5 XII 1984

Lublin cultural center, Lublin

the action was performed as part of a meeting and exhibition Intellectual trend in Polish art after World War II. Polish performances

Maria Pinińska-Bereś:

Martial law was not only a political and social shock, but also a catastrophe for art. I suddenly thought of my pink, erotic art as unacceptable. In 1984, I did a black piece called Just a Broom. Clad in black, I enter a dense crowd of viewers, carrying a broom-as-flag. The broom handle ends with a small grey flag (of natural grey cloth). I start to systematically sweep the floor, which means shoving the spectators aside, sweeping around legs, folding chairs to reach all the nooks and crannies. As I sweep, the flag flutters overhead. Finally, I hang the broom-as-flag on the central wall. A black caption can now be made out: “Tylko miotła” [Just a broom].