Sidney Lepp ^{Emerging artist}

Artist's country of origin: Estonia

“In my artwork I am mostly interacting with public space and objects or materials that are/ could be part of the public space, more directly I am using public space as medium. I’m documenting these interactions with shops, bridges, stairways, beaches or parking spaces usually via photo or video, finding a way to deliver ideas about socio-political problems. It is in my interests because the definition of public space/private space is shifting during these days and with a second, any private space could turn into public space or vice-versa. How could we see space differently when reading different content out of it. I would describe my methods with a quote “We are born with a marvellous mammalian brain which instantly reads out these many different codes and produces a sense of the work in which all these factors are represented. Content is a complex and demanding event.”- (“Thirteen ways of looking at a Blackbird”- Thomas McEvilley.) Usually I am working with readymade objects or symbolic elements to activate the space for the viewers or participants. I am interested in bringing precariousness as it makes sense in public space to emphasize on the changes and transformation. I have been reexamining some problems and issues raised by other artists like David Hammons, Sofia Hulten or Joseph Beuys because I think we need to understand how the situations they were directing could be relative today. Specially in the recent events activated by the Covid-19. Big importance in my projects is on architecture and design. On many occasions I have accompanied my work with presentations or posters that are supporting the concept in the gallery or other exhibition space. I have presented my work as events and used quests and locations as mediums to deliver on the problems of space and freedom. Non-places is often in my mind when I am working with a space. Making interactions in the places where people don’t come to spend time but are kinda forced to pass trough is a way to give opportunity to see space differently and change its default use. It is an interesting example from soviet time when all space used to be public as in Socialism was applied and now we are really shrinking on public space. Almost all of Tallinn city(Estonia capital) is private property or institution owned. Most formerly known parks and squares are blending weirdly with commercials and becoming capitalist playgrounds. Transformation like this has a deep and significant impact on equity, democracy and rights. This in comparison with another city is what makes me do my research and give me an approach to new ways of developing my practice concerning freedom of expression.”