Pick a Place Wherever You Can…

From July 7 to October 19, 2014, the Estonian National Museum held a photo contest “My Place” with the goals of collecting photographs of the favourite places of people living in Estonia, or the places where they simply like to spend their time. Through the contest we also hoped to find out what activities were connected with those places, and the meanings people attribute to particular places in their surroundings.

There were 83 photos submitted to the contest. Some were reminders of places connected with childhood memories; others portrayed spots where one could tune out one’s surroundings as much as possible, and calmly think things over. Many photographs showed everyday places that perhaps one rarely pays any attention to, but those who participated in the contest remembered to capture them on camera. The photographs also give glimpses of Estonia’s diverse natural settings, where people take walks with their families, exercise, or recharge their inner batteries.

The photos selected for the exhibit received the greatest number of votes from visitors and the jury. The exhibit “Pick a Place Wherever You Can” is a participant project in the Estonian National Museum’s larger exhibit “Just So in the City.” We wanted to give people who do not interact with museums in their ordinary lives an opportunity to have a voice in the Museum’s activities and in creating an exhibit.

Exhibit team: Jaanika Janits, Arp Karm, Jane Liiv, Tiit Sibul, Arvi Tragel. Translations: Tiina Kirss.

Donations of awards: Tallink, MyFitness, Heath Paradise, N099 theatre, Krisostomus bookshop, World Film Festival, Emajõe Barge Society, and Megazone.