Various works from the 2020 exhibition “Cathedral of the Last Day”

Opened in 2020 as part of the Tallinn Biennial, “Cathedral of the Last Day” was a monumental exhibition by Edward von Lõngus that brought together street art, a sacred spatial experience and sharp social criticism. The exhibition was installed in the former factory building at Sepapaja 10 in Ülemiste City, whose industrial history dating back to 1899 added an important layer of meaning to the display.

The environment created by Lõngus evoked a contemporary cathedral dedicated to the central belief of the modern world: money. The street art works, applied to 25-metre steel plates, addressed a capital-centred world order in which death, destruction and inequality become part of everyday entertainment. In this way, the artist placed classical religious and art-historical motifs into the context of contemporary consumer society.

The location of the exhibition also played an important role. The former factory, which produced equipment for industries connected with nuclear energy, spoke of humanity’s endless need for energy and the choices that stand beside life, safety and the environment. For this reason, “Cathedral of the Last Day” was not merely an art exhibition, but a spatial warning — an experience that invited viewers to consider what values society truly worships. Several works by Edward von Lõngus remain on the inner walls of the nave at Sepapaja 10 and are now seen by people moving through the building and playing padel there.