#BWA Tarnów

[artinbrief]

Antygrawitacja

Obrazy Katarzyny Karpowicz na zbiorowej wystawie Antygrawitacja w BWA w Tarnowie to świetny pretekst do przyjrzenia się tematyce serii prac z basenami, próba interpretacji świata, w który ta sztuka nas zanurza. Puste baseny i smukłe pływaczki i pływacy. Niebo, ziemia, kosmos. Ciała pływaków zatrzymane w próżni. Bardziej to stan zawieszenia w locie, sen, lewitacja, niż fizyczne pływanie, chociaż…

[pomorska]

[centralnemuzeumsztukiwprzemyslu]

JADWIGA SAWICKA

Masz szczęście

Przypuśćmy że: jesteś artystką, masz duży talent i determinację, ale to nie wystarczy, jeszcze trzeba mieć trochę szczęścia. I ty je miałaś. Bo wprawdzie była wojna i byłaś w obozie koncentracyjnym, ale przeżyłaś i mogłaś studiować rzeźbę  (jak Alina); bo nie musiałaś palić swoich prac, żeby ogrzać mieszkanie (jak Katarzyna). Bo wyjechałaś z Polski wystarczająco wcześnie i nie zginęłaś w getcie lub w obozie, w Londynie tworzyłaś filmy eksperymentalne (jak Franciszka). Bo chociaż urodziłaś się za żelazną kurtyną, to twoim  rodzicom udało się wyjechać i ty mogłaś studiować malarstwo (jak Vija), i artyści-mężczyźni akceptowali cię i to co robisz, albo w tym kraju reżim pozwalał artystom na kontakty z zagranicą i ty  z tego skorzystałaś (jak Marina), albo reżim nie pozwalał na wyjazdy, ale tobie akurat udało się wyjechać na ważne biennale i pokazać tam prace (jak Magdalena).  Bo chociaż umarłaś o wiele za wcześnie, to jeszcze zdążyłaś tak dużo zrobić (jak Alina) i było to doceniane; twoja fizyczna atrakcyjność nie przesłoniła twojej sztuki, która zniknęła z pola widzenia razem z twoją przedwczesną śmiercią (jak Pauline). Bo chociaż zdradził cię człowiek, z którym tworzyliście jedno artystyczne ciało, to zbudowałaś od nowa karierę i tworzyłaś wiele ważnych prac (jak Marina), bo twoja kariera nie została przerwana przez  nieszczęśliwy wypadek, który  być może był morderstwem (jak Ana). Bo twój partner życiowy, również artysta, chociaż cię zdradzał, to popierał i rozumiał twoją twórczość (jak Diego), nie bił (jak Władysław) i nie zamykał podstępnie w szpitalu psychiatrycznym (jak Karol).  Bo żyłaś wystarczająco długo, żeby świat dojrzał do tego, co ty chcesz powiedzieć (jak Louise), bo dożyłaś czasu, kiedy prace kobiet-artystek także biją rekordy na aukcjach (chociaż w kategorii „ kobiecej”) i ty z tego korzystasz (jak Yayoi).  Bo masz akademickie stanowisko i idący za tym respekt, jesteś wykładowczynią/profesorką na uniwersytecie, (jak Hito), masz swoją dyplomującą pracownię (jak Izabela).

Miałaś szczęście, siostro!

Alina Szapocznikow, Katarzyna Kobro, Franciszka Themerson, Vija Celmins, Marina Abramović, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Pauline Boty, Ana Mandieta, Diego Rivera, Władysław Strzemiński, Karol Stryjeński, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, Hito Steyerl, Izabela Gustowska.

