Cradle+

The first presentation of this installation, as part of a larger project, took place on the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence. In a specially prepared cradle, the “independence bean,” a.k.a. “patriotic bean” or “bean with an eagle,” was planted. Probably originating from Sicily, in the 19th century it began to be cultivated in Eastern and Central Europe. A characteristic feature of this white bean is a red mark which in Polishspeaking areas was commonly identified with the image of the national emblem. Many stories, particularly from the farmer Russian partition, contain the motif of secret cultivation of this bean as an expression of patriotism and opposition to the occupier. lt was planted between beds of other plants in order to remain invisible, as it was believed that the variety was banned under threat of corporal punishment. The elevation of the bean, which was an ordinary crop in other countries, to one of the symbols of the Polish struggle for independence was a wishful over-interpretation of the patriotic attitude of the peasant community. The vast majority of peasants did not identify themselves with pro-Polish sentiments – a fact that became elear during the national uprisings. Having lived for generations under a system of slavery perpetuated by the nobility, they associated Polishness with the estates they had to maintain and the often cruel masters who routinely inflicted physical and psychological violence on them and took away al most everything they managed to grow.