An activity by 
Why
Art project “The Body of the country”
/research, video art, installation, photos/
Art project “The Body of the country” unites countries of the world through interaction and complete it in exhibition with documentation from each country.
This project has already started in my home country, the city of Kiev, and continued in Poland, the city of Lublin, as a part of residence program to conduct a detailed analysis and adaptation based on the specifics, of identity, the mentality of the country with the support of Urban RECEDENCIES, Laboratorium Sztuki Społecznej , Warsztaty Kultury w Lublinie.
The study of changes and reactions on the body of the country. Allusion perception breed as the basis of human nature, or the body of Christ.
Volume exhibition that combines video art as a record of performance “From the same breed …”, photo is breed and body from performance and installation made of flour and water, which changes during exposure.
Summary of performance. Performed using water and flour and aims at making the relationship between us stronger. Despite our hostility, our rampant belligerence and upholding of our own interests, we should keep in mind that we are of the same breed. There was a performance art of mixing flour and water, during which the installation “The Body of the country” has changed. First introduced at the International Art Project “Residents good”, launched in Art Arsenal at Art Kiyv Contemporary.
The second part of the exhibition includes video art, photo, an installation from performance, which was held in Lublin during the residence.
Location
Old Town, Lublin, Poland/22.574292799999967,51.24586549999999,4/1000x300.png)
Characteristics
Area
By studying the bonds between us, people, especially now, in such hard times for Ukraine, I hope for creative support from our sister cities and countries that really cheer for us. I believe that art project "The body of the country" can strengthen the historical, human, cultural and ethical relations between the ourcountries.
Interactive exhibition "The body of the country" in a video art, an installation, photos, performance is not just art project that brings together cities of Ukraine (Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Kharkiv) uniting people through assignment to create "The bodies of the country", but also promotes understanding, unity of the human spirit .
The study of changes and reactions on the body of the country. Allusion perception breed as the basis of human nature, or the body of Christ. Exploring space features ranging, territory, people, decision, attitudes, the relationship between them.
It is necessary to explore new spaces, people, creative teams, organizations and features of mental perception in city (country). Explore the traditions, habits and attitudes to modern art in Poland. Experience the residence will allow deep immersion in the study of relations between our countries and cities.
Volume exposition "The body of the country" provides a comprehensive study and prepare for exhibiting art -objects from Ukrainian side and in the creation of new activities while in residence in the city of Lublin.
Volume exhibitiont hat combines video art as a record of performance "From the same breed ...", photo of breed and body from performance and an installation made of flour and water, which changes during exposure.
Summary of performance. Performed using water and flour and aims at making the relationship between us stronger. Despite our hostility, our rampant belligerence and upholding of our own interests, we should keep in mind that we are of the same breed. There was a performance art of mixing flour and water, during which the installation "The body oft he country" has changed. First introduced at the International Art Project "Residentsgood", launched in Art Arsenal at Art Kiyv Contemporary 2014.
Link for artwork made in Kiev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46LqsnUtbCg
It’s expected the same action in Lublin involving new audiences and study, study changes "Body of the country" not only in the relation of unity, integrity, social, political, cultural, demographic, but sincerity, humanity, spiritual heritage and openness to dialogue between countries, people, situations.
Because, we are of the same breed.
Audience
Before arriving to the residence, I started making a list of contacts, appointments and necessary actions to study my subjects. I set a goal to maximize volumetric study the characteristics of the region, its specificity and originality. In my understanding, "Body of the country" is a set of values from the physical, geographical, historical, spiritual, mental aspects. Naturally, the people that fill this space, terrain, forming this Body and require special attention in the study. Thanks to the help and support of the site invited me to the residence, I was lucky to spend about thirty meetings with representatives of different organizations, institutions, museums, galleries, private initiatives and ordinary residents of the city with different statuses, occupations, lifestyle. During the allotted time residence, I spent time in the city, watching people, their habits, behaviours and values. I explored the city by foot, by bus, bike, taxi, imprinted in the memory of precious moments and meanings are formed that have helped me in the future to build the structure of the performance. This how was my acquaintance with the city, the region, the people inhabiting this area with meanings. I chose the location, Loketka square, as it borders the old city and the largest intersection of representatives of different sectors of society. In addition, this is a historic place, the name of Prince Vladislav I Loketka thanks to Lublin granted with Magdeburg right.
It was important and interesting to attract a diverse audience in the process of comolding the Body of the country.
How the audience/participants were reached or discovered
In this process it was connected completely unknown to me people, mainly children that are symbolic extension of us, our race, the Body of the country. The wind carried the body further and further, making it endless.
