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Soodevahe is a site specific project in a Soodevahe village next to Tallinn Airport landing strip. The project consts of series of architectural and cultural interventions.

Soodevahe is a district next to Tallinn Airport landing strip. It’s an area filled with contrasts and contradictions. In the 80s this plot of land was given to factory workers for gardening purposes. People got the land to grow only one-year old plants and no permanent construction was allowed. During the years people needed a place to store tools and started constructing small huts. This lead to little bigger huts and later full-blown dachas. Already during Soviet times this was already a bit illegal and by the collapse of USSR it became a no-man’s-land. The rules that were made in the city center didn’t apply in Soodevahe. The integration process of Soodevahe from socialistic regime to capitalism is one of the key points in the Soodevahe project. This process was delayed compared to other parts of the country and was visible even 20 years later. People of Soodevahe got the harsh messages in 90s when the original pre-occupation land-owners started burning the houses. It went on by looters and also with airport tearing down the houses.

Airport’s main argument for this activity was aesthetic. This slum shouldn’t be the business card for visitors of Tallinn, they said. It does looks like a jungle and it’s difficult to become over the fears to enter. In 2009 I went over the barrier of entering this chaos structure and found vibrant scene of people, architecture and culture. As most of the plots were illegal anyways, nobody cared about rules also in other areas. The architecture was self-made, built from scrap material and with creativity that was pushed to maximum. The people who looked at you suspiciously got friendlier each time you saw them. The paranoia was understandable – because of all the looters hanging around.

The location for my first Soodevahe object was chosen by the position of the wall. The wall between Soodevahe and the airport was strong symbol to the convergence process which Soodevahe was in and also drew a concrete line between them. The airport – being a shiny, extremely regulated, high-end capitalistic system contrasted to the chaos of Soodevahe.

My project in Soodevahe started with one dacha turned into a airport monitoring center. The name “Linnujaam” is a wordplay that means bird watching station (Lennujaam means airport). As I became kind of local there, I understood that You can’t do a project there alone. Besides all my friends that helped to rebuild the dacha there was strong input also from the district itself. As most of the Soodevahe houses, Linnujaam was also abandoned during the winter. In the beginning of the spring I could witness a new aesthetics of the house. The outer layer of the dacha was stolen and the house looked completely different. The dacha was originally build by airport worker who used soviet airport advertising materials to create the inner walls. All this became visible and completely changed how the house looked. These panels are also featured in this exhibition.

The “Linnujaam” project ignited other’s peoples imagination as well and there was need for more. Public space installation festival LIFT11 proposed to get involved with a project in the area. During summer of 2011 there were many new institutions created and Soodevahe got city-like logic as maps, booklets and navigation system. For me it took some years of thought to enter the chaos of Soodevahe, but this city-like logic made the barrier lower for other people to become Soodevahe tourists. The summer was definitely different than all the others. There were people walking around and some events were happening. There was a contest for the wildest garden and a festival with award ceremony and live bands. The festival happened at the same time as airport officials put up destruction notices.

In the autumn 2011, the airport started destruction process in the part of the district where my project houses were built. This also ended my project on location. The exhibition “Soodevahe Museum” was created to remember the village and this process.

⌘ Exhibitions

2014 / Survival kit 6 / Riga, Latvia
2013 / KUMU / Tallinn, Estonia
2012 / Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia / Tallinn, Estonia
2011 / public space / Tallinn, Estonia
2010 / City Gallery / Tallinn, Estonia

❖ Collections

2013 / KUMU Art Museum / Tallinn, Estonia

LIFT11 Urban Installation Festival
Trailer of the film “Not my land”

☺ Credits

Concept, design, construction: Timo Toots
Design: Pent Talvet
Construction: Kaarel Narro

Soodevahe Museum exhibition team: Marika Agu, Kaarel Narro, Pent Talvet, Tanel Külaots, Risto Roosaar, Hanna Tiidus, Erki Männiste, Risto Kalmre, Neeme Külm, Jaanus Kalde, Anastasja Sevtsenko.