Jadwiga Sawicka Artystka, nauczycielka akademicka (Instytut Sztuk Pięknych UR),  tworzy obrazy, fotografie, obiekty, instalacje tekstowe, również w przestrzeni publicznej.  Brała udział w licznych wystawach problemowych w kraju i prezentacjach polskiej sztuki za granicą. Realizacje w przestrzeni miejskiej w Krakowie, Warszawie, Toruniu, Lublinie, Tarnowie, Białymstoku, Paryżu, Wiedniu, Berlinie, Kijowie i w Odessie. Kuratorka wystaw o interdyscyplinarnym charakterze, m.in. m.in. Sen jest drugim życiem i Róża jest różą (z Ewą Łączyńską-Widz w BWA Tarnów w 2013 i 2014 roku), Nowe ilustracje w Galerii Arsenał w Białymstoku (z Magdaleną Godlewską w 2016) i Życie. Instrukcja w Zachęcie - Narodowej Galerii Sztuki w Warszawie w 2017 i Krzyczałem, a kiedy krzyczałem pękały rzeczy cenne w Gdańskiej Galerii Miejskiej w 2018 roku.

[romualddem]

All the Time at Work

Ghislain Amar, Tymek Borowski, Attila Csörgő, Jan Domicz, Agnieszka Kurant, Anna Maria Łuczak, Daniel Malone, John Menick, Cezary Poniatowski, Pakui Hardware, Gregor Różański, Aleksandra Wasilkowska, Beata Wilczek

@ BWA Tarnów  14 April—15 May, 2016 @ Labirynt, Lublin  31 Mar—23 Apr, 2017

Ghislain Amar, Social Impact Lab Frankfurt, photograph, 2016. Courtesy of the artist

In the Stream of Notifications

If you type the word ‘work’ into Google, you will get about 145 million search results. Perhaps most of them refer to just outdated job offers, contain sample CVs or letters of application. Apart from advertisements, however, one would also find a list of articles with recurring titles such as: “10 Tips to Be More Effective at Work”, “Ten Steps to Greater Productivity at Work” and others which address the questions of effective time management, delegating tasks, coping with stress and relaxation techniques. 

Among the handbooks, one would also come across reports on, for example, average weekly working hours in individual countries. According to the data, the front runner for lowest weekly work hours is the Netherlands – 29 hours, followed by Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany. The most hard-working nations are Poles, the Portuguese, Slovaks and Hungarians, who spend up to 40 hours in the office (1). The data does not convey, however, how much we really work. It is hard to measure the time spent with the various electronic devices which are always kept close at hand. Even though we might not be quite conscious of it, we habitually reach for the mobile phone. We check notifications and messages from friends, but also work-related ones or rather the ones that help us organise our work better. It only seems natural to check our email accounts once we have left our workplace to have a sense of full control over the projects we are involved in or just out of curiosity. Does it mean we are willing to work non-stop? We can imagine taking a break from technology for a few days, but a complete separation could result in losing touch with some friends and probably also losing one’s job. We delegate tasks to applications, which are increasingly better suited to our needs and which only require regular updating. 

In order to minimise cost, many companies and institutions recoil from retaining too many job positions and instead outsource their work. On the other hand, there is no longer a need to commit oneself to one specific employer or workplace and therefore more flexible forms of employment are becoming increasingly popular. Many people deliberately free themselves from sitting at a desk for eight or even twelve hours a day. Working outside the office helps to mitigate the negative impact of overwork and burnout and hence is more and more often used by corporations and institutions in order to motivate their employees. In recent years new solutions have been implemented that enable the improvement of the work-life balance. One of these solutions was to reduce the number of hours spent in the office ‘after office hours’ or even a ban on checking work emails. And yet the string of notifications displayed by the portable devices we use provokes us to incessantly activate ourselves. We are used to living in automated reality to such an extent that we only realise it once we discover we have left our mobile phone or charger at home. Network and application access remove the necessity of physical contact with others but also generate new patterns of behaviour and habits, which result in being constantly on standby till late at night or even longer (2). 

Until recently, many people nostalgically recalled the sound that signified one was connecting to a landline network. The internet used to be associated mostly with leisure time and recreation and using it was largely anonymous. Today, in view of greater exposure additionally generated by social media, the distinction between being online and offline is becoming increasingly vague, which significantly alters the way people perceive the surrounding reality and accompanying relations between the users (3). Staying in touch with others is done by means of applications, which is oriented toward interaction and immediate exchange. We hardly ever stop to think about the data we generate in this way: where such ‘exchanges’ end up and to what extent they still belong to us. Once we create them, they are automatically transferred to our devices (4). We are continuously encouraged to participate in the events that take place around us or express opinions on the goods we might have come across in real life. If we use those applications, it is as if our presence is measured by the frequency of updates and interactions. Our activity is more conspicuous and is subject to standardization (5). 

