This photo is part of the series: "The House of Souls"
All photos were taken in an old German
villa in my hometown in Poland. The stories of people who lived in this
house for generations inspired me to tell what is currently happening
in Poland. History repeats itself, and we humans kept making the same
mistakes. In 2015 the right-wing PiS party won the elections and since
then our country has been collapsing, dragging us women into the abyss.
Refugees were attacked first, then gays and lesbians, and finally women.
The consequences of this are already fatal. A church-backed right-wing
party tries to rule our bodies, decide whether we are to live or die.
Strikes of women fighting for their rights are sweeping through Poland.
The government does not listen to us, and women who are denied abortion
die. Slowly our country, our home begins to resemble The Republic of
Gilead from Margaret Atwoods "Handmaid´s Tale".
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
"... you can hear the wedding music coming from the blue atmosphere, quiet and lively, its own and drawing the heart and soul to sleep, lazy, in fainting and alive like a source of blood, uneven in the pulses, bleeding like a fresh wound: - melodious sounds wayed by pain and delight from Polish soil. " The Chochol dance motif illustrated above comes from Wyspiański's drama "The Wedding", In which this scene visualizes the apathy and sleep of the Polish nation. I used it to refer to the helplessness in which we have been stuck since 2015, then our nation sold itself for a few silver coins, stunned by the promises of a better tomorrow. We are still dancing half-conscious, starting to bleed. The Chochol dance symbolizes not only passivity, but also a chance for rebirth. After all, the mulch covered vegetation only for the winter period, and in spring the bushes and trees came to life. The symbolism of this figure is therefore also positive and signifies the hope that smolders in the hearts of Poles. The dormant nation will surely come to life, and the idea of regaining independence will be born with new strength and faith.
