MUSTANA TARTUS (2008)

In autumn 2007 I happened to be a person responsible for integration of two Erasmus students from France into my school, Tartu Kõrgem Kunstikool. One of the students being of African origin was attacked on the second day of his stay in Tartu. (read about this: Tartu Postimees, 13.09.2007. "Tartus rünnati mustanahalist vahetusüliõpilast". Although the attack was not serious in physical terms – a gand of skinhead looking youth threw little stones in his direction and used bad language on him – him and me were very frighted of what might happen next. Luckily nothing happened thought all his 6-month stay in Tartu, but the fear of anybody being potentially a threat remained something I wanted to tell everybody about.

In the happening MUSTANA TARTUS (Being Black in Tartu) I encouraged everybody to come in the morning to the gallery, let their face to be painted black and go continue to live their normal day life: going to work/study wearing paint on their faces. In the evening everybody were invited to a party with African and World music including performances by musicians actually coming from Africa.

I'm aware that anywhere else this action would be taken as a black-face insult. But in Tartu actually no black person live and black-face is an unused term. Also nobody o the participants did look like a real black person. My aim was to make people wear a funny alien face, feel being watched and being a stranger in their own country. Estonian population is very monogenic and actually very protective.

The happening was a great success. Around 50 persons participated in painting action, and internet comments were innumerable. The happening took out a will to separate "ours" from "aliens" so intrinsic to small nations aĺike Estonians. In comments Tartu was opposed to Tallinn, students to "serious people", Russians to Estonians etc.

 

Some comments (sorry, in Estonian):

Me oleme elanud 60 aastat oma maal alamrassina (sain seda hästi tunda Nõukogude mereväes) ja nüüd tuleb SVETA, kes NÄITAB meile lollidele, kui raske on siin elada muulasena !!??
See ei ole raske - tuleb lihtsalt nostalgia tunne, sest vanasti me ju elasimegi nii.

mingu tagasi

Sveta, mine proovi seda moskvas, seal on inimesed hulka sallivamad...
enne, kui tuled meid õpetama, vaata, et sul kodus kõik korras on!

… viis kuidas rassismile tähelepanu üritati juhtida on ülimalt piinlik ja rassistlik ja töötab asjale vastu. ...

Aga eestlasena tunnen ma ennast kilulinnas nagu mingis poolvene derevnjas!

Bogomolova üritab lollusi tehes kellegi tähelepanu võita, Eestis rassismi ei ole ja erinevalt Bogomolova kodumaast, ei tapeta inimesi Eestis rassistlikel põhjustel!

mõttetu üritus,kui jõekülas musti pole,miks siis neid,suurejooneliselt produtseerima hakata? …

Blackface? Kuidas politsei sellist rassismi lubab?

Tartu inimesed on mõtetud tegelased!

mõttetu linn!

ARRGGHHH, Iga päevaga.. aina enam.. VIHKAN ma neid GENITALISTE!

milleks selline pasklavastus tartus? kas see väikene sitane linn tunneb ennast vastutavana vene maal, ELi eliitriikides ja USAs vohava nigga-vaenulikkuse eest?!

Download press-release (in Estonian)

Press:

Tartu Postimees, 3.02.2008, Raimu Hanson. "Teine skits ehk venelane teeb tartlastest muulasi"

Eesti Päevaleht, 9.02.2008, Riho Laurisaar."Kultuurijaam võõpab tartlased mustaks"

Tartu Postimees, 13.02.2008, Raimu Hanson. "«Neegrid» täidavad Taaralinna"

Tartu Postimees, 14.02.2008, Raimu Hanson. "Neegriks jumestatud kogunevad Genialistide Klubisse"

Delfi, 14.02.2008. "Tartlased katsetavad neegrielu"

Tartu Postimees, 15.02.2008, Raimu Hanson. "Tartus päeval neeger olla on uhke ja hää"

Linnaleht, 15.02.2008, Kadi Soo. "Tartlased said proovida elu mustanahalisena"

Thanks:
Tartu Kunstikuu
Mooste Külalisstuudio

Photos:
Sveta Bogomolova
Evelyn Müürsepp
Sakari Neuvonen
Sille Annuk
Margus Ansu
Fideelia-Signe Roots
Marek Mengel