Regardless of where we are 

One of the first portable devices was Dynabook. Despite its considerable weight, it had a flat keyboard integrated with a screen, which made it resemble a contemporary smartphone more than its successors. The next stages in the evolution brought a series of computers which had increasingly greater storage capacity and at the same time progressively more convenient. They gained popularity and gradually supplanting traditional computers. Due to high demand, they became increasingly accessible, while longer battery life made it possible to use them while travelling. Since the 1970s corporations started to implement new solutions aimed at minimising costs and maximising profits. Working remotely without having to come into the office and participate in meetings was supposed, on the one hand, to enable employees to raise their effectiveness; and on the other help, companies save money through reducing the cost of work. This was designed ultimately, to assist companies in maximing their profits. Since then, the number of freelance workers began to grow. However, it was the development of the internet in recent years that brought the greatest change in teleworking opportunities. Today in the USA already ⅓ of the population works remotely, and according to predictions by 2020, as much as 40% of American labour force will consist of digital nomads or workers independent of a specific place. Self-employment rates will increase and at the same time, it will be harder to find a full-time job. As a result, there will be more emphasis on co-operation with talented teleworkers (6).

Move your finger across the screen, new messages will be displayed

The way we work has also influenced the functionality of working space. Today in the case of most companies an office serves representation purposes, especially when it comes to global corporations with branches in many locations. Most people go to work at a specific time, although this does not seem necessary in the context of work aided by new technologies. As a result of abandoning stationary methods of organisation, contemporary offices no longer look like sterile cubes in beige and are more multifunctional. They have been transformed into spacious interiors without walls, which enhance creativity and allow employees to work in a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging them to stay longer. 

After a time

More and more people, out of necessity or of their own will choose to work from home or combine teleworking with attending meetings. It is precisely these transitional forms that are believed to be most favoured by workers. If we do not feel like working at home, we can work in one of the local cafés or rent a desk for a few hours, coffee included. The decision to take up teleworking is also supposed to have a positive impact on the natural environment thanks to, for example, reducing fuel consumption or supporting local start-ups. But it is not always a result of freelance workers‘ decision. In fact, it was the 1990s when more forms of contingent work emerged and later a recession as a result of the latest financial crisis, that forced a change, thanks to which a permanent job is no longer a standard model. More and more people decide to be self-employed, either in fear of or because of a job loss (7).

Having a set of portable devices means we can easily finish our tasks regardless of where we are. By putting them into our pocket and leaving the desk we change only our working environment. It is enough to move your finger across the screen and new messages will be displayed. Institutions and organisations no longer have to keep stationary workplaces. Workers, on the other hand, can say farewell to the trouble of working for only one employer in a specific place. We can work while travelling and devote the remaining time to meetings. We put aside our mobile phones for a while with a feeling that we can break away from notifications and focus on work or relax. And should our relaxation be replaced by a series of applications allowing us to work non-stop for several dozen hours, will new forms of recreation emerge (8)? Already LCD screens are designed in such a way as not to cause eye strain and at the same time keep our eyes focused for a long while. Many work-life balance blogs recommend putting aside electronic devices at least 30 minutes before going to bed in order to unwind and prepare for a good night’s sleep. In order not to be disturbed we can leave our electronic devices in the next room when going to bed. If this does not help, we can turn off the signal sound. If necessary, should we dare we can turn off all devices.

