Janusz Bałdyga
Belongings

Zachęta / workshop room (entrance through the main hall)
video presentation

When Janusz Bałdyga was presenting his first performance on 7th December 1981, he had no idea that in a few days General Jaruzelski will impose martial law. In this way, GENERŁ CENTER became a prophetic event. The young artist, just at the beginning of his artistic path, has offered an excellent diagnosis of the relations between authoritarian power and society. Bałdyga's action was observed by a small group of people, fortunately the film documentation of the event has survived, though it only captures its spirit to some extent. On the fortieth anniversary of the event, the artist reconstructed the performance in the studio of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. After watching the recording, it became clear that although the reconstruction repeated the scenario from the past, it turned out to be something completely new, independent and, most importantly, acutely up-to-date. It was given a new title, State of Possession, which is a quote from the author's text explaining the situations arranged by the artist. The final result is a four-channel looped projection quite different from the original linear narration, which intensifies the strength of the work.

Upcoming events
all
  • 27.04 (Sat) 12:15
    From the Ashes
    (in Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta
  • 28.04 (Sun) 12:15
    Sunday guided tour
    (in Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta