Prosthesis

• object, 2023

Wólka, a Lemko village located in south-eastern Poland, today exists only on paper. It lies on the northern slopes of Przymiarki mountain at an altitude of 626 metres, stretching along a stream called Morwawa, all the way to the Polish village of Klimkówka. To the northwest lies Iwonicz-Zdrój, and to the east Rymanów-Zdrój. The village used to consist of 34 khyzha – Lemko dwellings composed of the living quarters, storehouses, stables and barns, all under one roof.

Before 1945, Wólka was renowned as a vil- lage of sculptors. Its proximity to spa towns stimulated the development of art, especially sculpture, which was in high demand. In 1945, the Lemkos of Wólka were forced to relocate to what is now Ukraine. Former residents of the village and their descendants cultivate the sculptural traditions in and around the Ukrainian resort of Truskavets.

Jakubowicz made a copy of a sculpture originally created by one of the former residents of Wólka living in Ukraine. The wooden walkin stick was scanned and then printed in wood using a 3D milling technique. The mechanically printed copy of the Lemko sculpture is the eponymous “Prothesis”, a substitute for the erased cultural heritage.