Between the 15th of July and the 31st of August we spent a six week MOKS residency in the small Estonian village of Mooste. Our work employed a variety of participative and interactive techniques to explore Estonian identity, and the relationships between people, place and history.
Moped procession
One day we were walking along the street when a train of cars streamed through the village, honking their horns for the soon to be wed bride and groom. They pulled up outside the main manor house, where a group portrait was taken on the steps, before streaming back out of the village in the manner they had arrived. They had chosen a place of perceived prestige for their wedding photo.
We wanted to play on this experience and created an event that took place during Avamaar (a week-long programme of workshops held every year at MOKS), in collaboration with a handful of young Moped drivers from the local area. Mopeds seem to be quite a feature in Estonia. You Tube is full of slideshows in which Estonians show off their mopeds, and in Mooste it seems that most of the youngsters we have got to know can be seen buzzing about from time to time on their scooters, or those of their friends.
At 6.30pm on Wednesday the 19th of August our fleet of scooters arrived at MOKS to collect their guests, who were then taken on a tour through the village, stopping at three or four very different locations where a group photo was made of both the drivers and the workshop participants. Each of the locations related architecturally, in form or function, to the steps in front of the Manor House where the original wedding photo was made.
The resulting portraits presented a collection of different Mooste identities and relationships.
Photographer: Siim Tiirik
Video: Mari
Further MOKS residency projects:
MILK MESSENGERS
SAND MAPPING
THE BARONS CLOTHES
WINDOW PICTURES
EXHIBITION
