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Monument for the Masses
This 2-year project consists of a proposal for a counter-monument,
a campaign to gain support for the proposal, an exhibition
and a website. Collaboration with Po Hagström (Trial
and Error), 2005-2006.
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Read the proposal for a counter-monument (external website)
>>
Background
Being in Tallinn as a foreign artist during three months in
2005, it was impossible not to receive knowledge about "Kalevipoeg",
the protagonist of the Estonian national epic. The epic was
written by F. R. Kreutzwald in a romantic, nationalistic tradition
in mid 1800s. In late1990s artist Tauno Kangro proposed a monument
in the sea depicting Kalevipoeg – as a Tallinn counterpart
to the Statue of Liberty. He has gained support among politicians
and found businessmen willing to sponsor his 14 meter bronze
sculpture, but he met strong opposition among a larger part
of the cultural elite.
The Kalevipoeg-monument stirs up strong emotions and debates.
It also points to the need of getting real when dealing with
complex questions related to national identity, representaion
and the use of public space – its democratic, symbolic
and commercial aspects. To get real we sometimes need to make
mistakes. We decided to get real.
A proposal, a campaign and a website
We listened to the arguments and presented a proposal
for how to positively transform Kangro’s monument
into a ”Monument for the Masses”. At the same time
we released a website with related research, which also functioned
as a campaign platform. ("Positively transforming"
refers to a slogan used in the Estonian nation branding campaign
that accompanied the launch of a new logo for the country in
2002).
On the website you can read about nation
branding; how national heroes are created; Stalin-statues in
Hungary; the reactions among the Taino people against a monument
to Columbus in Puerto Rico; how to build for the future; French
identity-soup and much more. The website was released May 17,
2006. It is represented at Rhizome.org
ArtBase, an archive of media art at the New Museum of Contemporary
Art, New York.
The exhibition
In the exhibition ”Trial and Error – Monument
for the Masses” at Tallinn City Gallery / Linnagalerii,
Sep 14 – Oct 1, 2006, we took a closer look at the rituals
surrounding art in public space, in an Estonian and Swedish
context. Why are there so many naked women in Swedish cityscapes?
Are they in any way related to the Soviet Bronze Soldier in
Tallinn? Can public art be democratic? Should monuments exist
forever? Who is the sender and who is the receiver in this very
special kind of mass communication?
The exhibition included drawings, video, installation and a
campaign to promote our own counter-monument. In the exhibition
and on the website it was possible to post opinions and suggestions
as well as to support our proposal for a Monument to the Masses.
See more images here >>
Go
to website >>
Related articles:
"Welcome
to ESTonia. En roadmovie i fem delar", Paletten #270-271,
2008 (SV) >>
”Some
Day They’re Gonna Name A Street After Me”, Estonian
Art #2:2006 (EN) >>
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