View source for GMU talk:Re-enchanting the field/Jennifer Schnurr

== Idea Paper – Re-enchanting the field ==


Group-Project: Jennifer Schnurr, Hannah Charlotte Krause

Breadcrumbs of Oil Shale Production

Key Points
Ghost towns, oil shale, decay, memory, disappearance, power, violence

Background Information
We aim to explore the "ghost towns" in northeastern Estonia, which are remnants of oil shale mining and, in a broader context, can be seen as symbols of the exploitation of nature and human labor. The largest occurrence of oil shale is located in this region, where extraction began as early as 1910 under Russian rule. After independence in 1921, extraction was systematically expanded. Due to the strong industrialization of Estonia during the Soviet era (1944 to 1991), extraction reached its peak in 1980, with Estonia accounting for 70% of global production, which was mainly used to generate electricity and gas (cf. Bauer & Tappe, 2018).

During the period of industrialization, much of the heavy industry workforce came from other parts of the Soviet Union — mostly migrants or deportees who extracted raw materials for the center, i.e. Russia. These Russian-speaking workers were seen as colonial settlers and enjoyed both prestige and prosperity due to their role as the top of the working class. Their migration was part of a colonial project of the Soviet Union that permanently changed local structures and identities. In retrospect, Soviet industrialization is seen as colonization (cf. Kesküla, 2018, p. 112-118).
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian-speaking workers lost their former social status. Many emigrated to their home countries or to Western Europe (cf. Kesküla, 2018, p. 112-118). Those who have remained are now experiencing social uncertainty and economic insecurity. 70,000 of these ex-Soviet citizens do not have a passport in Estonia. They are stateless and not integrated into Estonian society (cf. DW Deutsch, 2021).

Some towns that were previously hubs of oil shale mining are now largely abandoned. Nature is now reclaiming the area bit by bit. If you research these places online, you will come across reports from adventurous people from all over the world who are magically drawn to the enchanting decay and forgotten stories of these empty patches of earth (cf. Feichtner; cf. Hidden Tallinn, n. d.).

Description
Our project focuses on so-called “ghost towns” such as Viivikonna and Sompa, which were created in the course of oil shale mining and were unable to offer industrial workers and their families any long-term prospects. After the nearby mines dried up and at the latest after the end of the USSR, many of these places lost their meaning. With the abandonment and looting of the cities, devastated, remote villages emerged, which are now being reclaimed by nature (cf. Martinez, 2021).

We are wondering: What stories do places tell that were created solely for consumption - and what does their decay reveal about our lifestyle? We follow the cycle of construction, destruction and revitalization in the interplay between man and nature. What power relations do these places reflect? What traces of past times are still visible? Based on the examination of the past, we analyze the present: How is nature reclaiming these places? Why are we fascinated by these abandoned sites - and what emotions do they evoke? We will then venture a look into the future: what are the prospects for these places - and what are the arguments for or against their revitalization?

Our goal for the field trip is to create a comprehensive collection of materials that will serve as the basis for our creative work. The final project will include a book that combines photographs from the ghost towns, data visualizations (e.g. urban developments, infrastructure, landscape maps, movements of people, historical events and facts about oil shale mining) and abstract material analyses (e.g. structural studies of stones from the mining areas, plant imprints). Additional audio and video recordings are intended to provide a deeper insight into the locations.

Tools, Methods and Process 
In our project, we use documentary (photography, material collections) and auditory methods to record the “ghost towns” and their history and significance in the context of oil shale mining. By photographing overgrown ruins and traces of past and present life, we create a detailed collection of impressions. We also capture the colors, textures and structures of the materials of oil shale mining in analog form using paper, pencil and charcoal. We also record the sounds of the places with contact microphones, listen to them consciously and describe them in detail.

References
Photo books such as  Goethestraße 069  by Anton Rahlwes (2021) and  Most Touched by Barbara Glasner (2023) capture the essence of a place or everyday traces and invite viewers to make hidden stories and social structures visible through close observation.
https://form.de/products/most-touched

The visual recording of nature and the precise investigation of materialities, forms and structures are the focus of artist Oliver Thies work, whereby materials themselves are also used as drawing and documentation tools.
https://oliverthie.de/in-der-mineraliensammlung/

In some of his works, artist  Maximilian Prüfer deals with experimental data visualizations, combining natural processes and their transfer to the visual image.
https://maximilian-pruefer.com/work/i-snail-picture/

In her book Shades of Light, Margrethe Odgaard presents a curated collection of 276 colors inspired by Nordic light. Through a practical, sensual approach, this book highlights the delicate interplay of color and light, capturing the mood of a place.
https://channel.louisiana.dk/video/margrethe-odgaard-shades-of-light

Alicija Kwade plays experimentally with social constraints and restrictions that shape our perspectives and determine our truths and opinions. The artist often places stones in the foreground of her works.
https://alicjakwade.com/works/stella-stella#image-1

The project to slip, to slide, to glitch: Navigating Uneasy by Larisa Crunțeanu and Sonja Hornung (2024) uses various media to capture experiences and observations relating to post-mining landscapes in Europe and their ecological and social challenges and make them emotionally tangible.
https://insert.art/ausgaben/troubled-matter/to-slip-to-slide-to-glitch/

Sources
Bauer, E. & Tappe, J. (2018) Ölschiefer in Estland: Fossile Politik im Vorreiterland. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. https://www.kas.de/documents/252038/253252/7_dokument_dok_pdf_51934_1.pdf

DW Deutsch (2021) Estland 30 Jahre nach der Sowjetunion: das geteilte Land [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9U4-wj0mg0

Feichtner, C. (n. d.) Viivikonna: Exploring an alleged Ghost Town in Estonia.
https://nocamerabag.com/blog/viivikonna-ghost-town-estonia 

Hidden Tallinn (n. d.) Abandoned Estonia: 8 More Urbex Locations in Tallinn and beyond. https://hiddentallinn.com/abandoned-estonia/ 

Kesküla, E. (2018) Waste people/value producers: Ambiguity, indeterminacy, and postsocialist Russian-speaking miners. In C. Alexander & A. Sanchez (Ed.), Indeterminacy: Waste, Value, and the Imagination (pp. 112-133). New York, Oxford: Berghahn Books. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781789200102-007 

Martinez, F. (2021) What used to be (Viivikonna). https://emptiness.eu/field-reports/what-used-to-be-viivikonna/ 

All sources last accessed on April 28, 2025.