Rein Sikk: Why is Tallinn afraid of Kalevipoeg, Oinas, and a horse?
Journalist Rein Sikk criticizes Tallinn residents' resistance to new public artworks, contrasting it with positive rural reception, and proposes a presidential sculpture workshop initiative.
In an opinion piece, journalist Rein Sikk argues that Tallinn, unlike the countryside, is a timid city when it comes to public art. He points to recent protests against Tauno Kangro's Kalevipoeg sculpture plans, where critics deemed it too large and ugly. Similar backlash has emerged against Flo Kasearu's equestrian statue of Alma Ostra-Oinas, with complaints about its small size and ugliness.
In contrast, rural areas welcome artworks with joy. For instance, scrap metal sculptures by Seaküla Simson and Latvian artist Edvīns Krūmiņš—a rat in Rakvere, a hedgehog in Jõhvi, a horse in Kadrina—have caused no scandals. Wooden sculptures at bus stops in South Estonia have become a tourist attraction. The Heimtali Museum has collected 60 diverse scarecrow sculptures, and the Iisaku Museum opened a wind chime collection this year.
Sikk suggests that Tallinn's problem is too few sculptures, hindering the development of artistic taste. He compares the city to Rome, Florence, Oslo's Vigeland Park, and Loveland in the US, which have many public sculptures. While Estonia has hosted sculpture events in Sagadi, Jõhvi, Paide, and Kadrina, Tallinn has been left out.
The author proposes that the President of Estonia launch a sculpture workshop initiative, inviting young people and adults to create works from various materials and send them to Kadriorg. This would result in an unprecedented exhibition that could later travel across Estonia. Such an initiative would broaden participants' artistic understanding and help Tallinners develop taste so they no longer fear Kalevipoeg, horses, or Oinas, but instead ask what truly makes art, Art.
