For me, a lot of today’s Western society’s anxiety stems from the question of preserving one’s heritage while simultaneously making a mark on this plane of reality to prove and validate your existence. The artists and curators of Temporary Forever look at this question of safeguarding from a different perspective or, in some cases, don’t look at it at all and enjoy the process of creating and being present.
The experience starts before actually arriving on scene. As I step off the bus strong winds greet me along with raindrops, taking me into the arms of wilderness only a few kilometers from a bustling hub filled with skyscrapers and commercial buildings. The journey along a gravel road is silent, filled only with the occasional creaking of trees that haven’t yet been savaged by storms. Suddenly a white silicate tower covered in graffiti appears, marking the end of this small pilgrimage and the start of a new one. I get closer, further separating myself from any settlement and immersing myself into nature. Even the grassland cattle that grazes on the field alongside the tower has not yet arrived, only flocks of geese mark that this is not a barren landscape.
The choice of location adds a new layer to the complicated history of Paljassaare. The peninsula as we know it today formed only a little more than 100 years ago when a strait separating the northern islands was filled due to the building of a Russian imperialist military port. Military constructions have been a part of this area since the 18th century and adjacent to the exhibition lay the ruins of the White Tower, a fort built 200 years ago. The watchtower of the exhibition itself was constructed as a lighthouse under Soviet rule as a part of a larger closed military zone. Today these buildings remind violent stories from the past as well as add to the general feeling of desolate abandonment, enhancing the artists’ interpretations of briefness and heritage.
The artworks themselves seem as a coherent whole, even though the curators didn’t specifically work towards that. Upon entering I am confronted with two photos set next to one another on the opposite wall. They belong to artist Gustaf Johansson and meditate on the fragility of time. A stone in water and a leaf captured mid-fall seem simple yet so serene and almost primitive in a sense, as if reflecting on a time one can not possibly remember. The next room is decorated with two ceramic pots, fittingly named Pothead 1 & 2. They too carry a primitive feeling within them, as ceramics is one of the oldest forms of art in the world, but look more towards the now. Experimenting with function as well as form, artist Lea Joakim Svendby creates a new point of view on how to use and relate to applied art in the time of ready-made.
Elisabeth Töltl rips two materials, glass and bone, out of their natural context and transforms the abilities of both with her piece “how to get rid of a skeleton?”. Using a fragment of a spine, the base of nearly every animal, she has secured it by laying fitted glass on top. The idea of fragility immediately comes to mind when you see a part of your core helplessly on the ground, easier to break than ever before. Glass takes on the role of guardian, thus turning around the idea of its properties. What was once delicate now becomes confident and firm, and vice versa.
In the hallway around ten boxes have been put to hang, resembling in design a post-soviet block of flats. Created by Viktorija Kolomažnikova and Leman Memmedli, they pull the focus to the current and analyse the problem of declining cities in Ida-Viru county in Eastern Estonia. Once a thriving mining area, the region now faces difficulties as Estonia is shifting away from fossil fuels. The mostly Russian-speaking population finds itself in a weird limbo: the encouraging story of governmental aid to boost regional economy is contrasted by the stark reality of closed factories and stagnancy. The research of the two authors is important because it shows there is international interest in finding a suitable way forward for the region.
The third floor touches on a different aspect of the temporary forever conversation: the act of playing. As children, we often think that the world as we see it will last like that forever. We could play the same game for hours on end, never thinking of stopping or worrying about how temporary it actually was. Artists Aliis Vatku, Chia-Ling Chiang and Silvia McDowell have recreated two childhood favorites, the Fisherman’s rope and the jump rope, from recycled and organic materials (including wool from Alice’s sheep!). We as viewers are encouraged to play, becoming a temporary part of the exhibition through it. As you concentrate on the right moment to jump, all the worries of the outside world disappear for a moment and you immerse in the game. The two ropes prove once again that performance exists everywhere if you want it to.
As you exit the building, one more surprise awaits on the cattle fence. Nikola Šmeralova and Merit Himmelreich have weaved a bizarre, dreamish creature out of straw and string. They named it “Scarecrow gone wild” but instead of scaring you away, it pulls you closer and makes you listen. As sea winds blow towards the land, they pass through the natural materials and make them communicate in a primal language that humans have adapted to ignore. This simple symphony compels the viewer/listener to slow down and reconnect with an imperfect but harmonious beauty.
Whether the artists experimented with cosmic and eternal topics or focused on the issues of now, an invisible string tied together every work. In everything from the choice of location and the way of curating to the ambiance of the crowd and event, a sense of grunge could be felt. Without barriers and restrictions, artists were free to let their mind wander and break away from awkward formalities. Temporary Forever felt like a comfortable hug from someone who has been pushed to the side, but continues to exist and create for the joy of it all.
Text: Villem Saar
Curators: Ilja Jakovlev, Giulio Cusinato and Senja Savtšenko
Pictures are avaible here: https://www.instagram.com/100ml_absenta/ & https://www.instagram.com/temporaryforeverrr/