How it was done
How
Performance
The performance is based on an inclusive action that from a side looks like a normal preparation of the dough, simply mixing water and flour, involving a random audience to interact. Maybe only few people knows how to work a long time to prepare for that action and what is needed to produce and research to decide exactly how the performance will be done.
This work builds on previously implemented performance “From the same breed,” as we say in Poland – “Taka sama glina.” We are all human beings and have the same in our human nature.
I tried to gather very specific Polish, Lublin context. Studying the history of the city, its heraldry, logo, and the value of specific areas of the city, I have chosen to sculpt a specific tool (the place, clothes, objects, their structure and shape, their location).
In itself, this is the place for me was a great success and joy, because Lublin is the geographical centre of Europe and the city, which is incredibly tightly intertwined history of Ukraine. History of the region suggests “Kress” the so-called non-existent border areas already present in western Ukraine. As for me personally, not only as an artist but also a person belonging to a quarter of Polish blood, was extremely significant. This place, in the old town, very powerful in strength and power, because it is the age-old power and preserved from destruction and a warrior, almost one hundred percent form. This place looks like the neck of the human body, if you look at the map of the city from a height. And it’s streets as if the hands that lead in different directions, one of them leads to Kiev, where I went in the end of the performance. It is a place I have long been studied; there I was a lot of time watching how people spend their time. I saw it from different angles and from a height of City Hall, which had to be asked to take me to the office, break the working office worker place and go to the balcony.
There have been many stories and discoveries during my searches and to describe everything I would need to write a novel.
The whole history of the relations lies behind the creation of my dress. After all, I do understand that I can not buy it in the store, because I needed the big pockets for flour, the old-new cut, connecting past and present, as well as the colours of the city. Red and green as the two sides of the coin, the colours and the logo of the city, and it was also my tunic dress. Of course, for this it needed a seamstress. And that was very nice for me, that Warsztaty kultury could found it for me. Very pleasant and responsive Anneta, which almost did not speak in English, encouraged me to study Polish and we became a friends, I was invited to visit and get acquainted with her family. I ceased to be a tourist or a guest in another country, another environment. I became more and more to feel myself like a resident, local. I think that the success of the residence lies the achievement of this feeling, feeling like you’re right where you want to be.
I could describe the long quest about special attributes for performance, the bowls, in the style of an ancient wash “balii” as they are called in Poland. Thank you, dear Magda, which is an excellent adviser in procurement, that we were able to find and buy everything I need.
I must necessarily describe my interaction with colleges from Warsztaty kultury, with Agata and my assistant, mainly contacter, Rafal.
Thanks to the freedom and the professional approach to our pastime, because the format of the residence is built on self-organization and self-discipline, self-control, I was able to work out how I feel and what I think are necessary to do. I could explore and make decisions that reveal the meaning.
My assistant, as I say, Body, helped me to plan my meetings with people I was interested, to prepare a performance and an exhibition. Rafal is main witness of my discovers during my stay in Lublin from the first meeting at the Railway station. Perhaps, some day, he also will describe own experiences and capture the memories from our histories throughout the process.
Exhibition
The exhibition was held from 19 to 31 of August in the old town, in a friendly and cosy gallery “Labirynt2” in the heart of the old town, which we have provided thanks to our partners and friends Gallery “Labirynt” and it’s leader Waldemar Tatarczuk. For me it was very important to find the right place, in addition, in old town, with cellars and ancient stonework that emphasized the meaning and features of Lublin.
In creating the exhibition and the formation of exposition, I would like to take into account the moment of Border question in General project which is the link with the main theme of the residence Program and the studying of the Abroad meaning. Let say more precisely, unity of Ukraine and Poland, the countries through the formation of a common body, in my understanding. I had planned to make an exposition of two parts with performance records in the format of video art, photos from the performance and installation of the dough, which continued to evolve after the performance.
Accordingly, we have prepared a photo, print it out and hang, creating the exposition on the first floor, where it was located Ukrainian part.
The second floor consisted of the installation with the dough and represented the Polish part. Thus, the installation with dough, right after the performance, we had to move, quickly and lightly to the gallery space.
Most interesting is that the dough-body expand and fill the space, it was absolutely alive, it produces odor and change the structure, going beyond, “balii” borders.
At the end of the period of my residence, I had to leave Poland, 21 of August, so I asked to observe the life of Body-dough and bring it to the flames, turning on the grill or on the ashes after the end of exposition. I wrote the testament for this, and now the ashes of the Body-dough of the country stored until next largest exposure, which is scheduled for February 2017, as a result of the Urban residence program.
Results
There have been many stories and discoveries during the stay at the residence and to describe everything that happened, I would need to write a novel.
