1 III 1968

Krzysztofory Gallery, Kraków

After the manifestation, the exhibition “Traces of the Prophecy II event”

Photo by Eustachy Kossakowski

Manifestation description:

The Krzysztofory Gallery interior. In the front part of the venue you can see a country cart in full swing. The only constituent missing is a horse. The cart is heavily loaded with firewood. It is crowned with a long pole. The selected branches tighten up a chain to protect the wood from falling out while the cart is in move. On the sides of the cart there are some bundles of saplings for kindling. On the gallery wall the inscription “CREATIVE ACT I” written on fabric is placed, meant to be read for a second time. (see cat. item 1/m/68/053). A jute sheet with the inscription “Prophecy II” is thrown on the unloaded cart.

The artist. His neck is wrapped in a white cloth held by the loop of a rope, the end of which drags along the ground. His hips are wrapped in a red fabric. There are two wooden covers under it carved from the inside so that they adhere to his body. In one hand he holds an axe, in the other a dozen or so copies of the weekly magazine “Culture.”

The action. The artist unfastens the chain that secures the load of the cart. He takes off the poles and branches and puts them against the gallery wall, then takes off the bundles of wood  hanging on the sides of the cart, one by one, unties them and using copies of “Culture” lights over a dozen of bonfires against the gallery wall. The audience spontaneously participates in these activities. During the action, the inscription “Creative Act I” is read continuously (at first by Zbigniew Warpechowski, then reading is taken over by Anka Ptaszkowska).

After the bonfires are started, the artist takes a pole standing against the wall, places it in the middle of the gallery and, supporting it vertically, asks the audience to unload the cart. The logs are to be placed under his feet, layer by layer, each successive layer across the previous one. The artist supervises this construction process, points out where the logs are to be placed, moves from one log to another. The firm pile in the shape of a cuboid lifts him up. When the cart is fully unloaded the artist is standing under the vault of the gallery in the fumes of smoke wafting through the venue.

He then asks the audience to paint the cart with blue paint prepared in advance for this purpose. The audience follows his request. Due to the lack of a sufficient number of brushes some people use their bare hands. The utilitarian cart gets transformed into an immobilized exhibit. At the same time, on a pile, the artist constructs a structure of a bow with a red and white string drawn for shooting. In order to do it he uses the branches that were leaning against the wall. Now they are being handed over to him: one straight (the arrow) and one slightly bent (the bow). He also uses the rope which he carried around his neck, white and red fabric he was covered with, the jute with the inscription “Prophecy II”. The backbone of the structure is the protruding end of a long pole, the lower part of which is stuck inside the pile ensuring its stability. Thanks to it, the hastily built pile, at times wobbling dangerously, did not fall apart. Standing on top of the pile, the artist ties the wooden hip covers to the poles with the ends of the rope and thus becomes an integral part of the work. “Living Monument” entitled “Prophecy II” is ready. “Creative Act I” ceases to be read. The artist asks for a torch to be taken from the burning bonfire and passed to him. Having blown out the flame, he signs the work on the front hip cover with the charred end and steps down from the pile. The hip covers remain there. They are now opened, allowing the audience to imagine his presence there thanks to the carved negatives of his body.