8 XII 1976

Mead Cellar, Culture Centre in Lublin

Manifestation description:

The interior of the normally functioning Mead Cellar in the Lublin Culture Centre, located next to the Labyrinth Gallery. Three reserved tables, standing in the center of the room, are covered with white tablecloths. The first one bears the inscription ALTAR OF VEGETATION and has several kilograms of apples resting on it. They form a large pile. On the second one there is the inscription ALTAR OF AGREEMENT and a bottle of cognac and glasses. The third table is empty. It bears the inscription ALTAR OF HOPE. Action. Alongside the regulars of Miodosytnia appear the guests invited to experience the manifestation. The artist, who has been sitting at one of the tables until now, stands up, strips naked, walks over to the buffet and asks for a knife. He returns with the knife, sits down at the table with apples and starts cutting them. He scoops out the seeds onto the tablecloth, carves out a core and treats those gathered with apple pieces. At one point, one of the people present there, a young man, also strips naked. He approaches the artist and declares that he would like to join him in the action. The surprised artist agrees on the condition that the intruder asks for a buffet knife, sits down next to him and helps cutting the apples and treating the audience. This happens and the action continues as planned. After slicing the apples and treating the guests at the Mead Cellar, the artist gets up, walks over to the chair on which his clothes are and begins to get dressed. The unexpected participant also leaves and gets dressed. The artist puts on only pants and shoes. He then walks over to the  table with a sign that reads ALTAR OF AGREEMENT. He alternately paints red crosses or “Xs” on his naked torso and arms and pours cognac into glasses. After a while all the glasses are filled in and his naked torso is covered with red crosses. The artist puts the empty bottle on the third table with the inscription ALTAR OF HOPE. From the first table he brings apple seeds on a napkin and puts them into the bottle. On the napkin he writes with a borrowed pen the title of the manifestation, the date and puts his signature. He presses the crumpled napkin into the bottle. He closes it with the cap and invites those gathered to drink cognac poured into the glasses.

Photo by Zygmunt Rytka