I set a goal to maximize volumetric study the characteristics of the region, its specificity and originality. In my understanding, “Body of the country” is a set of values from the physical, geographical, historical, spiritual, mental aspects. Naturally, the people that fill this space, terrain, forming the Body of the country and require special attention in the study.
Not too much people know how to work a long time to prepare for what action is needed to produce and research to decide exactly how the performance will be done. The basis of this performance, the preparation of which represented the bulk of the work during the residence, is inclusive action that the part looks like a normal dough preparation, simply mixing water and flour, involving a random audience to interact. But things are much more complicated and bigger actually.
This workbuilds on previously implemented performance “From the same breed,” which I did in Kiev in 2014 in the framework of the Art project “Residents of good” in the Art Arsenal. In Poland, there is an expression – “The same clay.” We are all human beings and have the same in our human nature. We have a body, soul, and life values. Formation of values takes place continuously, as we change over time, under the pressure of circumstances, people’s opinions. But for all that we are representatives of humanity, personality, able to respect and appreciate other people’s interests, beliefs, and habits. I collected values, meanings, points of departure.
I was looking for this very specific Polish, Lublin context. Studying the history of the city, its heraldry, logo, and the value of specific areas of the city, I have chosen to sculpt a specific tool (the place, clothes, objects, their structure and shape, their location)
I explored the city on foot, by bus, bike, taxi, imprinted in the memory of precious moments and meanings are formed that have helped me in the future to build the structure of the performance.
In itself, this is the place for me was a great success and joy, because Lublin is the geographical centre of Europe and the city, which is incredibly tightly intertwined history of Ukraine. History of the region suggests “Kress” the so-called non-existent border areas already represents the western part of Ukraine. As for me personally, not only as an artist but also a person belonging to a quarter of Polish blood, was extremely significant. This place, in the old town, which I have chosen for performance, has very powerful energy, because it is the age-old power, it survived from wars and destruction, almost one hundred percent form. This place looks like the neck of the human body, if you look at the map of the city from a height. And its streets as the hands that lead in different directions, one of them leads to Kiev, where I went in the end of the performance.
In the process of performance were connected completely unknown to me people, mainly children that are symbolic extension of us, our race, the Body of the country. The wind carried the Body further and further, making it endless.
Thanks to the freedom and the professional approach to our pastime, because the format of the residence is built on self-organization and self-discipline, self-control, I was able to work out how I feel and think, what is necessary. I could explore and make decisions that reveal the meaning. In addition, we have always been able to share some thoughts with team, colleagues. Artists from different countries with different projects, accents, all were united by a common theme of boundaries, boundary. I must necessarily describe my interaction to Colleges with Agata and my assistant, mainly contactee, Rafal. My assistant, as I call him, Body, helped me to plan my meetings with interesting people, to prepare a performance and an exhibition. Rafal is the main witness of my discoveries during my stay in Lublin from the first moment of our meeting at the Railway station. Perhaps once he also will describe his impressions and capture the memories from our history throughout the process. For me it was very important to find the right place for performance and exhibitions, in addition, in the old town, with cellars and ancient stonework that emphasized the meaning and features of Lublin.
When creating the exhibition and the formation of exposure, I would like to take into account the question of the border what is link of project with the main theme of the residence and the study on the boundary. More precisely, let’s say unity of Ukraine and Poland, the countries through the formation of a common body, in my understanding.
I had planned to make an exposition of two parts with performance records in the format of video art, photos from the performance and an installation of the dough, which continued to evolve after the performance. Most interesting is that the dough-body expand and fill the space, it was absolutely alive, it produces odor and change the structure, going beyond, “balii” borders.
At the end of the period of my residence, I had to leave Poland, 21 of August, so I asked to observe the life of Body-dough and bring it to the flames, turning on the grill or on the ashes after the end of exposition. I wrote the testament for this, and now the ashes of the Body-dough of the country stored until next largest exposure, which is scheduled for February 2017, as a result of the Urban residence program.
During my stay in residence, every day I opened for me new meanings, values, receiving information from meetings, spaces, communicating with the residents and people unknown to me. Time to time, I thought that there is no space in my mind, I’m full of new knowledge, but time went on, I tried to switch to a different sphere of research and observations, and all as a clean slate, starting to excite me and absorbed consciousness.
I have been on different festivals and traditions, theatre and circus arts, saw a lot of performances and documentaries, visited trips to places of worship, and underground space. Each event, meeting, communication, became an event by touching the history, culture, someone’s revelation. I saw the great ancient murals and mod art objects, solutions in the design of museum spaces for use by workers in the Teatr NN with the history of the extermination of the Jews, which accounted for most of Lublin. I was shocked by the museum-concentration camp “Majdanek”. I was shocked by the stone walls of the old city. But most of all I was impressed by the stories.
