Kristina Norman
7.11.13
Rogaland Kunstsenter
Artist talk as part of the Estonian Dream project
We who were at the library at Rogaland Kunstsenter this evening had a unique opportunity to get familiar with the works of an important Estonian artist. Her work has probably created the largest stir in Estonian art history.
Kristina Norman got massive attention during the preparations for her contribution to the Estonian pavillion at the 2009 Venice biennale in the exhibition "After-War" - an artwork dealing with the troubled relationship between the Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking citizens of Estonia. In her talk she gave us a deeper insight to the background and process of this project, but also of the documentary "Common Ground" featured in the exhibition "Little House In the Periphery" only two floors down from the talk. Here she juxtapozes interviews with Estonians who fled to Sweden in 1944 and present asylum seekers in Estonia. Their stories could have been similar, but are totally different. The Estonians were reasonably well taken care of and managed to create a new life for themselves, while the present refugees are hidden away and given few opportunities.
She does not offer any solutions through her films, but what she does is to make marginal groups visible. Visible people can not be ignored. Thus she is forcing us all to stop ignoring and start caring. She is one of the few artists that not only want to change the world, but also have the tools to do it. The "After-War" created havoc in the Estonian press, into a discussion not only about the artwork, but also on the topic the artwork was pointing to.
This Saturday Norman's documentary "A Monument To Please Everyone" is one of many Estonian movies screened at Kinokino in Sandnes. This is something not to miss!
More about Kristina Norman's artwork here.
