaviour and creates its own invisible order. I hope this exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on how much we could learn from cats: how to achieve authority and popularity, and how to get what you want without commands or force.”
Einasto explains that the exhibition uses the figure of the cat to open up important social concepts such as soft power, manipulation, authority, inclusion, online threats, and more. “The exhibition teaches us to ask: what kinds of influence do we notice, who influences us and how, and why we submit to it,” she said. “Here, the cat functions both as a metaphor and, at times, a provocation.” At the same time, the exhibition is a cultural and emotional experience that brings together science, art, and humour. The exhibition space is designed as a feline kingdom, governed by cat laws, soft power, and digital dictatorship—while the opposition is also democratically represented: dogs.
The core of the exhibition “How to Rule the World” lies in interpretations and descriptions that reveal the nature of the cat. Visitors can listen to and read reflections by zoologist Aleksei Turovski and Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Tartu, Maria Murumaa-Mengel, on the phenomenon of the cat as an extraordinary animal. The exhibition explores why cats become attached to humans, the phenomenon behind the popularity of cat images, why black cats are associated with superstition, and much more—topics we rarely consider while admiring or petting these beloved animals. Visitors will also find answers to several existential questions, such as who the cat really is and why cats are so irresistibly cute.
The exhibition design was created by Regina Junkina, while the video and sound solutions were produced by Eliise Selisaar and the University of Tartu Visual Media Service. Additional contributors include Lilian Mengel, Sirli Maripuu, Külli Pärtel, Ann Kuslap, and the staff of the Library’s Public Services Department.
