Papers by Magus Tamm
Kunstiteaduslikke uurimusi / Studies of Art and Architecture, 2024
The article discusses the politics of contemporary street art. The analysis
builds on the charact... more The article discusses the politics of contemporary street art. The analysis
builds on the characteristic contradiction in the core of street art: it is both illegal and popular. It can be considered both vandalism and institutionally celebrated art. In the popular media, the legitimacy of street art is often reduced to the question: ‘Is it art?’ I argue that such a question is of secondary importance and limits the discussion. To delve deeper into
the public stance of street art, I offer the theoretical framework of deliberative democracy, supplemented by the legal philosopher Daniel Markovits’s notion of democratic disobedience and the social historian Eric Hobsbawm’s concept of social banditry. For more precise
analysis, I distinguish between street art and graffiti. By graffiti I refer to the subculturally coded visual practice that emerged from the 1970s hip-hop scene; by street art, I am referring to unsanctioned public art that emerged a couple of decades later and is characterised by wider popular appeal, accessible visual language and inclusive humour.
Acta Semiotica Estica, 2011
Normal Noughts. Perspectives on Estonian Art of the 2000s, 2020
The article aims to give an introductory view of the development of tactical media practices and ... more The article aims to give an introductory view of the development of tactical media practices and specifically tactical media actions that took place in Estonia in 2000–2010, devoting separate treatment to particularities stemming from the local context: points where phenomenon lagged or was interrupted compared to the rest of the world, as well as the commonalities.
KUNST.EE, 2021
One of the most important consequences of the pandemic and the accompanying quarantine and mitiga... more One of the most important consequences of the pandemic and the accompanying quarantine and mitigation measures is likely to be investing in memes making its way to the masses and the mainstream. The best-known examples are the ironic investment in Gamestop and Dogecoin, and to at least some extent, the NFT trading boom. Given the sums that have circulated so far – perhaps best exemplified by, for example, US digital artist Mike Winkelmann, alias Beeple – it is clear that art fairs are already looking for ways to integrate NFTs, but for this NFTs must first be integrated with art history. This is not that easy because digital NFT art has emerged as if by itself and from scratch, outside the traditional art world and its institutions.
Essay discusses the problematics of designing a museum exhibition.
Contemporary interventionist public art is not a monumental memory-landscape, nor a self-fulfilli... more Contemporary interventionist public art is not a monumental memory-landscape, nor a self-fulfilling non-site, but it participates in the production of space, as its conceptualization takes place through the community. In the current paper I will explore the role of location in the debate surrounding artistic intervention. Michel de Certeau's concept of tactics will be used as the theoretical framework for the analysis while expanding his ideas using spatial theories from Henri Lefebvre and Juri Lotman. Through case studies and theoretical discussion, I am going to propose three theses describing the combined effect of interventionist public art and the place of intervention.
One of the central issues of the contemporary social and cultural geography is the differentiatio... more One of the central issues of the contemporary social and cultural geography is the differentiation between place and space, 1 whereby space is related to physical objects and prescribed meanings, planning and production, while place refers to interpretation, use and psychogeography. 2 The relationship between those two planes can be illustrated with an argument by French post-structuralist Michel de Certeau: 'Place is a practiced space. . . . in relation to space, place is like the word when it is spoken.' 3 Speaking of public space, we are therefore speaking of a communication environment where information is constantly sent and received. Such space should not be viewed as a territory divided evenly (for example, into square kilometres), but as an unevenly-spread semiosphere, determined not by the physical parameters of space but by the intensity of its use. As successful communication is predicated on the existence of an ordered sign system and grammar, then for instance, an urban space is much larger (more eloquent) as a place than a wilderness with a territory tens of times more extensive.
Talks by Magus Tamm
Maja, 2019
A short meditation about how the means of production have changed our relationship with things.
D... more A short meditation about how the means of production have changed our relationship with things.
Dedicated to newly-built fully automated rapeseed factory.
Critical insight into the practice of nation branding, dedicated to the recent attempts to desig... more Critical insight into the practice of nation branding, dedicated to the recent attempts to design a unified brand for Estonia.
Contemporary street art is often discussed in media as a phenomenon undistinguished from graffiti... more Contemporary street art is often discussed in media as a phenomenon undistinguished from graffiti. This oversimplification is rather misleading. Already in the 1980s, in connection to the mainstream success of the graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, concerns were raised about the need for a new category: post-graffiti. Typically, for the terms with such a prefix, there is a consensus that post-graffiti in principle differs from graffiti, but there is no consensus concerning the definition of the new category itself.
