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Four art residents are exploring the hidden history of South Estonia

The third Magic Carpets residency continues to open up the theme of "bodiliness" and invites artists to engage with the oral and written histories of Southern Estonia, using the notable archives of the city of Tartu.

Vaim Sarv, the artist of the third "Magic Carpets" residency, deals with the decolonization of the Estonian runo song. Photo: private collection.
12. Jul 2024

Seeking answers to questions such as which stories about our ancestors have been considered important to archive, how to highlight those left in the background, and how to “embody” the archive, are four performance artists in the third MagiC Carpets residency: Mia Tamme (EE), Vaim Sarv (EE), Rasmus Jensen (DK/EE), and Bettina Hutschek (DE/MT).

“During the residency, I will explore how the Finno-Ugric folk song tradition, or regilaul, has been influenced by Eurocentric nationalistic efforts,” says one of the residents, Vaim Sarv. Using autoethnography and -fiction, the artist interacts with Tartu’s folk song archives and conducts interviews with the runo song practitioners. “My goal is to decolonize the oral tradition and restore its pagan roots.” 

During the residency, the artists meet with archivists and singers to learn about the living traditions and rituals specific to Southern Estonia and their performers. This creates opportunities to conceptualize a “living archive” through artistic expression. The residency concludes with a public event on October 20th at the Tartu Aparaaditehas and its surroundings, where the residents present their work process and final results.

Juss Heinsalu, a ceramic artist participating in the second residency, at Maajaam. Photo: Maanus Kullamaa

MagiC Carpets is an international art project supported by Creative Europe, led by the Kaunas Biennial. In total, more than 20 different organizations from all over Europe participate in it, including Tartu 2024 from Estonia.

In 2024, MagiC Carpets will culminate on October 18 in Tartu, with the major exhibition Superorganism. On this occasion, the most exciting artworks born in residencies will be showcased in the galleries of the Tartu Aparaaditehas. Superorganism will also host an interdisciplinary symposium for artists and curators from all over Europe.