Tallinn Bearty gave me motivation.
Said Luke Darko, a Paris-based very talented visual artist, in his recent interview to Tallinn Bearty. He joined Tallinn Bearty in April 2016 to have his world premiere of La Mascarade project here. Most of you would know him by his Bear-Rupture and the projects he creates: La Mascarade, Project 43, Beauty and Beast, plus several others.
TB: What is #bearculture? How did you start Bear Rupture, tell us briefly?
I started Bear Rupture as a reaction, a rebellion. I was fed up to see porn-like and über-sexy representation of big men shot or designed by artists who wanted to present them. I couldn’t bear anymore that gays were way too often depicted only slim, smooth, young and with perfect bodies. I decided I could do something for my friends and for my community: show them a representation I had of beauty, stripped of stereotypes, sublimating all the characteristics such as hair, fat, wrinkles, etc… Beauty is anywhere. If your eyes get used to see it, and get educated in such ways - we can all appreciate it.
TB: What did you think when you got TB’s invitation for a show in Tallinn and what made you decide you should come and present your works?
It was a great honor for me ‘cause I didn’t know Tallinn or Estonia, nor the bear community of the area. When they asked, I was really excited. I was finishing wokring on my latest exhibition and I decided I could present it for the first time there. La Mascarade (name of the project) was really interesting because it’s theme was about all the ways we find to hide ourselves every day from the others and sometimes from ourselves.
TB:. Describe your most extraordinary or unexpected experience about TB?
It has to be meeting at the rainbow house (OMA Keskus, LGBTQ information center) and exchanges of ideas with all the volunteers and teams. That was very intense. Talking with them of their work and their experience, confronting our visions, our difficulties. Meeting eastern transgender people. I’ve got a great admiration for their strength, even moreso in their own countries. Also, I discovered a (Estonia to be) very open country! Same for the workgroups. It was so interesting talking with guys from so many countries, sharing our visions, sometimes so different from a part to another of the table. Incredible afternoon! it was a huge privilege to be part of this session.
TB: What impact did TB have on your future, where do you stand today?
It gave me motivation for my next fights. Energy for convincing people I meet. I am still working very hard on another one of my new series, working on 2 different techniques for the next months: one is mixing paintings and photography, and the second one would be about cuttings pictures, collages, but also enhancement of my a rt by creating new shapes of framings… it’ll be a surprise. Tallinn Bearty is a full of great moments, and I can’t wait going there again! Love you!!!
Tallinn Bearty (TB) has set its course on bringing fresh breeze every time we organize or promote something. Every year sees us put focus on one top arts category: visual arts, music or cinematography. Our aim is to power bear brotherhood in a way that will advance equal rights for everyone, in or out of our own community.