22 III 1984

nad Fosą Gallery, Wrocław

Description of the manifestation:

Gallery interior. A table stands against the wall in the center, with bread and cups of paint placed on it. The audience sits on the floor in a circle, some standing and leaning against the walls. The center of the room is lit and empty.

Action: The artist enters naked, holding several copies of the weekly Tu i Teraz (Here and Now). He scatters the magazines in the middle of the room and tramples on them. He pauses for a moment and, with black paint, paints the date 1939 on the back of his body, on his hip and partly on his thigh – managing it with difficulty. He then hands over the paint and brush, and asks members of the audience to paint on his back dates of their choice, representing successive decades: the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. The dates written are: 1943, 1950, 1968, 1979. The artist cannot see the dates that’s been painted. While the dates are being painted, the lights in the entire building go out. The action continues nonetheless, first illuminated by a lighter, then by a candle. When the dates are finished, the artist gathers and crumples the trampled copies of Tu i Teraz and sets them on fire in the middle of the gallery. The flames illuminate the darkness; the electricity is not yet back on. By the glow of the fire, the artist paints the word FRONT on the front of his body. He approaches the table – at that moment, the lights come back on – and breaks the bread into pieces. At the same time, he paints a red-and-white V sign beneath the word FRONT. He then addresses the audience and apologizes for the absence of wine, which was meant to accompany the painting of the red part of the V sign. He invites the audience to munch on the bread and engage in discussion.

Photo by Jerzy Tomasz Młyński