exhibition view
24H BRL/LUB
Artists: Ola Eibl, Nadine Fecht, Fernarda Figuereido, April Gertler, Aneta Kajzer, Anna Kott, Nina Maria Küchler, Alanna Lawley, Ann Oren, Azar Pajuhandeh, Sara Wallgren, Julia Lia Walter, Witte Wartena, Katarzyna Bielak, Jakub Ciężki, Magdalena Franczak, Alena Hrybianchuk, Stanisław Kamiński, Piotr Korol, Mikołaj Kowalski, Robert Kuśmirowski, Małgorzata Pawlak, Joanna Polak, Szymon Popielec, Mariusz Tarkawian, Agnieszka Zawadzka
19 & 20.01.2019
Parallel event: Agnieszka Polska, The New Sun at Piękno Panie Gallery
Photos: courtesy of Piotr Korol
Title: IN–A4
There are many theories connected to the etymology of the name of Lublin and Berlin. According to one of them name „Berlin“ transformed from an ancient slavic world br’lo, which means nothing more than a swamp or a marsch and describes a city settled on swamp. It is also possible that the name of the capital of Germany evaluated from a forename of its founder: probably somebody named Bral or Bratoslaw, which is marked in an „-in“ suffix consisted in the name of the city.
A similar etymology could relate to the name of Lublin, which probably has been founded by a person, which name could have been shorten as „Lubla“, so it could be somebody called Lubomir, Lubosław, Lubomysław or Lubowid (a typical ancient Polish first names).
That is why this suffix „in“, which is the same for both cities could be a sign for a similar history in a process of settlement. But for the purpose of this exhibition will be used to unite those both cites.
A piece of paper in an A4 format will be another element important for the show. To be more precise it will be its measurements: 210 x 297 mm, standardized at the beginning of the 20th century by two Germans. Until today there is an institution called DIN: Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Norms Institutes), which supervises and standardizes German reality. Therefore in German language this ordinary sheet of paper is called DIN–A4.
This piece of paper, present in our daily life, will become a reference for all artists invited. Through its standardized and limited measurements it seems to be a kind of restriction. But this restriction on the other hand could be seen as the beginning for creative process and very individual approach towards the settled rules.
In this case this given normalization will get out of control, showing that it is possible to find a crack even in a stiff and settled systems, which at the end are not capable to reflect and relate to our reality, although there are part of it.
The exhibition was made in collaboration with Krupa Gallery, Wroclaw.
Partners: Goethe Institut e.V., Fundacja Sztuki Polskiej ING