Artist Maurcycy Gomulicki stands before his latest post-vandalist manifesto
Adam Jastrzębski, a pioneer of the term Post-vandalism, is giving a lecture on the more destructive forms of contemporary art. Among his references is Maurycy Gomulcki, who recently smashed the windows of an iconic, albeit condemned building in the centre of Brussels as part of the Fossils and Gardens project
According to Jastrzębski, Post-vandalism is a way to interpret urban art and whole range of activities in the public space. It aims to express how life and death drives opposition and how the drive for expression is responsible for all destructive forms of art and social habits. The term also refers to the destructive activities of nature penetrating human-made structures, everyday hooliganism, and subtle social-art projects concerning transformation of public space into more user-friendly form. The movement takes a form of anti-social behaviour and restores its independent, expressionist aspects while making use of its tendencies and techniques to make a statement on our culture, economy and society.
Adam Jastrzębski (IXI COLOR, Adam-X) was born 1980 in Płock, Poland. Today he lives and works in Warsaw, Poland. Painter, performer, independent art curator and theoretician who boasts several artistic pseudonyms. Graduated from History of Art at the University of Warsaw. Between 2004-2008 he realised a series of urban space projects, including murals on school buildings, mainly depicting brilliant physicians and philosophers. In 2006 he joined the Vlevnet group and joined the editorial staff of its online publication. He is also a member of the massmix collective and vlepvnet community. He is also a fan of evolutionary theory and quantum physics.
Maurycy Gomulicki's works are among Jastrzębski's main references. His most recent project is located in a condemned office building from the 1970s situated to the rear of the Place du Congres. By removing some of the glass panes from the front of the building, "Phantom: Romantic Post-Vandalism" creates a pixel image resembling the Bauhaus logo – a symbol directly connected to modern architecture and significant for contemporary culture. The artist intends for this symbol to remain on the façade until the building is demolished, serving as an intriguing, permanent installation in the public space.
Gomulicki works in a 'post-vandalism style' - a popular artistic strategy for working with public space with the intention of changing the aesthetic awareness of people living in a given city. In this case, Gomulicki works in Brussels as part of the triparte Fossils and Gardens project. Brussels is a city of blooming diplomacy, but the building in questions is almost a copy of an office building from the communist era in Poland. Paradoxically, the act of destruction brings to light and emphasises the important features of the architecture - the regular series of windows brings to mind the contemporary style of early computers.
See more on the Fossils and Gardens project
See more from Maurycy Gomulicki on his latest project at tvbrussel.be
The lecture will be conducted in English.
Date: December 1, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Venue and organiser: KOMPLOT, 295 Avenue Van Volxemlaan, B-1190 Brussels