For example, in the museum “Dvorek Vincent Paul,” I heard the incredible story of a person that has identified himself as a real Polish, without being them. I even decided to bequeath the Body-dough of the country to store in this Museum. But in this whole situation, as in the performing art and life, there is required a rapid response and decision making. I had to respond to new discoveries, some situations where it was impossible to realize all that I have conceived. For example, we did not have time to prepare the video art and photos from the performance in Lublin on the Opening of the exhibition, because between the events were just a couple of days. I decided that a photo and video art will be part from Ukraine and an installation will represent Polish. Of course, the exposure is changed, but it should be like this, because what if not a performing art is the closest to life itself, the art of living, to act honestly and reassess the validity by the artistic way. In addition,Warsztaty Kultury is planning a large exhibition on the results of the entire recidency program, and we will be able to do an exhibition with photos and video art from Poland and Ukraine, as well as an istallation of ashes, which the body-dough of the country has become today. As for me, the main thing for an artist, no matter where he is located, and worked, is a state of feeling and harmony with himself and the surrounding. I ceased to be a tourist or a guest in another country, a different environment. I became more and more feel resident, local. I think that the success of the residence is the achievement of this feeling, feeling like you are right where you suppose to be.
Some links for performance and exhibition in the internet:
Page of the Workshops of Culture
http://www.warsztatykultury.pl/cialo-kraju-wernisaz-wystawy-i-performance/
local daily Kurier Lubelski
http://www.kurierlubelski.pl/tag/cialo-kraju/
http://www.kurierlubelski.pl/wiadomosci/lublin/a/performance-cialo-kraju-na-placu-lokietka-zdjecia,10521692/
local daily Dziennik Wschodni
http://www.dziennikwschodni.
Polska times
http://www.polskatimes.pl/
o.pl
http://news.o.pl/2016/08/12/
How it went
Main lessons learned
For me, the main point was unsuccessful this is a short period of time for the preparation of the exhibition after the performance. In the absence of additional financing and the inability to come to a preliminary acquaintance, planning and research, has been very little time for the realization of the exhibition, promo, collection of people. We did not have time to prepare the video art and photos from the performance in Lublin to the Opening of the exhibition, because between the events were just a couple of days. But in this whole situation, as in the performative arts and life, there is need for rapid response time in decision making. I decided that a photo and art will be part of the Ukrainian and an istallation is a Polish.
In addition,Warsztaty Kultury planning a large exhibition on the results of the entire recidency program, and we will be able to do an exhibition with photos and video art from Poland and Ukraine, as well as an istallation of ashes, which the body-dough of the country has become today.
Unfortunately, it failed to pass the Body-dough of the country to preserve to Dworek Wincentego Pola according to my will. This is an interesting turn of events, because I, at the time of the residence, as well as Vincent Paul, identified myself and the Body-dough of the country belonged to Poland. Therefore, in my understanding of the development process, the Body must have been in this museum. But it’s never happen.
Inspiration
During my stay in the residence, every day I opened for myself a new meanings, values, receiving information from meetings, spaces, communicating with the residents and people unknown to me.Time to time, I thought that there is no space in my mind, I’m full of new knowledge, but time went on, I tried to switch to a different sphere of research and observation, and all over again as a clean slate, starting to excite me and absorbed consciousness.
I admired the city, its history, streets, architecture, stories of inhabitants, employees of museums, cultural centers. Every day I absorb the energy of the city as if it tasted the taste, take a walk and visits to different areas, sometimes I just change builds on the streets, watching people.
I have been on different festivals traditions, theater and circus arts, saw a lot of performances and documentaries, visited trips to places of worship, and underground space. Each event, meeting, communication, became an event by touching the history, culture, someone’s revelation.
I saw the great ancient murals and mod art objects. I met with the decisions in the design of museum spaces for their employees in the Teatr NN with the history of Jewish life, which accounted for most of Lublin. I was shocked by the museum-concentration camp “Majdanek”. I was shocked by the stone walls of the old city. But most of all I was impressed by the stories. For example, in the museum “Dvorek Vincent Paul,” I heard the incredible story of a person that has identified himself as a real Polish, without being them. I even decided to bequeath the Body-dough of the country to store in this Museum.
Much more photo you fine in my facebook album Body of the country
link to it you can find below
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001167202670&sk=photos&collection_token=100001167202670%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.1079463122102584.1073741858.100001167202670&type=3
Credits
The support of Urban RECEDENCIES, Laboratorium Sztuki Społecznej , Warsztaty Kultury w Lublinie,
Galeria Labirynt and Waldemar Tatarczuk
Activity Timeline
2016
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The Body of the country
Hope, I can make it novel. with time)
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The Body of the country
