Sing With Me

interactive video installation, 2000
in the collection of KUMU Art Museum, Estonia

Estonia has a long tradition of song festivals (where approximately 30,000 + people sing together). The festivals are a matter of national pride. The period of breaking up from the Soviet Union saw many ‘singing together’ events giving rise to the name “Singing Revolution”. “Sing With Me!” is a critical and ironic reflection of Estonians’ nationalism, using the ‘holy’ Song Festival as its base. The work invites people to sing a well known traditional song “Kungla rahvas” to make the installation respond with its funny and ironic versions of the same song. The response depends on the pitch produced by the audience, who become a conductor of the Song Festival.