(1) Data collected from OECD. Stat, https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=AVE_HRS. (2)The critique of behaviours and relations established with electronic devices is developed in the research project Curious Rituals, Gestural Interaction in the Digital Everyday realized as part of Media Design Program, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, curiousrituals.nearfuturelaboratory.com. (3) M. Flyverbom, P. M. Leonardi, C. Stohl, M. Stohl, “The Management of Visibilities in the Digital Age” [in:] International Journal of Communication, 10(2016), 98–109. (4) The problem of privacy becomes especially topical after Edward Snowden had leaked facts connected with the activities of National Security Agency and the network users surveillance program called PRISM. In February 2016 the controversial bill about the Internet surveillance was introduced in Poland. (5) See also A. Fidalgo, Heidegger’s cell phone – ubiquitous communication and existential distance, 2009. (6) The Intuit 2020 Report, 2010, 21 (7) See also D. Gallie et al, “The hidden face of job insecurity”, Work, Employment and Society, 2016; Compare with: K. Gutfrański, “Czas wolności od czasu” (“Time of Freedom from Time”) [in:] Praca i wypoczynek, (Work and Leisure) ed. K. Gutfrański, 2012, 20–23. (8) In his book 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep Jonathan Crary considers the potential consequences of time, including leisure being appropriated by capitalism.

This text appeared on occasion of the exhibition All the Time at Work presented in BWA Tarnów, 2016

Curated by Romuald Demidenko

The exhibition was accompanied with a publication with texts by Sabrina Chou and Kym Ward and conversations with Julie Bena, Antoine Donzeaud, Nicholas Matranga, Pakui Hardware, Tim Steer among others, issued by Labirynt, Lublin, 2017  This project was initiated as Vilnius at Work at Rupert, Vilnius, 2016

[aiciacolophotos]

Turrorism All Inclusive

Nomadic State ( Karolina Mełnicka and Stach Szumski  )

14.11.2018 - 18.11.2018 Location: Bd. 21 Decembrie 1989 nr.19 Cluj-Napoca Walking in a travel agency, one is welcomed by an image of luxury and leisure, a promised paradise open to possibilities and distraction, far away from the everyday struggles. But what happens when the imaginative land of promise slowly starts to shatter under the harsh realities that come to define former exotic locations in terms of conflict zones? When the problematics of geographical fight for territories and ideological disputes make their way in? Karolina Mełnicka and Stach Szumski confront these two images in ‘Turrorism all inclusive’ – a video installation that finds its roots in a voyage the artist made to the Egyptian coast of the Sinai Peninsula back in 2017. In a country economically dependent on tourism, the tensions building up in the area and the terrorist attacks against various religious groups and tourists as well, now changed its image to a no-go zone. Viewed through the prism of unfinished skeletons and ruins of once-popular hotel complexes, one can now define these resorts through a new, apocalyptic coastal landscape - the western blissful image of an exotic sand land is now rendered as a journey through artefacts of a lost world.   Nomadic State is a project initiated in 2015 by Karolina Mełnicka and Stach Szumski that constitutes the creation of a nomadic microstate and which, in mimicry fashion, fits into our existing geographical and social space. Nomadic State often refer to the origin of the term “non-locality” in the sense of a space devoid of cultural identity due to the globalisation and unification of reality, as well as the decentralised nature of the internet. The project is intended to be understood as a reflective space to consider on one’s position in the political system of the state in which they function. The third pop up exhibition in the series Maps and Mapping developed in partnership with Salonul de Proiecte approaches the current possibilities of affordable travel and the economy of tourism to talk about distant geographies, and the economic and political struggles that affect territories usually remote in our understanding. An increasingly global connectedness through travel and cheap flights can underline how such issues are becoming part of our political landscape nevertheless.

Karolina Mełnicka (b. 1988, Toruń) graduated in cultural studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2010), and in multimedia art at the Faculty of Painting and New Media at the Academy of Art in Szczecin (2016). Her artistic yearnings can be described as conceptual critical art, exploring the influences of technology on personal identity and on the mechanisms of a top-down planned reality. She is particularly interested in observing methods of designing spaces or ideas for a mass audience. She uses 3D animation, video art, photography, object, performance. Text is particularly important in her work, often utilizing her own poetic narration. She is co-founder of Nomadic State, co-governing with Stach Szumski. She has been involved in many group and individual exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Stachu Szumski (b. 1992, Gdańsk) holds an undergraduate degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in the Faculty of Media Art in Warsaw and is currently represented by the Polana Institute. From 2013 to 2016, the artist collaborated with V9 Gallery and the Vlepvnet Foundation. Co-creator of the Nomadic State project. Szumski has participated in numerous exhibitions and projects, including: Late Polishness at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw; Tajsa at the BWA Tarnów Gallery; OUT OF STH Biennale of Urban Art organized by the BWA in Wrocław; India’s First Biennale of Contemporary Art in Fort Kochi,India; the Der Regionen Festival in Linz, Austria. His work is multifaceted,from conceptual-interactive activities, in which he critically looks at first world countries devoid of folklore aesthetics (Nomadic State project,together with Karolina Mełnicka), to purely intuitive visual practices.

