Post-Colonialism and Estonia

Estonian 1/2011Art 1 1 One Question Anders Härm about Facebook and art criticism 3 Dealing With Yourself Through Others Liina Siib interviewed by Eero Epner 6 Eat, Pray, Love... Anu Allas 10 Post-colonialism and Estonia Tiit Hennoste interviewed by Eero Epner 16 The National Representation Beauty Contest Karolina Łabowicz-Dymanus 19 If It’s Part Broke Half Fix It Virginija Januskeviciute 23 Salto and The Garden of Eden Triin Ojari 28 Interview with Karli Luik from Salto 30 Contemporary Art Encompasses All the Rest Maria Lind interviewed by Eero Epner 34 Notes on Paul Kuimet Pille Epner 39 What is Estonian Sound Art Maria Juur 42 As for music... Andres Lõo 43 Raul Keller interviewed by Eero Epner 44 Exhibitions Estonian Art is included All issues of Estonian Art are also available on the Internet: http://www.estinst.ee/eng/estonian-art-eng/ in Art and Architecture Complete (EBSCO). Front cover: Liina Siib. From the photo series Apartness, 2008 Back cover: Back cover of Andres Lõo’s album Skeletons on Rock, 2009 Estonian Art 1/2011 (28). Published by the Estonian Institute 2011. ISSN 1406-3549 (online version ISSN 1406-5711) Editorial board: Tiina Abel, Andres Kurg, Piret Lindpere, Mart Meri, Johannes Saar Editor: Eero Epner Graphic design: Angelika Schneider Translator: Tiina Randviir, Marcin Wawrzynczak (article by Karolina Łabowicz-Dymanus) Those wishing to obtain a copy of Estonian Art, Language editor: Richard Adang please send the Estonian We thank: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, The Art Museum of Estonia Institute an International Photo credits: Liina Siib (front cover, pp 3-9), Marko Mäetamm (pp 16-18), Karli Luik (p 24), Raivo Hool and Raul Keller (p 38), Reply Coupon to cover the Raul Keller (pp 39-41), Anu Vahtra (p 41) postal expenses. Printed at Puffetinvest Estonian Institute Suur-Karja 14 10140 Tallinn, Estonia http://www.estinst.ee email:[email protected] phone: (372) 631 43 55 fax: (372) 631 43 56 One Question Anders Härm, curator, art historian and essayist, how has it come about that the dating-format Facebook has become an important platform of information and exchange of views for Estonian art criticism, and what does this say about our institution of criticism? I think that one of Facebook’s advantages is its spontaneity. Available technology has directed flows of information on a larger scale, it is no longer a problem to make your own television or radio programmes and put them up, and all this is happening at the grass-roots level: there is no direct institutional guid- ance. The success of Facebook also, of course, reflects the decreasing art criticism in traditional media, and here the blame lies with the traditional media: the dailies do not have art critics on their payrolls, except for the weekly Sirp. I’m actually not sure whether I mourn their demise. I probably would not bother to storm into battle to get 3000-charac- ter exhibition “reviews” to published. If there is no more space – and there isn’t and won’t be – I’d prefer a brief comment by a professional instead of a text with pretentions of being analytical and critical. Facebook offers exactly such tips, and there you find people whose opinions you take seriously. All the best people in the art field I know are on Facebook. Without exception. What charac- terises the field of today’s Estonian art? Total over-production in conditions of total under- financing. A great deal is being produced, but mostly relying on people’s own means, using family contacts. The natural economy, just like during the Middle Ages. Father builds you an installation, and you help him to fix the roof in summer. And still there is so much art that nobody can consume it all and nobody keeps an eye on it consistently. This used to be the task of art criticism: to observe and select. Nobody fulfils this function any more. Nobody is able to get an overview, including myself; it is just impossible to be everywhere. ONE QUESTION 1 As for the view that Facebook means trivi- that, the space allocated to criticism gradually alising or withdrawing criticism, I certainly do diminished, and editors demanded increas- not agree because, after all, we had nowhere to ingly brief, hard-hitting and understandable withdraw to anyway. In the 1990s, the reviews articles, which were hardly more than recom- in papers tried to be more theoretical, aspired mendations. Most professionals obviously to the analysis of phenomena by means of wanted more. Papers, too, were not keen to some theoretical models, but this has totally have critics on regular salaries: the distanc- disappeared today. Various discourses are ing was mutual. So far, only the media have afloat, whereas theorising has become rather been blamed, although what we lack here