Vienna does a double take at Polish video art
Showcasing the best of the Zachęta gallery collection from the last two decades.
Robert Kuśmirowski, "A Timed, Hour-Long Ride", 2007, video, Zachęta National Art Gallery collection, photo: press release
The Zachęta gallery's video art collection first came into being at end of the 1990s as part of a series of exhibitions and projections shown in both Poland and abroad. The programme selected for the Vienna exhibition will present a cross-section of the Zachęta gallery collection: an assortment of the best in Polish video art from different generations of Polish video artists.
The films, which range from animation to documentary and reality TV styles, have been divided into four thematic sections: 'sound', 'gender', 'social portrait' and 'roles'. The different themes are meant to present a multi-coloured spectrum of the current state of Polish video art.
Sound
"Sound, music and silence" make up the main themes of this section. It features artists such as Paweł Althamer, who forms a unique audio backdrop through the maze of a Moscow metro and Katarzyna Kozyra, who uses bizarre locations and characters in her film short entitled Summertale. HH by Anna Niesterowicz focuses on the relationship between sound and dance, whilst Praise the Fields in Bloom is Karol Radziszewski's attempt to record a duet between himself and his grandmother. Artur Żmijewski strikes a different note with his project on a deaf choir.
- Paweł Althamer, "Chór w metrze moskiewskim" / "Choir in a Moscow Metro", 2004, video, 13.05 min
- Katarzyna Kozyra, "Summertale", 2008, video 19.58 min
- Anna Niesterowicz, "HH", 2002, 9 min
- Karol Radziszewski, "Chwalcie łąki umajone" / "Praise the Fields in Bloom", 2007, 6.36 min
- Artur Żmijewski, "Lekcja śpiewu 2" / "Singing Lesson 2", 2003, video, 16.3 min
Gender
The second instalment takes a look at the different social and physical aspects of men and women. Anna Baumgart refers to female stereotypes that deal with hysteria and ecstasy and the way in which aggression affects relationships, whilst Piotr Wysocki's Adona presents an intimate portrait of a transsexual, showing how his protagonist adapts to both male and female roles. Katarzyna Kozyra's Cheerleaderka" / "Cheerleader explores femininity according to American stereotypes; Julita Wójcik takes a look at prominent feminists of the 1970s and Jacek Malinowski's HalfAWoman follows a woman suffering from PDS (Pelvic Degeneration Syndrome). All videos for this section are shot in a documentary-style.
- Anna Baumgart, "Ekstatyczki, histeryczki i inne święte" / "Ecstatics, Hysterics and other Saints", 2004, video, 11 min
- Piotr Wysocki, "Aldona", 2006, video, 15 min
- Katarzyna Kozyra, "Cheerleaderka" / "Cheerleader", 2006, videoclip, 4.3 min
- Julita Wójcik, "Obieranie ziemniaków" / "Peeling Potatoes", 2001, video, 10.05 min
- Jacek Malinowski, "HalfAWoman", 2000, video, 12.4 min
Roles
'Roles' is the product of various workshop-based projects that deal with improvisation. Artist Marta Deskur, for instance, took to filming children improvising wild animals, whilst Paweł Kruk's Larger Than Life sees the artist impersonating basketball star Michael Jordan. Other video themes include Robert Kuśmirowski riding a stationary bike, Artur Żmijewski exploring how people's roles are defined by social expectations, andJoanna Rajkowska conducting acting workshops at Freedom Theatre to better understand the political situation in Palestine.
- Marta Deskur, "To jest Klara, a to jest Pico" / "This Is Clara And This Is Pico", 1998, video, 2.11 min, 4.39 min
- Paweł Kruk, "Larger Than Life", 2000, 9.3 min
- Robert Kuśmirowski, "Jazda godzinna na czas" / "A Timed, Hour-Long Ride, 2007, video
- Artur Żmijewski, "Powtórzenie" / "Repeat", 2005, video, 40.2 min
- Joanna Rajkowska, "Camping Jenin", 2008, video, 34.2 min
Social Portrait
The fourth and final section veers from social particulars to generalities. Azzoro's Rodzinna" / "Family is a conversation between fictional family members; Wojciech Bąkowski delves into the frustrations of man, whilst Alicja Karska's Projektowanie i organizacja przestrzeni" / "Designing and Organising a Space is a portrait of a place: Karska stages a play in the ruins of a hotel, with actors performing as both waiting staff and hotel guests. Julia Wójcik similarly opts for places rather than people, filming a field with an industrial complex as its backdrop. Magdalena Abakadowicz's work presents homelessness in Poznań.
- Wojciech Bąkowski, "Film mówiony 3" / "Spoken Film 3", 2004, video, 9.41 min
- Azorro, "Rodzina" / "Family", 2004, video, 9.15 min
- Alicja Karska, "Projektowanie i organizacja przestrzeni" / "Designing and Organising a Space", 2002, video, 9.1 min
- Julita Wójcik, "Sielanka" / "Idyl", 2004, video, 3.55 min
- Wunderteam, "Przyczepa" / "Trailer", 2005, video, 11.16 min
Curator: Anna Tomczak
Opening: May 1, 2011.
Video projections take place May 2 – June 30, 2011:
- "Sound" - May 2-15
- "Gender" - May 16-29
- "Roles" - May 30-June 12
- "Social Portrait" - June 13-30.
Kunsthalle Wien
ursula blickle videolounge
Museumsplatz 1
A-1070 Wien
Source: press materials