elsewhere / mujal

3 ECTS

We had five train trips. Every train trip had a theme what was to be kept in mind before and during the travelling itself. The general aim? To amplify the feeling of being elsewhere, to give it a mechanism of getting so loud that some borders would break, that something new could germinate.

The task I set myself when starting a course at Tartu Art Collage was a rather pretentious one:

"The aim of the course is to analyze different aspects of the experience of staying abroad (elsewhere) with artistic means. How do we perceive the environment when this environment is alien for us, can we spot and/or depict the change in our perception? Can we create something using the energy of change? What happens if we mix documentalism with concept?"

And the prescribed keywords were appealing:

"meaning of traveling, globalization vs glocalization, "alien vision", experience vs knowledge, documentary conceptualism, shifts of the environment, meaning of moving and transport, perception (and limits of it) of uncommon and culturally new, intensified elsewhere  - (///depicted in arts)"

I was, in a sense, creating a course for myself as much as for the students: if I would succeed, I would as well be elsewhere, although in Estonia and as a native, and they - the students - would get an unusual experience extra to the credits (I took the liberty to presume they want to get something besides the mainstream Erasmus life out of Estonia, and that this will is enough for the motivation).

"Short train trips function as a core for this creative course. The group will take five day-trips to irrelevant and non-significant places in Estonia. Here the train is a vehicle in a broader sense, it is creating the border between „everyday” (which for the participants is already „elsewhere”) and amplified „elsewhere” – displacement into a very unfamiliar environment even for an average Estonian. In this context of being displaced to a seemingly random and „boring” place, the group will look at the mechanisms of perception and understanding the „other”. Random and „untouristic” place is empty of pre-given patterns of perception. At the destinations discussions are held about a given place and a particular theme attached to the trip. For the time of the field trip no phone or internet use is allowed."

globalization vs glocalization, "alien vision" - valga/valka

meaning of moving and transport - a soft hike through woods from taevaskoja to kiidjärve

Perception (and limits of it) of uncommon and culturally new - tartu-tallinn > baltic station market - boheem - telliskivi creative center > klooga rand (klooga beach) > nõmme - nõmme market - nõmme donut cafe - nature house of nõmme youth house > tallinn - tartu.

Intensified elsewhere  - puka

documentary conceptualism - orava +

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Thank you! Mark Zirk; Annemari Oherd and Edelaraudtee, Vallo Kalamees and Tartu Art College; the director, librarian and the head of the art school part of Puka school; Lada Mehikas and Nõmme Noortemaja; Lili Pilt and Kinobuss; Terje Ugandi.