Grzegorz Stefański

 

spill | video, installation, 2018

Grzegorz Stefański’s film shows the moment a body falls onto the floor. A fleeting moment, which in reality lasts but a few fractions of a second, is shown in slow motion, creating a sequence of several minutes. As a result, we may take a very detailed look at the movement of the falling body, its inertia and subsequent ‘stages’ that we would have otherwise been unable to register.

From the formal standpoint, the work refers to the long and rich tradition of photography. The invention of this method of recording image soon gave rise to exploring the potential offered by a photographic lens and experiments with the technical possibilities of capturing image over time. A direct impulse to create this work was the artist’s personal experience: a torn ligament in the knee. During his recovery, it soon turned out that regular household chores, such as taking out the rubbish, took him much longer than usual. This induced him to be more mindful of even the seemingly simple gestures. In these new conditions, his perception naturally changed too. He decided to build on this observation in the film presented at NARRACJE. Persons visible on the screen did not use any tricks to facilitate their fall: they momentarily relaxed all muscles so that their bodies would inertly fall onto the hard surface, assuming poses that are natural in this situation. The film has previously been shown at the Ujazdowski Castle CCA in Warsaw. In Gdańsk, a special ramp was built for the screening, from where you can see the material: it is at an angle, so that the viewers may also experience the lack of stability demonstrated by figures shown in the film. In Stefański’s own words: “To me, at the moment, this work is about an affirmation of weakness, about cutting yourself some slack as a method of growth and about the monumental dimension of intimacy”.

D.O.P.: Tomasz Ziółkowski, producer: Konstancja Liszewska, editing: Wioleta Wnorowska, costumes: Robert Kiełb, photographic documentation: Bartosz Górka, video documentation: Maciej Landsberg, translation: Michał Biela

Acknowledgements: Jakub Antosz, Irad Mazliah, Daniel Mekarski, Szymon Pacho, Maria Stokłosa, Mikołaj Syguda, Jarosław Trybuś, Bartosz Tyciński

locationIreny Jarockiej square

 

Grzegorz Stefański (b. 1983) is a visual artist, author of video installations, films and photographs. He earned his MA degree from Mirosław Bałka’s Studio of Spatial Activities at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, graduated in photography from the University of the Arts and in philosophy from the Jagiellonian University. His artistic activity combines psychology, performance art and film, with a particular focus on power, identity and the politics of embodiement. Stefański is a scholarship holder of The Slade School of Fine Arts in London. He has presented his works in Poland, the UK, Switzerland and the US, among others, and cooperated with the most important cultural institutions in Poland. Stefański comes from the Pomeranian region; he lives and works in London and Warsaw.

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Narracje 10

Narracje 10