„Sculpture – subject accustomed” is a title of an exhibition held in Galeria Miejska bwa in Bydgoszcz, which presents works done by sculptors from Toruń, who are associated in Stowarzyszenie Artystyczne „Otwarte”. Since 2011 the association has integrated people who are interested in creating and promoting artistic ideas. By developing creative and exhibition activities, creating conditions to confront it, they try to deepen recipients sensitivity for sculpture. First exhibitions took place in Toruń; they were organized both in galleries and in courtyards of educational and cultural centres. The catalogue prepared for the exhibition in Bydgoszcz presents works of dozen or so sculptors. Artists represent diverse approaches, use that kind of means and concepts, which are most adequate and authentic to their individual artistic choices.
„Sculpture – subject accustomed”. The title seems to be a defined statement, but in fact it brings more questions than answers.
What do we accustom? That, what is unknown to us, what confronts us and what we consider to be savage. If we call the sculpture to be „an accustomed subject”, we need to understand that it brings up more than just a simple subject. Somehow it affects our being in this world. Sculpture itself is an existing form between „mine” and „not mine” Why do we accustom? Do we want to accustom things to ourselves, measure them with own scale? Since the beginning of XX century dialogue philosophy has been trying to define a relation between „I” and „others” and state a verbal status of „You”. It is worth to consider objections raised by Emmanuel L vinas to define the meaning of „Other” in philosophy. A defined „Other” stops to be „Other”. Thesculpture itself doesn’t subordinate to linguistic rules. Not a statement, but its sensual perception evokes the real meaning in observer. This perspective definitely doesn’t help to directly and literally understand exhibition’s title.
„The accustom” may raise an objection when used to describe art, which breaks out from framework and many times questions preserved opinions. Breaks well-ordered patterns, which limit our capability to individually evaluate artistic effects and occurrences; enforces us to ask questions with no guarantee of receiving easy answer. But after all, this impetuosity and contrariness reveals to be only a strange world; moreover – uncomfortable and unwanted in our reality. How to talk nowadays about that what is different? Social and cultural processes are facing deeper unification; aiming assimilation of what is different; and at the end to trivialize obvious things which are basic elements of human existence. Surrounded by excess, one doesn’t feel lack. It’s a demanding feeling, but necessary to catch the distance to one’s existence. An artist has a right to criticize social norms, because he accustoms a thought and material not only for himself. During the act of creation, the sculptor prepares a subject for art – if it’s taken out from the nature with its unique character and structure; or if it’s taken from culture with assigned associations and sense. Depending on how deep the artist interferes with material’s character, his action always transfers „his” nature into it, he marks it with his own art and reality conception. Accustom term inevitably describes a problem of facing „other” in a process of sculpture’s creation and receipt. Therefore it’s a process of exceeding own subjectivity, facing something that is not „mine” and not obvious. „Accustom” goes deeper inside, right to a question of human nature and its limits. Sculpture isn’t an exception in art whenever symbolic meaning becomes a point of reference. It appears as a real subject; in daily space in which we live. It appears without physical frame, which divides and defines existence as artificial.
If so where in the case of sculpture is the border between fake and real? This question, in the context of our exhibition, triggers important impulse – sculpture is close to human.
Anita Oborska-Oracz
Artists: Katarzyna Adaszewska, Joanna Bebarska, Andrzej Borcz, Krystian Jajszczyk, Iwona Langowska, Alicja Majewska, Grzegorz Maślewski, Krzysztof Mazur, Sebastian Mikołajczak, Anita Oborska-Oracz, Aleksander Paweł Paskal, Piotr Tołoczko, Maciej Wierzbicki