⍟ Funding

LIFT11 Urban Installations Festival
Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Map of the project
Map of the project
Brand identity for Linnujaam plane watching tower.
Brand identity for Linnujaam plane watching tower.
First visit to Soodevahe and discovery of the dacha.
First visit to Soodevahe and discovery of the dacha.
Making of the logo. Name is a wordplay as "Linnujaam" means bird station, "Lennujaam" means airport.
Making of the logo. Name is a wordplay as "Linnujaam" means bird station, "Lennujaam" means airport.
Installing the logo.
Installing the logo.
Linnujaam is ready.
Linnujaam is ready.
Inside of the house
Inside of the house
Friends cleaning up the place.
Friends cleaning up the place.
Plane-watching in action.
Plane-watching in action.
Linnujaam festival 2009. In god we trust, others we monitor.
Linnujaam festival 2009. In god we trust, others we monitor.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
Linnujaam festival 2009.
During the winter of 2009 the outer layer of the house was stolen.
During the winter of 2009 the outer layer of the house was stolen.
The builing material of the house was airport propaganda billboards from 1977.
The builing material of the house was airport propaganda billboards from 1977.
New design of Linnujaam added angular side panels.
New design of Linnujaam added angular side panels.
Old and new materials together.
Old and new materials together.
Linnujaam 2010 is ready.
Linnujaam 2010 is ready.
Interface for plane tracking in Linnujaam, shows flight schedules and view from terminal webcam.
Interface for plane tracking in Linnujaam, shows flight schedules and view from terminal webcam.
Linnujaam from above.
Linnujaam from above.
After Soodevahe project the house was dismanteled.
After Soodevahe project the house was dismanteled.
Empty frames.
Empty frames.
The collection of panels were reconstructed later for exhibition.
The collection of panels were reconstructed later for exhibition.
Linnujaam in 2012.
Linnujaam in 2012.
Brand identiy for Soodevahe Village. "Through the flowerbeds to the sky"
Brand identiy for Soodevahe Village. "Through the flowerbeds to the sky"
The entrance to the village was the bus terminal.
The entrance to the village was the bus terminal.
Signs showing the way to the objects.
Signs showing the way to the objects.
Installing the signs.
Installing the signs.
Identity for Soodevahe Museum SoMu
Identity for Soodevahe Museum SoMu
The abandoned pile of trash was the starting point for all buildings.
The abandoned pile of trash was the starting point for all buildings.
Heavy cleaning with Kaarel.
Heavy cleaning with Kaarel.
Visions of the artist.
Visions of the artist.
The fantasy is becoming reality.
The fantasy is becoming reality.
Finished museum with visitors.
Finished museum with visitors.
Exhibition consisted of the history and the future of the village.  Connected art projectes were presented as well.
Exhibition consisted of the history and the future of the village. Connected art projectes were presented as well.
Soodevahe Festival party 2011.
Soodevahe Festival party 2011.
Soodevahe Festival party 2011.
Soodevahe Festival party 2011.
Paul Cole & The Great Outdoors
Paul Cole & The Great Outdoors
The museum after eviction in 2012.
The museum after eviction in 2012.
It's a pile of trash again. 2012.
It's a pile of trash again. 2012.
DIY Hotel Baldahhiin
DIY Hotel Baldahhiin
Brand identity of the village bar.
Brand identity of the village bar.
Visions of the artist.
Visions of the artist.
The process.
The process.
Soodevahe Festival 2011. Party is starting.
Soodevahe Festival 2011. Party is starting.
In the morning.
In the morning.
Brand identity of the Cotton Theatre.
Brand identity of the Cotton Theatre.
The theatre.
The theatre.
The house was found full of cotton, hence the name.
The house was found full of cotton, hence the name.
Opening performance in the Cotton Theatre
Opening performance in the Cotton Theatre
Competition for locals. Featuring cash prizes!
Competition for locals. Featuring cash prizes!
First place.
First place.
First place.
First place.
Second place.
Second place.
Second place.
Second place.
Third place.
Third place.
Third place.
Third place.
Award ceremony during Soodevahe Festival 2011.
Award ceremony during Soodevahe Festival 2011.
The competing neighbors.
The competing neighbors.
Bus tour from the city got stuck in the muddy roads.
Bus tour from the city got stuck in the muddy roads.
The Soodevahe Museum exhibition in 2013. The exhibition was bought by KUMU Art Museum. Now it's finished.
The Soodevahe Museum exhibition in 2013. The exhibition was bought by KUMU Art Museum. Now it's finished.
2013 / KUMU / Tallinn, Estonia
2013 / KUMU / Tallinn, Estonia