23 V 1983

Krzysztofory Gallery, Kraków

Description of the manifestation:

Gallery interior. In the center of a large room lies an issue of the weekly Polityka. Against the wall stands a table with a bottle of vodka and vodka glasses. Chairs for the audience are arranged around the space.

Action: The artist enters naked. He approaches the weekly magazine Polityka (Politics) lying on the floor and falls to his knees before it. He then paints the letter S on the concrete floor with green paint, directly in front of the magazine. He stands up and, a little farther on, falls to his knees again. In front of the magazine, he paints the letter Z. He circles Polityka and repeats this sequence several times. A green inscription, the word SZTUKA (ART) appears around the newspaper, the letters arranged in a radial pattern, legible from the outside. The artist then vigorously crumples Polityka and sets it on fire. He stands up, walks to the table, alternately pours vodka into the glasses, and paints a green V on his bare chest. He distributes the filled glasses to the audience and raises a toast to the victory of art over politics. Meanwhile, where Polityka had been, a pile of black ash now remains on the floor. Around it, the decorative inscription SZTUKA (ART) continues to dry up.

Black and white photographs: Jacek Szmuc