Land scape
Mariusz Sołtysik
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
which has been enjoyed my colleagues and students for a year and a half .
Over the years you have showcased your works in several occasions , both in Poland and abroad , including shows in Germany , Israel , Ireland , Iceland , France , Sweden , Italy , Romania , India , Australia and USA : one of the hallmarks of your work is the capability to create a direct involvement with the viewers , who are urged to evolve from a condition of mere spectatorship . So before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience . Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decisionmaking process , in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context ?
At the stage of idea creation , I don ’ t think , I consider the viewer . When it comes to a sketch and during the developmental stage – yes , I do . Taking a viewer into consideration has got a great meaning in case of interactive works , installation or sitespecific works . You have to consider how to lead the viewer and where the work is done . In one of your questions you mentioned globalisation . The awareness of common behaviours allows us to suspect and plan the reactions reserved for our species in terms of perception . My language is a visual message , when it becomes universal through the use of media , tools and contexts of time and place , it becomes mine and the viewer ’ s . Of course , only if the viewer wishes to appropriate it .
Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing your thoughts , Mariusz . Finally , would you like to tell us readers something about your future projects ? How do you see your work evolving ?
I am working now on a rather big project , which deals with the topic of the condition of humanity . It uses small gestures in both virtual and real space . Except for planned works , I returned to doing interactive works . Political situation in Poland and in the world is becoming radicalised while at the same time we witness a state of indifference for the tragedy of the ‘ other ’. I have an impression that societies equipped with technological gadgets do not pay attention to content , common knowledge and agreements . There seems to be an overenjoyment of hyper-textual links , superficial descriptions of situations and popular slogans , as well as ever growing ‘ likes ’. For that reason , I am working on the second version of the work , where the viewer discovers normative acts such as constitution in the context of his or her present situation . This is a commentary on the situation , but also a possibility to show / read constitution acts which are known only from the names , not from the content .
I would like to thank you very much for your insightful and interesting questions . They appreciate the viewer ’ s needs , which is of great importance for me and for the reception of my works .
My web : www . mariusz-soltysik . com
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