Whip instead of the Sun
Museum of Warsaw
2024
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Only half of all the people living in Warsaw were born there—the data comes from censuses that have been conducted since the 1880s. The numbers are surprisingly consistent and studies carried out in subsequent decades show similar statistics: nearly half of Warsaw’s residents are migrants from small towns and villages, both a hundred years ago and today.
The exhibition by Agata Jarosławiec opens with a self-portrait of the artist in which she refers both to her personal history and to a broader reflection on the folk turn in contemporary Polish culture. Migration to a city is often associated with social advancement, albeit not necessarily straightforward or unequivocal. Struggles with the negative image of being “from the provinces” or cultural alienation have accompanied many residents of Warsaw, turning into a vital component of their new identity. These people helped shape the city, but their cultural heritage was absorbed by the dynamics of metropolitan life. Considered inferior and immature, it disappeared from both social consciousness and the pages of history.
Through her own biography and that of her family, Agata Jarosławiec analyses the experience of social advancement in a broad social context. The artist processes themes related to class shame, the burden of serfdom memory, and the relations between history and contemporary identity. She analyses the issue in a multifaceted and timeless manner: her works combine historical elements, such as imprints of inscriptions from serfdom crosses, with very contemporary forms, such as a trampoline or Lowen’s stool. She addresses the topic of violence and transgenerational trauma recorded in the body. The exhibition features objects, photographs, paintings, and videoart.
Zofia Rojek, curator (translation: Karol Waniek)
exhibition design: Michał Sroka
