David Černý, "Św. Wacław" / "Saint Wacław" a sculpture in the Lucerna Palace in Prague, photo: press release
Paradise is at the centre of attention at the 7th edition of Szczecin's festival. Over 40 concerts, exhibitions and events with artists representing different fields of art have gathered around this idea
"Inspirations" / "Inspiracje" is a contemporary art festival which links sculpture, painting, photography, spatial installations, graphic art, music and other artistic activities revolving around the festival's central theme.
The origins of the word "paradise" can be found in the Persian expression for garden or enclosed space, a perfect place, synonymous with abundance and bliss.
"It is an organised space where all beings exist in symbiosis among beauty and perfection. Order reigns here, the rules are known and violating them equals exclusion. What is contemporary paradise? Is it a dream-paradise or illusion with monotony we are forced to break? Artists will search for answers to these questions", says Monika Gawęcka, the festival's co-originator.
Guests invited to take part in the festival include the controversial Russian group "Aes+F", Czech perfomer-provocateur David Černý, fragrance expert Sissel Tolaas, creator of the plastic palm tree in de Gaulle roundabout in Warsaw Joanna Rajkowska, Maurycy Gomulicki, Zorka Wollny, Dominik Lejman as well as Andrzej Smolik, composer and music producer.
Another event planned for the festival is a multimedia show using 3D mapping, which is a presentation of spatial pictures on building walls; it is accompanied by Łukasz Górewicz's music created for this particular event.
The festival presentations can be viewed at the National Museum in Szczecin, XII Muses club and on city streets. Pascale Peyret has already started her workshops in which people build a city out of old, broken computer parts. As a way of promoting an environment-friendly lifestyle, in the project "Green Memory" the French artist sows seeds of plants in installations made of unwanted computer equipment.
The "Inspiracje" Festival runs between June 9-12, 2011.
Source: press materials, PAP
Translated by: Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer