The world-renowned "Pomarańczowa Alternatywa" / "Orange Alternative" project was presented in Paris – tying the Polish freedom movements of the 1980s to the student movements in France in recent months
The project – represented by orange statues of dwarves and 28 display boards – was shown at the 59 Rivoli Centre in the heart of Paris. The exhibit was accompanied by information in the form of photographs and documents (in English and French translation) from the Polish Institute of National Remembrance about the Orange Alternative Movement.
Additionally, debates regarding the role of art in social movements, freedom of the individual in today’s world and the influence of the movement overall on the world took place. The French edition of the exhibition was also accompanied by a March of Dwarves to the Bastille.
The Orange Alternative is the name for an underground anarchic movement that originates in 1981 Wrocław, started by Waldemar Fydrych, known as the “Major”. It is characterised by the graffiti and various other representations of orange dwarves that quickly found themselves painted onto walls all over Poland in the 1980s. The colour orange was chosen with significance by the “Major” who sought to blend together yellow – the colour of the Catholic Church, and red – the colour of the communist party, both of whom he considered to be oppresors. Since 2004, the Orange Alternative movement has been active to promote democracy and freedom in countries to the East of Poland who seek to join the European Union, such as the Ukraine, especially following the Orange Revolution in Kiev.
The main idea of the project – to expose Western Europe to the social movements that changed Poland – took place in Madrid in the end of October/beginning of November.
Date: 16th of November – 4th of December, 2011
Venue: Centre 59 Rivoli, 59 Rue Rivoli, Paris
Organisedby: Orange Alternative Foundation, Polish Institute in Paris
This project has been cofinanced by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Source: IAM