The Decade of Great Myths: Developments in the Estonian Art Scene of the 1990s

Abstract

Estonian art life changed radically at the beginning of 1990s,especially with regards to organisational and financial systems. Inother words, the collapse of the Soviet cultural system was followedby strong shifts that brought with them changes, in both content andform, within the arts and the institutional mechanisms.This article maps out some of the most notable developmentaltendencies that began taking shape after the restoration ofindependence, for example the meaning of art and the role of culturaljournalism and art critique in the new reality. Even though the focusof the text is on Estonia, the changes that took place in the culturalsphere of the 1990s were not location-specific as similar trends existedmore or less in all former republics of the Soviet Union.