Kliima Characters

So we have been here now 5 days or so participating in Mike Hentz's Kliima project (Kliima means "atmosphere, climate" in Estonian. A 5 day intensive "laboratory" workshop with 10 attendees (from Estonia, Poland, US, Berlin). Mike, having done this for a 48 hour period at Moks last year (and many other times throughout the world) developed various exercises and actions for this odd motley of characters. Other actions came out of our own group dynamic and chancy-chance: spinning plates, painting walls, late night gypsy dance party, face-mask making, massages, fishing, harmonica story telling jams in the white bog, picnicking at the top of the white bog tower, skinny dipping (not me!) in the cold Lake Peipsi, internet performances for kids in Frankfurt, dancing to the sound of our amplified heartbeats (thanks Kaisa!), sound jams in MoKS' hayfilled barn, politeness dinner with distinguished guests, and on and on. An odd mixture of Sesame Street, Woodstock, Viennese Aktionism, and the Breakfast club. Mike's basic intention has been to create a closed space of freedom in which the participants can breakdown personal insecurities and cultural inhibitions to a collectively creative effect (which is heavily documented)...

In a nutshell: completely overwhelming, fun, boring, frustrating, exciting, maddening, wonderful, stupid, hilarious. I've gone through intense moments of broodiness and withdrawl and Emma, as always, makes the positive most of every situation. It's been a challenge for us both, but we've met some wonderful people, explored the area, learned how to catch, gut, and cook fish, and have begun to imagine how our project might take shape here.

It's been us, Mike, Evelyn and John who run MoKs, and these characters:

Grigori, an older estonian artist from Tartu, speaks relentlessly about motion pictures, tai chi, 60's rock bands and Sun Ra, chicken shit, and announces endless puns and non-sequiturs (either verbally, by post-it notes, or by unsolicited murals). He drives everyone crazy and is also the one dependable source of pure entertainment and laughter-joys. We will miss him dearly!


Fabrique is a sound artist/curator from Tallinn, well dressed, allergic, intelligent, and funny. He's making electronic bikes and dance music and is exploring electronic cigarettes. Fabrique = Glam-Zen.


Kaisa, an art curator in Tartu, is beautiful, quiet but opinionated, expressing interests in face-slapping and fire breathing. When asked what 3 items she would take alone to an abandoned island, she said she would commit suicide.


Leene is a semiologist from Tartu, she is highly energetic and helpful at solving most of your problems; she refuses to speak about Estonian witchcraft and was insightfully critical of the Kliima experience. Cooking with Leene has been a highlight.


Kryzstof is a curator/art theorist from Poland; he's a quiet clear thinker and with enough vodka he can really dance.