THE BEATEN PATH

THE BEATEN PATH

On the fourth of July 2019 during the anniversary of the free elections, during the celebrations in the post-shipyard area in Gdańsk, celebrations foreshadowed as a manifest of the civilian society, appears an exhibition “THE BEATEN PATH” imagined and initiated by Łukasz Guzek, Jacek Kornacki, and Maciej Śmietański. In the escarp of a dirt pile right next to the old Imperial Shipyard’s area’s entrance six creators embed kind of chaotic banners commentating found reality.

Probably there would be nothing unique in that, if not for the context of the put into existence situation. A thing happens during the celebrations, nearby their main localization organised by the city of Gdańsk with the assistance from the European Solidarity Centre. One of the celebrations’ elements is the presentation of a neon “New Life” on the old building of Art Foundation Wyspa, decreed now as the headquarters of Modern Art Museum NOMUS in Gdańsk, merely 400 meters from the headquarters of the artists combine WL4, occupying a building on the area of the shipyard. Appears then a question why did the artists chose an abandoned pile. Few things are a cause of this.

Gdańsk for many years has been the birthplace and one of the main facilities of politically invested art. Always has been made by upward initiatives usually referring to the freedom traditions, heritage of the shipyard's work and workers invested into the movement of social changes as in years 70s and as in 80s of the previous century. This art has always been the alternative for the actions institutionalized, decreed and organized downwardly. The celebrations of the july 4th turned out to be a heavily sugar-coated, politically-correct party. They did not show the face of the social dialogue, maintained a binary image of society, did not put forth important questions. Employed here self-governance declaration did not fall into memory and did not create a new narration. This is why presented here exhibition stood as a counter to this icing. Artists did not rely on correctness, art hits here beyond economics, but also above ideology. As if they wanted to quote Donald Tusk: “take matters into your own hands…”, they do not realize the Social Committee's decree celebrations, ignore that what is a decree.