Zbigniew Libera's poster for "African Tales Shakespeare" by Krzysztof Warlikowski for Nowy Teatr in Warsaw
"African Tales by Shakespeare" is a new show by Krzysztof Warlikowski made with the Nowy Theatre's team and artists who have accompanied him for years. The director has already staged ten Shakespeare dramas, and now has created his own fascinating vision of man extracted from the space of border experiences
Krzysztof Warlikowski and Małgorzata Szczęśniak (set designer) selected artist Zbigniew Libera to create the poster for the show. The result of this cooperation has generated a strong response in Poland.
Zbigniew Libera belongs to Poland's so-called lost generation of the 1980's, to that generation whose most creative years fell with the barren and depressing time of Polish martial law. His projects tend to be controversial, referring to a particular political or social problems.
The shocking poster portrays a colourful photograph of two nude men only covered by dirt and what appears to be tribal body paint posing with a fully clothed woman, a photographer, she carries a camera around her neck. The photo is an inspiration from the works of controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl who photographed the Nuda tribes in Sudan. Mike Urbaniak from Warszawski Magazyn Kulturalny interviewed the artist about his poster, the inspirations and the controversy.
Structured around nature, using a repeated motif of the human body - Libera created a poster incorporating images of refugee camps in Africa emphasised by tribal body paint, he captures what he sees as the essence and spirit of Warlikowski's theatre production. The poster is a result of combining photography with an indirectly strong message to the public. It draws attention to different cultural and social points of view, encourages discussion and brings intrigue as well as invoking scandal to Krzysztof Warlikowski's "African Tales by Shakespeare".
Libera said that the poster is simply a small scandal, that his other works are much more controversial and even so have generated less attention. He considers the poster a subtle piece, but only the nudity of the male body provokes criticism. Why is this? Because the public automatically considers it pornography, however, the artist wants people to look at the meaning behind it, it is frankly only a part contributing to the composition.
This is the first poster Libera has created. In a recent interview, he remarked,
For anyone else I wouldn't have created a poster. It is an honour as an artist to work together with Krzysztof...
For me the theatre works well. In this case it works twice as well because I saw it being prepared from inside the kitchen. I'm terribly jealous of Krzysztof, he has perfected a powerful technique over his theatre that I could never achieve in my own field. It was fasinating to observe how everything works. To see, what utensils does he use? None. Not even any reins. He emits brain waves, like a jedi, controlled engery from his mind. And the huge machinery functions. Next to him I can barely ride a tricycle.
When creating the poster, Libera attended a rehearsal at the Theatre de la Place in Liege, France, taking notes which he recalls carefully:
First note: how can you create a production when you have cancer and only a few months before you? Second: what is the 'font' of the human body. Third: make something so barbaric to silence the noise of the world. Fourth: a scene from the play stuck in my mind with Adam Ferency - as Othello - his face is black, wearing white pants, a large scar on his stomach and standing in a metal bowl. Fifth: male member comes in daughters' eye. It was this moment that my thoughts were already associating a black penis. Then, I thought of the main character of the show - an old man who loses his strength. Sixth note: old naked man. Seven: the fear of the white man before a big black penis.
Zbigniew Libera, born in 1959 in Pabianice. He lives and works in Warsaw. His works are in collections at art institutions in Poland and worldwide. The artist's most famous work is "Lego. Concentration Camp". For the Nowy Teatr in Warsaw he created a poster for the production directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski "African Tales Shakespeare".
All quotes from Mike Urbaniak's interview in Warszawski Magazyn Kulturalny.