From 1 to 15 December, the pop-up exhibition Monument and Fairy Tale will be open in the foyer of the Estonian Academy of Arts (Põhja pst 7). The six virtual works created under the subtitle Monument and Fairy Tale relate to Olavi Männi’s sculpture group “Vjatško and Meelis in the Defense of Tartu”, which was completed in 1950 and erected in 1980 on the Kassitoome.
Olav Männi’s sculpture depicts two characters from Enn Kippel’s historical youth story “Meelis” (1941) – Vjatško, the prince of Polotsk, and Meelis, the fictional hero, Lembit’s son. The story, published during the Soviet era, told of their friendship and cooperation in the defense of Tartu against the German crusaders in 1224. Some researchers have identified Prince Vyachko with the Livonian Vetseke, but the Soviet authorities used the story as an opportunity to emphasize the historical friendship and allied relations between the Estonian and Russian peoples. The sculpture, which had meanwhile fallen into oblivion, has recently attracted renewed attention in connection with a broader discussion about Soviet monuments and heritage.
Monument and Fairy Tale brings works to the exhibition hall that offer new possibilities for interpreting the sculpture by Meelis and Vyachko. The artists have approached the challenge in a digital way, continuing the fairy tale of the monument through new symbols and memes.
Curator: Kirke Kangro
Exhibition team: Linda Kaljundi, Mariann Raisma, Annika Tiko
Designer: Kristjan Mändmaa
Language editor: Hille Saluäär