Ethnofuturism

Ethnofuturism is an artistic and philosophic movement originating in Estonia; the term was coined by the Estonian poet Karl Martin Sinijärv. Its roots lie in the Singing Revolution of the late 1980s, when Baltic nationalists sought a shared cultural platform. In its initial phase (1989-1994) ethnofuturism was an avant-garde current marked by parody, absurdity and provocative statements; with the First Ethnofuturist Manifesto of 1994 the emphasis shifted toward ethnic content - folklore, borealism and the heritage of the Finno-Ugric peoples. The idea has since spread across minority cultures of the Russian interior, and the term has at times been claimed by political movements; here it stands as a cultural aesthetic of tradition fused with futurist form.

Defining characteristics

• Parody, absurdity and provocation used as artistic method in its first phase
• Folklore motifs, boreal (northern) imagery and Finno-Ugric ornament
• Ethnic tradition fused with futurist and modernist form
• Manifesto-driven practice with deliberate myth-making about identity
• Poster-like graphic boldness, symbols and invented emblems

Key figures

• Karl Martin Sinijärv — Estonian poet who coined the term 'ethnofuturism'

Example works

• First Ethnofuturist Manifesto (1994)

Sources

• Ethnofuturism - Wikipedia encyclopedia

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