in problematic and the view prevails that readers Estonia is the skill to write about art compre- are not interested – the end result is hope- hensibly, but at the same time cleverly – as, lessly vague. Who were the writers before? for example, Matthew Collings does. The cen- Professional art historians who knew the tral problem in today’s Estonian art is how to scene inside out. Now we have people loosely get the average citizen to relate to art. We can connected with art, not professionals with have blockbuster-type exhibitions, packed wider knowledge outside their narrow fields, with visual candies, which might be massive and they don’t write regularly, but quite occa- hits elsewhere (e.g. Everything Is Going to Be sionally. Criticism used to fulfil an apologetic Alright), but in Estonia – nothing. Nothing. No function, emerging through certain groups excitement, no reverberations in the media. and art movements. At some point, it became I am not only blaming my colleagues: we professional: being an art critic became a job behave like other institutions in the cultural in its own right. Neoliberal politics has caused field, but the media are simply not interested. the profession to vanish: art is being written Not one bit. For several years we tried to get about by people who are not connected with NU Performance on the Morning Television it on a daily basis. There is unsystematic emo- programme, but they feared that someone tionalising. I do not care if someone is clearly might crack eggs over their heads, and the biased, but when I don’t see him or her con- interview never happened! We planned to stantly writing, or publishing pieces about organise this year’s performance festival in random things, this is of no help to anyone. a hotel. We started negotiations. Everything Criticism has several functions: commu- was quite bueno, until we used the word “per- nication with wider audiences and with col- formance”. That was the end of it. Irrational leagues, and providing feedback to artists. fears of contemporary art are strongly rooted. Ideally, a critic would fulfil all these func- If Facebook can change something in that tions. The professional criticism that lasted sense, I am certainly all for it. in Estonia until the 2000s did all this. After Having spent an intensive /Entry of Maria-Kristiina day at the conference, I Soomre, at that time a expected to track down curator of the Kumu Art all the hottest art news on Museum, on Facebook at Facebook. No such luck - it 11.28 p.m. on 27 May. By is totally dominated by 9:00 the next morning, the Venice biennial. Hey, she had received over you out there, I don’t want 20 comments./ to know what’s going to happen next week; I want to Anders Härm know what happened today! 1977), curator and art critic Where are you, what’s up? 2 ONE QUESTION Liina Siib A Woman Takes Little Space 2008–2011 Digital pigment print 30 x 45 cm Dealing with Yourself Through Others Interview with Liina Siib I recently saw Alexei Yurchak’s book on your ing, being emphatically apolitical, refusing to table, Everything was forever, until it was no participate in elections etc. more: The last Soviet generation… The concept of ‘the last Soviet generation’ This surely does not relate to your work. was used by Elo-Hanna Seljamaa when she It did. A great deal. At the beginning, described how I actually fit in in her article for twenty years ago. the Venice project catalogue A Woman Takes Little Space. What happened then? Maybe I was beginning to feel trust in How did you develop into an artist? the Estonian society. Or not even ‘trust’, but I think I will keep developing indefinitely. I responsibility. An understanding of myself certainly do not feel as if I have fully developed. and my responsibility to society. I would not want to stress Estonia in this context. Has this generational definition deter- mined something in particular? Your connection with ‘Estonia’ is not impor- It is difficult for me to say. My generation tant to you? is usually described as nihilistic, a group who Of course it is, but it is now somehow more do not believe in anything, as we were used normal and calmer. Since I am living here, I am to hearing one thing at home and another here. Being away for a while and coming back, officially. Double morals, hypocrisy, double I can now look at things from a distance much standards, all lead to people believing noth- better. Translate them any which way. DEALING WITH YOURSELF THROUGH OTHERS 3 Liina Siib A Room of One’s Own You have not thought of moving somewhere explained that, although the project A Woman 2011 Photography and video else? Takes Little Space deals with women’s topics, I installation There have been all sorts of thoughts.

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