Ancestral Echoes: Gary Markle’s Art Finds Inspiration in Estonian Traditions

Canadian artist, researcher, and educator Gary Markle’s “Koda-phi” has been selected from over a hundred submissions originating from the “Magic Carpets” residencies, designed to foster emerging artists. The artwork will be showcased at the “Superorganism” exhibition at Tartu’s “Aparaaditehas”, forming a part of the Tartu 2024 program.

Markle, who divides his time between Tallinn and Helsinki, utilizes the distinctive lens of expanded fashion to examine narratives of belonging within a world that encompasses more than just humanity. His work delves into the profound connection between embodied knowledge, ancestral ties, and contemporary communities.

This interview explores the inspirations and concepts that shaped Markle’s creation during his residency in Tartu, offering insights into the significant influence of the smoke sauna experience and the cultural depth of Southern Estonia on his artistic path.

What was the starting point for you / main inspiration when developing your artistic work during the residency?

My inspiration came from social interweaving with my co-residents, Laura Põld and Anica Huck, and the project curator, Ann Mirjam Vaikla’s energies and personalities. The space of a smoke sauna is, by nature, intimate and demands facing one’s comfort and discomfort with this situation. Inspiration also came from the beautiful region the residency is situated in and, importantly, the bridging of sessions as late autumn turned into early winter. Maajaam (a farm for art and tech) hosted our residency, and a smoke sauna was on site. A group trip to the neighboring farm, Ponimaa, was pivotal in my decision to (re)investigate felt after 35 years. We were introduced to alpacas, sheep, ponies and horses. Laura and I bought several kilos of fleece—super raw fleece full of organic matter, including sheep dung. Back at our studio space I tried to remember how to make felt. The resulting felted objects were wild-looking and smelled of the barnyard.

What did you learn from the smoke sauna experience, and from the people from South of Estonia who do smoke sauna as a frequent ritual?
The truth is, I’m still learning from the smoke sauna experience. It’s not alone-time event but an ongoing journey. This liminal-trance-inducing process, with its transformative power, keeps me engaged and interested in knowing more about my relationship to embodied knowledge in connection to my ancestors and present-day communities of being. We were introduced to the ritual of the smoke sauna by Eda Verroja at Mooska Farm. Eda is a true ambassador of the smoke sauna ritual. Her dedication to preserving this ancient cultural practice has been instrumental in its recognition by UNESCO and inclusion on the World Cultural Heritage list. With Eda as our guide, we undertook a series of meditative exercises that sensitized us to the mysteries of the smoke sauna. We stayed overnight, lying under the smoke in the unheated sauna. The next day, we spent rounds of hot saunas and cold dips in the icy pond, coating ourselves with ash and honey. This ongoing learning process opened our minds and spirits to other world(ing) possibilities of cleansing rituals.

Please describe your work (title, concept, etc.) exhibited/performed at the Superorganism?“Koda-phi” (working title) is a trio of interconnecting huts referencing the traditional Estonian Koda that inhabit a large courtyard at the Aparaaditehas Creative City in Tartu, Estonia. A Koda is an ancient structure made from wooden poles that closely resembles the teepee of Indigenous North Americans. They are distinctive structures found in many Estonian farmyards––conspicuous structures that challenge the rectilinear typology of traditional Estonian farmstead buildings. They are maintained as a tribute to the old ways, a connection to ancestors and cultural heritage. The Koda-phi huts are made from basket-like wooden armatures skinned with a unique combination of wool felt and brutal plastic knitting and craft processes I have been exploring over the last decade. This structure is further complicated by conflating it with the concept of an oversized soft-shouldered felted shepherd’s cape, resulting in a set of objects that hover in scale somewhere between a building and a garment, alluding to a second skin—a sort of smoke sauna as a hybrid creature-thing for dreaming within.