The Ratcatcher
One of the artists featured in The Ratcatcher exhibition utters the following words during her performance: 鈥淚鈥檝e set up this situation to create the present鈥� Through her action the artist performs a gesture aimed at a confrontation with reality. By investigating the structures of reality we may avoid falling into the traps of the world鈥檚 automation or randomness, and consequently 鈥� understand and deregulate its mechanisms. All the works shown at the exhibition, from the 1950s until now, present a multi-pronged attempt at perceiving the changing role and position of an individual vis-脿-vis the social, political and civilisational conditions. Although the invited artists represent various points of view and differ in their experience, all the works add up to tell a story about human nature and psyche.
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from Andrzej Czarnecki鈥檚 documentary about a professional rat exterminator and his strategies. The main character reveals the methods of his work by describing how he exterminated rats in a meat processing plant. Although the man appreciates and respects rats鈥� intelligence, he is ruthless. His knowledge of the rodents鈥� psyche and behaviours makes it easier to kill them. By acting methodically and consistently, he always wins. First he gains the rats鈥� trust by giving them food, and once they have got used to him 鈥� they die.
The documentary was made in 1986, three years after the end of martial law in Poland. At that time it was interpreted as a metaphor of the systematic surveillance of the anti-communist resistance movement by the secret services. Nowadays the film and the strategies of extermination featured in it justify other, not only purely historical, interpretations. In the exhibition, the story has been treated as a starting point for a parabolic narrative about reality and a phantasm of the fall of the Latin civilisation. Owing to its essay-like form, the display accentuates tensions between the ideas, needs and desires of an individual and the social determinants. One of the main questions posed by the exhibition asks: 鈥淚s your mind full of goodness?鈥�
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One of the artists featured in The Ratcatcher exhibition utters the following words during her performance: 鈥淚鈥檝e set up this situation to create the present鈥� Through her action the artist performs a gesture aimed at a confrontation with reality. By investigating the structures of reality we may avoid falling into the traps of the world鈥檚 automation or randomness, and consequently 鈥� understand and deregulate its mechanisms. All the works shown at the exhibition, from the 1950s until now, present a multi-pronged attempt at perceiving the changing role and position of an individual vis-脿-vis the social, political and civilisational conditions. Although the invited artists represent various points of view and differ in their experience, all the works add up to tell a story about human nature and psyche.
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from Andrzej Czarnecki鈥檚 documentary about a professional rat exterminator and his strategies. The main character reveals the methods of his work by describing how he exterminated rats in a meat processing plant. Although the man appreciates and respects rats鈥� intelligence, he is ruthless. His knowledge of the rodents鈥� psyche and behaviours makes it easier to kill them. By acting methodically and consistently, he always wins. First he gains the rats鈥� trust by giving them food, and once they have got used to him 鈥� they die.
The documentary was made in 1986, three years after the end of martial law in Poland. At that time it was interpreted as a metaphor of the systematic surveillance of the anti-communist resistance movement by the secret services. Nowadays the film and the strategies of extermination featured in it justify other, not only purely historical, interpretations. In the exhibition, the story has been treated as a starting point for a parabolic narrative about reality and a phantasm of the fall of the Latin civilisation. Owing to its essay-like form, the display accentuates tensions between the ideas, needs and desires of an individual and the social determinants. One of the main questions posed by the exhibition asks: 鈥淚s your mind full of goodness?鈥�
Artists on show
- Aleka Polis
- Andrzej Jan Wróblewski
- Angelika Markul
- Artur Zmijewski
- Douglas Gordon
- Gustav Metzger
- Irena Kalicka
- Irmina Rusicka
- Jacek Malinowski
- Jerzy Kosa艂ka
- Jerzy Truszkowski
- Justyna Scheuring
- Kuba B膮kowski
- Liliana Piskorska
- 艁ukasz Surowiec
- Marcin Dudek
- Mariusz Tarkawian
- Natalia Wi艣niewska
- Rafal Wilk
- Richard Mosse
- Roman Sta艅czak
- Szymon Kobylarz
- Zbyszko Trzeciakowski
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