Firesides

The project entitled Firesides attempts to show, through the prism of a fireplace, a correlation between a human-being and a space. In this context the fireplace is seen as the most important architectural and sculptural element of Irish and Polish interior decoration. The project’s idea has been inspired by the recent phenomenon of the economic migration of Polish people (including artists), who while being abroad strove to assimilate and to establish a form of co-operation.

Within present-day globalisation, this contemporary cultural nomadism appertains to specific traditions and local norms which seem to be well-captured by the idea of old and modern fireplaces and stoves. There is also the second value related to the invitation I received to visit many private and public places during my residency in Ireland. These places I transformed into photo wallpapers which, eventually, became backgrounds for the siting of people closest to me back in Poland. Next, these were in turn re-photographed to become the final exposition artwork.

This ‘fictitious reality’ creates around the Leitrim Sculpture Centre exhibiting space a particular ‘horizon of events’. Each installation element becomes a feature of the artistic game involving the neighbourhood and its history. The utopia of seclusion and privacy of the exhibition space is temporarily disturbed by the illusion of opening it up to the external social world. By doing so, the visitors have an opportunity to look through the photographic ‘exposures’ to nearer and further perspective of reality surrounding the gallery.