IN ENGLISH: Route Diverse Art Tour: Explore the Periphery!

Route Diverse Art Tour: Explore the Periphery!

Join the unique Route Diverse art tours in summery Southern Estonia and discover what life is like on the periphery!

Route Diverse is part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme and an unique experience which takes the audience on a special bus tour to explore the Southern Estonian hinterlands. The 3.5-hour trip starts in the border town of Valga, moves on to Ähijärve (Karula National Park) and to the Hargla village. The last art stop is in the Valga railway station, taking art friends back to the starting point.

Bus Ride as an Art Experience

Latvian performance artist Laima Jaunzema has designed the bus interior and the time spent on it in a way that a bus ride becomes more than just a journey between the points. It will become an art experience in itself! Through her work, Laima explores what it takes for a space and a group of people to feel like home, and whether this is achievable in just a few hours spent together. Additionally, the bus provides a recreational space for the audience to return to after their adventures in the periphery. Moreover, this bus is not your average bus, but she is also one of the primary storytellers in the Route Diverse art programme.

Ähijärve – Experience Home as an Insect or Bird

Jane Remm’s nature installation at Ähijärve, in Karula National Park, invites you to discover what non-human beings – birds, insects, fish – consider home. The exhibition offers visitors the chance to crawl into human-sized nests and burrows and perceive life from the perspective of a bird or spider.

Hargla – Supernatural Happenings of Being a Human

American-Estonian artist Patrick Tubin McGinley’s sound installation brings the audience to the Hargla Community Center, where portals into realities open, offering glimpses into the afterlife of suris of Koikküla, ancestral spirits hidden in Ghanaian ants, Roma grandmother’s stories, communication with Sri Lankan spirits, and Cuban healers. All stories are collected from the people of Southern Estonia in their native languages.

Valga – A City Where No One Wants to Live?

Barbara Lehtna’s spatial installation explores how to live in a city where statistics suggest people don’t want to live. How do you dream of tomorrow when today seems quite bleak? The work is inspired by the artist’s long-term experience with Valga and the question of how to be happy in a seemingly random environment like an average Estonian “provincial town.”

An Enjoyable Peripheral Experience

This unique art discovery trip playfully explores what life looks like when stepping off the usual paths. The tour invites you to explore, experience, and reflect on the fringes of being human – who we are as animals, how diverse the human species is, and how we seek and find ourselves among others.

Route: Valga–Ähijärve–Hargla–Valga.

Artists: Jane Remm, Patrick McGinley, Barbara Lehtna, Laima Jaunzema
Artistic Director: Helena Krinal
Concept Author: Nastja Pertšjonok

More info: www.maaliin.ee

Practical Information:

• The art tour takes place both indoors and outdoors – dress according to the weather and check the forecast. Choose comfortable shoes and clothing.
• Light refreshments can be purchased on-site (cash). You can also bring your own food and drinks.
• Bring your own thermos or water bottle, which can be refilled during the tour.
• The bus is equipped with air conditioning, a toilet, and toilet facilities are available at all stops (Valga, Ähijärve, Hargla).
• The programme is suitable for all art and exploration curious people – adults and children alike. For very young children, it is assumed that parents will support and explain the experience as needed. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us: info@maaliin.ee