Iveta Laure. Talking Lace, 2011

Six meters long ”lace graffiti” was executed on a summer course for young people taking place at Rauma Art school from 13th untill 16th of June. In this workshop Laure taught the participants to use the stencil technique, which mimics lace. For themselves the children printed t-shirts and bags. Laure has used both the technique and the lace in her previous art works on some streets in Latvia. Now she wanted to combine these two with the lace culture in Rauma and create a contemporary lace work, which expresses the thoughts of the young.

Work was made by Iveta Laure and Isabella Aadeli, Emma Hirsimäki, Veeti Kaitila, Jenna Lehtinen, Ossi Maaninka, Veera Maaninka, Henrietta Meriö, Iris Nordman, Helmi Salminen, Taimi Salminen, Noora Teerinkoski, Venla Uskali ja Eemeli Varinen

The theme of the workshop was “I love – I hate”. Participants created words or expressions reflecting their worries, ideas and feelings. This task showed an interesting paradox – different people love and hate the same things. Afterwards these words were painted on a canvas, which was installed in an underpass as a tribute to Rauma Lace Week.

The basis of this “graffiti” was in the right to express one’s feelings, but also in the provocative illegalness. Streets have been the stage of public art since the situationistic movement in the late 1950’s, but nowadays the public space, especially the streets, have been filled with different kinds of advertisements rather than art or opinions. Is the youth’s voice heard in the public space? Faitfull to the style of the graffiti worldwide, the Talking Lace -­work is in the underpass, in a place where it’s supposed to be in order to be seen.

Supported by Taikalamppu / Aladin's Lamp, Pori Centre for Children's Culture -­ Network of Children's Culture in Satakunta and Vä̈rirauma. In collaboration with Rauma Art School.