Being Rich for a While is the Worst Thing That Can Happen

Collective exhibition of works using selected photos ofromf the photographic seriesphoto book „Subterranean River” by Łukasz Rusznica, laureate of the flagship event of the Krakow Photomonth Festival – the Portfolio Review in 2017.

Artists: Aga Jarząb, Arek Pasożyt, Dominik Stanisławski, Mateusz Szczypiński
Curators: Anna Ławrynowicz, Aleksander Celusta

Place:

ul. Krakowska 25
Kraków

OPENING:

22.06, 7 p.m.

EXHIBITION OPEN:

22.06–20.07
monday–sunday: 4 p.m.–9 p.m.

In studies of decision theory, loss aversion is a phenomenon showing that people are more afraid of losses than value gains. This is still valid even if the probability of gains might be higher than the probability of a loss and is related to Hegel’s theory of a connection between ownership and freedom — conscious ownership (and as- sociated with that privileges) means meaningful existence. As a consequence, people who are afraid of losing their property, they are really afraid for their freedom.

In this light, a relation between the photographer Łukasz Rusznica and the artists invited to participate in the project there is a tension connected to the threat of loss as they give up their own copyright. This loss is treated as a potential gain by Rusznica, a way of increasing his own wealth and what comes along with it—the increase of his own freedom. In this case are we dealing with a kind of a loss (by the other artists by giving access to their work) that becomes a gain (through having their work owned by somebody else)?

Possibly. However, the relation that is formed between the photographer and the artists is symmetrical. They, too, after all—despite taking a risk of losing their freedom and ownership by being used by another—gain something in the form of the presented works.

Text: Anna Ławrynowicz
Tłumaczenie: Jowita Bydlowska

 

Mateusz Szczypiński
He was born in 1984 in Piekary Śląskie. He graduated in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and History of Art at the Jagiellonian University. He lives and works in Krakow. Represented by the lokal_30 gallery in Warsaw. The main creative method of Mateusz Szczypiński is using the quote, referring to the well-known tradition, images and clichés encoded in mass consciousness. He uses collage technique, a medium that, as he emphasizes, best reflects the multithreading and diversity of the culture in which we function.

 

Arek Pasożyt
In 2010 he formulated a “Manifesto of Parasitism” presenting the idea of his activities as a parasite-artist. According to these ideas covered in “Manifesto”, Parasite Arek lived, worked and created parasitizing for four years in several cities, cultural institutions and all places of culture. With time, his actions turned into a critique of the status of the artist in society and he began to create the so-called host projects. At the basis of this activities is the belief in the therapeutic role of art and the belief that people can improve their situation through it.

 

Aga Jarząb
Born in 1977, lives an works in Wrocław, Poland. I do a lot of things: animated films in manual techniques, drawings, art objects and design. I cooperate with many cultural institutions as a graphic designer and animator. I work with students of Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław as an assistant proffesor at the Media Art Department. I am co-founder of kinoMANUAL, small, independent audio-visual production house focused on experimenting with the moving image and sound. www.kinomanual.pl

 

Dominik Stanisławski
Born in 1979 in Łódź, Poland. Graduated of the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where he finishes his PhD thesis. Previously he studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University. He works as an assistant at the II Interdisciplinary Class at his alma mater. Visual artist. In his artistic practice, he deals with activities from the borderline of analog and digital media recording and processing the image, as well as the art of the object and more often installation and performative activities.