Hildegard Reimann ⎜Venice (Estonia)

Bio

Hildegard is a cultural researcher and artist from Tartu who likes to find playful approaches to daily life and work. She is interested in people’s relationships with nature and other species, how nature and culture intertwine in cities. She observes, draws, cuts, glues, chats and likes to get her hands dirty in the process. She has curated exhibitions about urban nature, facilitated creative nature tours and collage workshops.

Photo by Dawa Yangchen.

Project

The Narva Venice Embassy is surrounded by various water bodies full of vibrant and diverse life. Staying in Narva Venice made it possible to befriend big and small, silent and loud creatures of Kulgu. The life of the local human community is also closely interwoven with nature. Flourishing environment inspired me to organize a Kulgu waterlife carnival, which would invite participants to dress up, play and celebrate. I organized a mask making workshop. Finished masks are inspired by Kulgu wildlife, portraying fantasy creatures as well as familiar local species. The residency concluded with a nature tour on the streets of Kulgu. The masks became tools that allowed us to get a glimpse of other species’ perspective. We observed surroundings closely and from a distance, explored the underwater world and shared stories and knowledge. At the end of the walk, we tied colourful ribbons on to a bridge, each of them carrying a secret hope or wish for Narva nature.