“Maps and Mapping: Cartographic Tools and Practices” is a project initiated by Salonul de Proiecte in collaboration with Aici Acolo Pop Up Gallery. Through a series of exhibitions and workshops organized between July and November 2018, it aims to encourage young artists to develop forms of artistic research, while also providing opportunities for producing new works. A useful tool in making sense of the world, a map is concurrently a representation that makes someone see in a specific way. Not all maps are strictly geographical. “Mapping” is nowadays a ubiquitous operational metaphor for a wide range of fields of study, from tech to media to psychology and many more. In this case, the cartographic tools and their problematics become a starting point for artistic inquiries. With the support of: The National University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca; The Paintbrush Factory, Cluj; The National University of Arts, Bucharest; tranzit ro/Sibiu; Biblioteca Astra, Sibiu; Galeria Ivan, Bucharest A cultural project co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the manner in which the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding recipient.

[galerielauby]

Slovo żółć v polštině označuje jednak žluť (barvu), ale zároveň žluč, tedy tmavě žlutou až zelenou hustou tekutinu hořké chuti, která se tvoří v játrech obratlovců.

Žluč napomáhá trávení – účastní se trávicích procesů, především vstřebávání tuků a poskytuje optimální pH pro enzymy slinivky a střev.

Žlučovými cestami odtéká do tenkého střeva, v době mezi jídly je dočasně skladována a zahušťována ve žlučníku.

Žluč je v polštině také hovorový výraz pro formu psychologicko-emočního stavu, spojeného s pocity vnitřní hořkosti a závisti.

Kromě lidské žluče se v kultuře objevuje také dobytčí žluč.

Zvyšuje stabilitu emulze. Slouží jako přísada pro vodou ředitelné barvy, u kterých zlepšují jejich nanášení na papír.

Formálně żółć, která bude dominantou výstavy, redefinuje všechny doposud známé významy żółci/žluči/žlutě.

Stach Szumski

https://stachuszumski.tumblr.com/

Stach Szumski se narodil v roce 1992 v Gdaňsku. Je absolventem bakalářského studia Akademie výtvarných umění ve Varšavě, oddělení Umění médií. Je zastoupen varšavským Polana Institute. V letech 2013-2016 spolupracoval s varšavskou Galerií V9 a Nadací Vlepvnet. Je spoluzakladatel projektu Nomadic State. V letošním roce představil svou sólovou výstavu Prognoza dla czasów potermomodernizacyjnych (Prognóza pro potermomodernizační časy) v Centru současného umění Zamek Ujazdowski ve Varšavě. Zúčastnil se mnoha výstav a projektů mj. Indias First Biennale of Contemporary Art ve Fort Kochi v Indii, Późna Polskość (Pozdní Polskost) v Centru současného umění Zamek Ujazdowski ve Varšavě, Tajsa v Galerii BWA Tarnów, OUT OF STH Biennale Sztuki Zewnętrznej (Bienále vnějšího umění) organizovaného Galerií BWA ve Wrocławi, Festivalu Der Regionen v Linzi v Rakousku a mnoha dalších.

Szumského tvorba je mnohostranná - sahá od konceptuálních prací, ve kterých kriticky sleduje estetiku států prvního světa, která je vyždímaná z folklóru (projekt Nomadic State, společně s Karolinou Mełnickou), přes čistě intuitivní, vizuální praxi, kde různými médii komentuje široce pojatou současnost. Je autorem mnoha murálů, realizovaných v Indii, Japonsku a na Ukrajině.

Jakub Adamec