“There is something wonderful about moving through time and space and arriving in a completely unfamiliar country with the knowledge that you will somehow understand this place in some small way after 3 months. I arrived in Tartu after nearly 24 hours of layovers, flights, and a bus ride from Tallinn, and when I got here, I was told it was the first warm day of the year. I’d like to make associations of my arrival and the coming of spring, but I suppose it was a bit of luck. And it seems as though spring is now in full-swing: the earth is sprouting new blooms and sky shifts daily from blues to grays with bright bursts in-between.
Though I’ve only been here for a few weeks, my days and nights have been full: exploring the city, meeting many kind and welcoming people, searching for/experimenting with materials, brainstorming and trying to position my concepts and work here. My apartment looks out to St. John’s Cathedral, a massive gothic force that seems to have a presence all of its own, kind of like having a very intimidating roommate outside of your window, but in a good way. Not too far from my apartment and the city center is my studio at Kunstimaja, which is filled with light and high above the street and provides a quiet oasis to work in. All of my adjustments in Tartu have been easy; the residency program is very supportive while allowing you to carve out your own time and shape your own experience, which is a very good balance for me. I’m looking forward to the next few months here and having the time to explore new ideas and projects and do more research about the landscape of Estonia.”
