20 X 1994

BWA Gallery, Lublin

at the opening of the exhibition 20 years of Labirynt Gallery

Description of the manifestation:

Over the course of two days, events related to the Labirynt Gallery’s anniversary are taking place: exhibitions are opening, lectures by art theorists are being held, and performances are taking place. According to the program, the artist’s manifestation is scheduled for the second day, concluding the event. The manifestation is titled Challenge II.

In the center of the largest BWA hall at 4 Narutowicza Street, where one of the exhibitions was presented, a large space was left for artist presentations and lectures. Chairs were arranged there as needed. Three tables stand in this space: the ones on the sides are pulled forward, the middle one is set slightly back. On the middle table stands a bottle of vodka and vodka glasses. On the first of the forward tables lies a strip of white canvas with the green inscription DZIEŁO (OPUS), next to it a mug of green paint and a brush. On the second table lies an identical strip of canvas with the black inscription ŚMIEĆ (TRASH), and beside it a mug of black paint and a brush.

Photo by Labirynth Gallery, Lublin

Photo by Labirynth Gallery, Lublin

Photo by Andrzej Polakowski

The artist stands between the forward tables, addresses the audience, and says that he originally intended to perform a manifestation titled Toast, given the anniversary nature of the event. Unfortunately, he says, he cannot be that cool. Considering the threat of total clutter looming over culture, art, and reality at the end of the 20th century, he believes that the title Challenge is the appropriate one for today’s manifestation. He adds that he realizes that addressing this topic may dampen the anniversary mood. The artist takes the mug of black paint from the table marked ŚMIEĆ (TRASH) and paints the letter A on the upper left side of his torso. He walks to the center table, opens the bottle, and fills several glasses with vodka. From the table marked DZIEŁO (OPUS) he takes the mug of green paint and paints the letter A on the lower right side of his torso. ​​

Photo by Labirynth Gallery, Lublin

Photo by Andrzej Polakowski

Photo by Andrzej Polakowski

Repeating these actions alternately, he continues his speech. He declares that he does not want to consider the threat of littering in the ordinary sense of the word, although the problem can be understood very broadly. There is a constant struggle for mutual littering between civilization and nature. Every product of civilization becomes trash in pristine nature, and vice versa – for example, mud in a living room. In this struggle, nature is rather at a disadvantage. Yesterday, after a night of frost, the leaves suddenly fell from the trees, creating great beauty. Streets and sidewalks of concrete and asphalt were covered with a colorful carpet. But sweepers quickly arrived with brooms and removed everything. The artist says that he is referring to a different kind of trash – trash that is not removed but instead sanctioned, protected, and therefore becomes extremely aggressive. One only needs to step into the street to be attacked immediately by blatant trash such as advertisements placed in the most prominent locations. Someone wants to sell toothpaste or cigarettes, bursting into our shared space with an aggressive scream. Alongside visual aggression, there is acoustic aggression: someone wants to profit from records or tapes and disturbs our peace almost everywhere with some hit (trash). This is unquestionably trash, because the creators themselves discard it and promote new trash in its place. Trash fades.
However, a norm is emerging in which the most prominent places – places where works of lasting value should be displayed – are occupied by trash. It constantly changes, but it persists. This norm is so strong that it begins to creep into museums, where we increasingly see collections of fetishes rather than valuable works. It could even lead to valuable works violating this norm and being discarded. Evidence of this threat lies in the confusion of art historians responsible for this state of affairs. Two recent exhibitions in Vienna showcasing fascist art, or kitsch, testify to this. A Museum of Socialist Realism – also kitsch – is being established in Kozłówka. Professor Krakowski, head of the Jagiellonian University’s Art Institute and a member of the Krakow Group, has recently published a book on fascist art. Yesterday, a lecture was delivered here praising constructivism. Meanwhile, the nightmarish housing estates surrounding us are the realization of these ideals. While speaking, the artist alternately paints black and green letters on his body and pours vodka into glasses. On the left side of his torso, the black inscription ALBO (OR)  appears, running from top to bottom. On the right side, the green inscription ALBO (OR) appears, running from bottom to top.

Photo by Labirynt Gallery

The vodka is poured into glasses, and the artist caps the empty bottle. Holding it in his hand, he approaches the vehicle standing nearby, takes hold of the shaft, and maneuvers it so that it stands between the tables, perpendicular to the line connecting them. Then he positions it vertically. The pole assumes a horizontal position, the banner unfolds, and a large white inscription appears: WALEC OSĄDU (THE ROLLER OF JUDGMENT). At this point, the artist vigorously smashes an empty bottle against a stone embedded in the now-vertical shaft of the vehicle. He concludes by stating that, in his view, further postponing judgment about what constitutes a valuable work and what constitutes trash has become impossible. He calls for a harsh judgment of his own work, with which he has so forcefully entered the intersubjective space of the audience gathered at the exhibition. The artist reaches for a glass and, to lighten the mood, invites everyone to drink an anniversary toast. As applause erupts instead, he places a green dot on his red-and-white-painted penis and leaves the room. The Roller of Judgment remains on display where it stood, filling the empty space in the center of the room. The glass from the broken bottle has been swept away, the tables removed, and the canvases with inscriptions arranged on the floor in such a way as to suggest that the roller’s passage separated the trash from the work.

Photo by Andrzej Polakowski