In following discussion, I propose the concept of social banditry to describe contemporary street art (aka post-graffiti).
The purpose of this short essay is to look for connections between things and images, and finally... more The purpose of this short essay is to look for connections between things and images, and finally, to answer the question of why have the selfies of people with virtual bunny ears become so popular.
A speculative meditation about contemporary Estonian art policy and La Biennale di Venezia.
Publi... more A speculative meditation about contemporary Estonian art policy and La Biennale di Venezia.
Published: exhibition catalog, Miķelis Fišers: WHAT CAN GO WRONG, the pavilion of the Republic of Latvia at the 57th international Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, 2017
Conference Presentations by Magus Tamm
KUNST.EE, 2022
From disruption to innovation: "protestivals" and design activism Margus Tamm looks at how commun... more From disruption to innovation: "protestivals" and design activism Margus Tamm looks at how community protests trigger innovation in living environment design. "The show is over. The audience get up to leave their seats. Time to collect their coats and go home. They turn around. No more coats and no more home." Василий Розанов, Апокалипсис нашего времени (The Apocalypse of our Time, 1917-1918) Every innovation creates disruption. Even if the benefits from change are great and clear, changing the status quo takes effort; some things need to be replaced, some skills relearned.
KUNST.EE, 2022
From disruption to innovation: "protestivals" and design activism Margus Tamm looks at how commun... more From disruption to innovation: "protestivals" and design activism Margus Tamm looks at how community protests trigger innovation in living environment design. "The show is over. The audience get up to leave their seats. Time to collect their coats and go home. They turn around. No more coats and no more home." Василий Розанов, Апокалипсис нашего времени (The Apocalypse of our Time, 1917-1918) Every innovation creates disruption. Even if the benefits from change are great and clear, changing the status quo takes effort; some things need to be replaced, some skills relearned.
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Papers by Magus Tamm
builds on the characteristic contradiction in the core of street art: it is both illegal and popular. It can be considered both vandalism and institutionally celebrated art. In the popular media, the legitimacy of street art is often reduced to the question: ‘Is it art?’ I argue that such a question is of secondary importance and limits the discussion. To delve deeper into
the public stance of street art, I offer the theoretical framework of deliberative democracy, supplemented by the legal philosopher Daniel Markovits’s notion of democratic disobedience and the social historian Eric Hobsbawm’s concept of social banditry. For more precise
analysis, I distinguish between street art and graffiti. By graffiti I refer to the subculturally coded visual practice that emerged from the 1970s hip-hop scene; by street art, I am referring to unsanctioned public art that emerged a couple of decades later and is characterised by wider popular appeal, accessible visual language and inclusive humour.
Talks by Magus Tamm
Dedicated to newly-built fully automated rapeseed factory.
In following discussion, I propose the concept of social banditry to describe contemporary street art (aka post-graffiti).
Published: exhibition catalog, Miķelis Fišers: WHAT CAN GO WRONG, the pavilion of the Republic of Latvia at the 57th international Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, 2017
Conference Presentations by Magus Tamm
builds on the characteristic contradiction in the core of street art: it is both illegal and popular. It can be considered both vandalism and institutionally celebrated art. In the popular media, the legitimacy of street art is often reduced to the question: ‘Is it art?’ I argue that such a question is of secondary importance and limits the discussion. To delve deeper into
the public stance of street art, I offer the theoretical framework of deliberative democracy, supplemented by the legal philosopher Daniel Markovits’s notion of democratic disobedience and the social historian Eric Hobsbawm’s concept of social banditry. For more precise
analysis, I distinguish between street art and graffiti. By graffiti I refer to the subculturally coded visual practice that emerged from the 1970s hip-hop scene; by street art, I am referring to unsanctioned public art that emerged a couple of decades later and is characterised by wider popular appeal, accessible visual language and inclusive humour.
Dedicated to newly-built fully automated rapeseed factory.
In following discussion, I propose the concept of social banditry to describe contemporary street art (aka post-graffiti).
Published: exhibition catalog, Miķelis Fišers: WHAT CAN GO WRONG, the pavilion of the Republic of Latvia at the 57th international Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, 2017