press release, PDF

Laboratory of the Future: REGRESS-PROGRESS
21 June 2011 – 15 January 2012
Act 2
ALEKSANDRA WASILKOWSKA
Un-room
spatial setting
Gallery 2
16.07 – 15.01.2011
Curator: Kaja Pawełek
Exhibition opening: Friday 15 July, 6 p.m.
Performance Attraction with special guest appearance
during the opening at 6.30 p.m. by Kaya Kołodziejczyk
Aleksandra Wasilkowska’s installation Un-Room within the project realized until 15 January
2012 titled Laboratory of the Future. REGRESS-PROGRESS is a kind of mental space
occupied by unknown Residents, who lost control over the objects that surround them. If you
try to get closer the furniture moves away, fleeing as if out of fear of being useless, and taking
on the anxiety of people closest to it. A space of non-human residents is thus created, whose
emotions furnish it in an uncontrolled way.
Un-Room in a tricky way materializes the dream of progressive architecture that reacts to
people, blending affirmation of progress with flight away from it. As in Buster Keaton’s silent
film Electric House, in which the main character falls victim to his own technical inventions,
the machinery follows its own program. The algorithm is no longer responsible only for the
pre-programmed goals and needs but begins to release the tension coming from peoples’
mental states. The space around us starts to adopt peculiar codes of behaviour and emotions,
becoming the replacement of our emotions.
During séances, which for a brief moment brought together the world of science and
occultism in late 19th century, pieces of furniture were virtually prostheses of the bodies of
mediums. During the famous Eusapia Palladion’s séances, she was able to move glasses,
plates and even tables. The séances were attended by renowned scientists, such as Maria
Curie-Skłodowska and Pierre Curie, who were fascinated with the transmission of the secret
energy which appeared to resemble the just discovered radioactivity.
The context for the installation is also constituted by feature films, such as Repulsion and The
Tenant by Roman Polański or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry,
where rooms and everyday appliances interact with characters, react to their psyche and
become reflections of their mental states. Kaya Kołodziejczyk, a choreographer and dancer,
took on the role of the Un-Room’s resident. The Un-Room installation will be subsequently
occupied by other Residents.
Aleksandra Wasilkowska is an architect working on the verge of art., science, architecture
and urbanism, theory and practice. She creates installations in public space like Time Machine
at the Warsaw Central Station, Black Island within the theatre performance piece The Sex Life
of the Wild (directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski, dramaturgy: Marcin Cecko), and
Emergency Exit (together with Agnieszka Kurant) in the Polish Pavilion at the Venice
Biennial of Architecture in 2010. Her projects focus on the issues of complexity, movement
and performativity in architecture.
Laboratory of the Future: Regress Progress
21.06.2011 – 15.01.2012
Act I
Exhibitions on show:
► WHERE IS THE GREEN RABBIT? 21.06.2011 – 15.01.2012 Curator: Ewa Gorządek
► LANDSCAPE OF THE FUTURE 21.06 – 25.09.2011 Curator: Fabio Cavallucci
Special projects:
► Pawel Althamer, The Wall 2011 Curator: Marek Goździewski
► Cai Guo-Qiang, Summer Solstice, 2011 21.06 –28.08.11 Curator: Fabio Cavallucci
► Simon Leung, War after War, 2010 – 2011 21.06 – 2.10.2011 Curator: Rirkrit Tiravanija
► raumlaborberlin, GRATED FUTURES getting behind the scenes, 2011
21.06 –15.01.2012 Curator: Kaja Pawełek
Cinema
KINO.LATO, CCA open-air courtyard Curators: Katarzyna Boratyn, Michał Matuszewski
program PROGRESS in July (every Friday & Saturday, 10 p.m.)
program REGRESS in August (every Friday & Saturday, 9 p.m.
Education Curator: Joanna Rentowska
Cabinet of Curiosities of the Future, each Saturday in July and August at 12 noon
Workshops for 6 – 12 years old children and parents
Information
new magazine Tranzystor cswzu (editor-in-chief: Grzegorz Borkowski)
In the following acts :
Jarosław Kozakiewicz, Hornet, video Curator: Ewa Gorządek (from September 2011)
Performing Architecture Curator: Kaja Pawełek (from September 2011)
Design Saved by droog Curators: Renny Remakers, Milada Ślizińska (from October 2011)
Janek Simon, special project (from November)
Creative Education, Future is now Curators: Janusz Byszewski, Maria Parczewska – Laboratory of
Creative Education (from October 2011)
Project coordinator: Karolina Nowak
Partners: Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark, British Council, Samsung
Project implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of
The Republic of Poland
Cooperation: Digital Wonderland
Special Partner of the Cai Guo-Qiang Summer Solstice realization: Grąbczewscy
Special partner of the Aleksandra Wasilkowska Un-room exhibition: Dekobau
Culinary partner: Qchnia Artystyczna
Media patrons: Gazeta Wyborcza, Elle Decoration, Aktivist, Exklusiv, Stolica
Photographies available under the address: ftp://cswd.home.net.pl
login: media password: press catalogue: media catalogue: Laboratorium Przyszłości
Information:
Zofia Chojnacka, CCA Press Office, mob. +48 510 160 637
tel./fax +48 22 625 05 22, [email protected]