21.04 - 28.05.2017
Paweł Fabjański. The readout will occur automatically
Address: IFF Gallery, Fort Mokotów, ul. Racławicka 99, building 6
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Opening: April 21, 2017 (Friday), 7 PM
Guided visits with the artist and curator: May 14, 2017 (Sunday) at 2 PM
Admission fee: free
Exhibition curator: Krzysztof Pijarski
Exhibition design: Krzysztof Skoczylas
Paweł Fabjański decided to play. To play (with) the devices of capture, the apparatuses of the forest that keeps studying us. He scrutinizes the machine that the forest is, and through which we believe we are striding, in the instant we feel its caresses. His models’ bodies are covered in markers, allowing for the capture of the nature of our gait, our facial expressions, even for the reconstruction of the body as an autonomous whole; despite its absence, its death, having descended into nothingness. He shows the futility of confrontation, of the solitary battle with the animal: all bearings disappear, the space melts away, and what remains is the studying, the rubbing of bones against each other, the pain. Pathos also evaporates. What we see is not a heroic fight but tomfoolery, a drunk’s brawl, the iron embrace an attempt at staying afoot rather than at breaking the opponent in two. In any case: where is the threshold between us and the forest? Fabjański’s protagonists do not seem to be in possession of their own bodies – they are either absent, blank, or mismatched. Any attempt at identification is void. The distancing effect is reinforced by the markers – in exquisite, saturated orange, they do not disguise their base materiality as ping-pong balls. It is all play. The trajectory of the ball-projectile does not suggest the death of the protagonist, but registers the putting on of a clown’s nose, which returns in the struggle with the apparatuses’ dark matter. The ball even assumes the status of cult object: on the one hand as a death star (in all plenitude of its celluloid self), on the other hand – as a promise of happiness drifting against the backdrop of a pastel gradient, framing Fabjański’s whole project. This promise of happiness seems crucial here, since it explains the „commercial“ aftertaste of the series, especially its second part, rendered in smooth pastel colours: the girl blows lightly, and the ball floats in space – ad infinitum.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Pawel Fabjański (born in 1980) is a visual artist who creates his works primarily through the medium of photography. He graduated from the Technical University of Lodz and the National Film School in Lodz, where he is currently preparing his PhD thesis, and runs a “Commercial Photography Workshop”. Fabjański focuses his attention mostly on the issue of merging art and commerce - he deals with this topic both in his own creations and by exploring it as a lecturer. He received awards in KTR contest (Club of Advertisement
Creators Poland) and Silver Lion granted at the annual advertising festival in Cannes. His photos were presented in the “200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide” album published by prestigious publishing house Luerzer’s Archive and featured as Best-in-Book in Creative Review photography annual 2015. At present, Fabjański puts great emphasis on realizing artistic projects, his works have recently been presented at exhibitions in Paris, Cannes, Prague, Derby and Warsaw.
OFFER OF WORKS FOR SALE AND RENTAL OF THE EXHIBITION
All photographs shown at the exhibition are available for sale. The full presentation, including dimensions, editions, techniques and prices, can be viewed and downloaded here
For more information please contact us: biuro@fiff.org.pl
