The extraordinary ingenuity of Jarek Kubicki
Contemporary artist Jarek Kubicki from Warsaw's Powiśle district has taken advantage of "quarantine" restrictions to create two sensational collections of works that intrigue, entertain and provide us viewers with a necessary dose of art.
The Faces of Quarantine
This project is a series of collages of famous painterly portraits placed in real windows. Jarek was inspired by the simple and popular activity of killing boredom, that is, looking out the window and seeing the world we can't currently be in. We especially miss the air when nature awakens to life so beautifully. That's why the faces depicted in the window frames are much sadder and more pensive than the original ones - they are accompanied by a poignant reflection caused by the need to stay indoors.
From the series The Faces of Quarantine
source: https://kubicki.info/
Extremely important for the author was the impression of consistency of the characters with the environment and background. Jarek Kubicki mentions that it was much more difficult for him to find the right windows than to choose the faces of popular artworks. However, the effect came out excellent - one might think that the painted characters are real "peepers" of street life! But since the streets are now empty let's at least let them look.
From the series The Faces of Quarantine
source: https://kubicki.info/
32nd Day of Quarantine
The second initiative undertaken by artist and photographer Jarek Kubicki is a collection of well-known images enhanced with silhouettes of police officers. This is Jarek's response to the constant references in the media to the abuse of power in the form of, among other things, the unfounded imposition of fines.
from the series 32nd Day of Quarantine
source: https://kubicki.info/
from the series 32nd day of Quarantine
source: https://kubicki.info/
With the help of a series of satirical images, the author presents the public's opinion on the quarantine rules being introduced and the form of their supervision. It's more about the way the new restrictions are communicated - people feel confused, they don't know what exactly they are allowed and what they are not, and they are afraid for their health and future. Ignorance makes them lose their sense of security, and the lack of consistency in police supervision of citizens is a cause of frustration and dissatisfaction. Don't know what you got a ticket for? Don't worry - the Mona Lisa has doubts, too.
from the 32nd Day of Quarantine series
Source: https://kubicki.info/
Jarek Kubicki is trying to take advantage of the prevailing difficult situation to create interesting and topical artistic works - after all, all life has moved to the media, so artists also have their field to play in. Is it quarantine art or quarantine art anymore?
And you can become a quarantine artist!
Many museums and cultural institutions have not completely cut themselves off from society, and what's more, with interesting games they encourage people to create art with them in the media. One of the initiators of such activities is the National Museum, which in response to the growing boredom throws a creative challenge to Internet users.
The task for participants is to recreate a work of art selected from the museum's collection, using home space and materials. The photo has to be uploaded to the web and tagged with #neverwMNW. Some ideas surpass the wildest expectations!
National Museum in Warsaw
Source: https://www.facebook.com/MuzeumNarodowe/posts/3278877298790229
The National Museum's initiative is just an example of one of many similar actions that, thanks to public involvement, inspire action, entertain and allow us to forget about the complicated coronavirus time.
Life is cloudy and art is joyful
This poetic quote straight from Schiller confirms that even in the toughest of times, artists can (and perhaps even should!) use their talents and abilities to create art that will not only be art in itself, but will provide people with much-needed entertainment now. There is no way to worry about new works - ingenuity combined with the amount of time we have to use because of the quarantine means that human creativity knows no bounds.
