There and Back

A huge block of ice – the remains of an arctic winter amongst the lush green grass and trees – was an installation by Joanna Szumacher. The Styrofoam object, which looked like the tip of an iceberg, was crowned with a shop trolley in a surreal way. The artist intended it to float on the Oder, following a route that never changed, several dozen metres one way, and then back. Unfortunately, the dangerously elevated water level made it impossible to carry out the project as it had been planned. The organisers, with the artist’s approval, made a decision to present the object on a lawn near Xawery Dunikowski Boulevard. That way, the effect of an illusion was partially lost – viewing the sculpture from up close revealed its imperfections, but the message remained identical – it was a critical commentary about thoughtless consumerism and its consequences.

> Michał Bieniek

photo: Justyna Fedec