My Place on Earth

As Polish national symbols crystallised when the country was under partition, they were meant to create a sense of unity and readiness to fight the enemy. Since regaining independence until today, public space has been dominated by a language that maintains such a state of civic alertness. There are many who create a strong sense of threat to national autonomy, also on a mass scale, highlighting the figure of the eternal enemy. They often succeed because of a simplistic translation of current relations into old conflicts. I get the impression that this state of “being in check” today does not only ref er to the aspect of defence, but to every sphere of our lives. We have to be vigilant at every step: making soup for a child, opening a window in winter or answering an email, the artist admits. At the same time, there is a constant battle for our attention. Headlines scream, even when they have nothing to whisper about. lmages seduce or disgust, using unsophisticated forms. Sounds are cacophonous, lulling us into a trance. Smells intoxicate, while tastes forever whet the appetite. There are no messages – only exclamations. The work consists of painterly quotations from iconic cycles and patriotic paintings, such as: War and Polonia by Artur Grottger, Polonia 1863 by Jan Matejko, The Panorama of Racławice and Polonia by Jan Malczewski, as well as contemporary patriotic comics about Jan Hardy by Jakub Kijuc. The drawing also includes quotes from war-themed memes. The scenes have been arranged in such a way as to achieve a horror vacui type of composition, i.e. expressing “fear of free space.” The chaotic arrangement is counterpointed by a large ultramarine quadrangle.