Last year, the Tartu City Museum opened its new permanent exhibition "Meie Tartu" ("Our Tartu"). From Supilinn to Tähtvere, Ülejõe to Karlova, the exhibition zooms in on each of the city's different districts, highlighting their unique stories and characters.

Now, in cooperation with the Institute of Meetings and Non-Meetings (Kohtumiste ja Mitte-Kohtumiste Instituut), the museum is set to unveil 17 new temporary monuments throughout Tartu, reflecting the kaleidoscopic nature of the city's different neighborhoods.

According to Oliver Issak of the Institute of Meetings and Non-Meetings, the "initial impulse" to install the monuments came from the Tartu City Museum, in an effort to "step outside the museum walls and come closer to the communities living across the city."

Sketchbook of ideas

"The museum had just opened their exhibition 'Our Tartu,' which brings together memory objects and meaningful places from different city districts," Issak tells ERR News. "They had spent nearly two years speaking with people from across the city to prepare for it, so we (at the institute – ed.) built on that groundwork quite a lot."

According to Issak, the institute had plenty of prior experience working with actions and installations in public space, notably at "The Embassy of Utopia" during Tartu's annual Prima Vista Literature Festival. "So, we already had a few ideas tucked away in the sketchbook," he says.

But before making any final decisions on what form the monuments would take, they made sure to "invite representatives from various districts to meet with us and discuss possible titles and directions. So, even though the monuments' names might look poetic on the surface, we actually did quite a bit of listening and research before settling on what they are now."

Different perspective

Isaak admits that when he first got involved in the project, he was surprised to learn that there are actually 18 official districts in Tartu.

"I grew up here, but I had never really paid attention to that," he says, adding that "of course, some areas have a stronger sense of identity than others."

Nevertheless, he points out, "every district has its own symbols, places or buildings that quietly carry meaning – like the train station and Aparaaditehas in Vaksali, the wooden sheds in Karlova, or the big hospital in Maarjamõisa."

It was these local landmarks and features that they used "as a starting point" when thinking about titles for the monuments, Isaak says. "But we also tried to approach them in a slightly humorous and poetic tone, to add a different perspective to the 'Our Tartu.' Exhibition."

 Monuments with a twist

When thinking about monuments in Tartu's urban space, there are a few usual suspects that tend to spring immediately to mind. However, as Isaak explains, these ones will be a little different.

"As we've said from the beginning, these monuments come with a bit of a twist. They're not traditional statues or solemn memorials," he says.

"Representing an entire city district in a single object is, of course, nearly impossible, so we decided to keep things a bit more conceptual and playful. Without giving too much away, I'll just say this: everyone who goes out and finds the monuments in the city will also have the chance to become a monument themselves – at least for a moment."

The aim, Isaak explains, is not to just commemorate events from hundreds of years ago that may have shaped the city's past, but to capture something about it now – the spirit of Tartu in 2025.

"We're not highlighting historical figures or distant heroes, but the people who live in this city today, or happen to pass through," he says. "It's about the present moment, what surrounds us right now."

Everyone matters

According to Isaak, the monuments are currently expected to remain in place until the end of June. However, he says, there is also a chance their presence in the city's urban space may be extended further.

"In any case, our plan is to eventually bring all the monuments together in one location, so that they remain accessible to everyone at least until the end of the Tartu City Museum's 'Our Tartu' exhibition," he explains.

"I hope the monuments bring a small smile to people's daily routines. Maybe even a bit of joy," Isaak says. "Perhaps too, the sense that everyone matters – that anyone, even for a second, can become part of something larger, can become a monument themselves."

And that something larger can often be found right on your own doorstep.

"There's been a lot of talk in recent years about community and the feeling of belonging, and I do believe it's something truly important – especially in today's fragile world. When you live in a city, your neighborhood – your district – is in many ways your most immediate community," he says.

"Or at least it could be: a place where you find support, connection, and a sense of being part of something."

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The 17 monuments will be officially unveiled on Saturday, May 31 at half-hour intervals throughout the afternoon and evening in each of the city's different districts. The first unveiling takes place at midday in Supilinn and the last is at 8 p.m. in Ülejõe.

More information about the event during which the monuments will be unveiled, including the full schedule, is available (in Estonian) here.

The monuments will remain on display in the city space until at least June 30, 2025.

More information abou the Tartu City Museum's exhibition "Our Tartu" can be found here.

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