The show, titled Entanglement, features works by two up-and-coming Polish artists, Agnieszka Mastalerz and Michał Nowakowski, who explore the intricate dynamics of influence, control and mutual dependence within human relationships and societal structures.
Through video and sculpture, Entanglement examines how mechanisms of control shape behaviours, choices and appearances—prompting questions about the balance between individuality, autonomy and collective survival.
The exhibition is deeply grounded in themes of dependency, drawing on ideas from psychological, anthropological and international relations theories.
Interplay between humans and orchids
Mastalerz’s contribution, Nodes, is a digital video recorded with a Bolt high-speed camera robot and transferred to 16mm film. The installation is a poetic exploration of the relationship between humans and orchids, according to curator Alicja Głuszek.
Based on the artist's research into the historical and contemporary cultivation of orchids, the work highlights how industrialised production processes impose human ideals of beauty on natural forms.
Drawing parallels to societal norms, Mastalerz portrays the orchid as both a symbol of enchantment and a commodity shaped by market demands.
Agnieszka Mastalerz's intriguing digital video Nodes is a poetic exploration of the relationship between humans and orchids. Photo: Polish Radio
Hostile design
Nowakowski’s hostile 1, a carbon steel sculpture, juxtaposes aggression and empathy.
Inspired by the concept of hostile architecture, the piece examines how public spaces are designed to control human behaviour.
The sculpture evokes a universal sense of threat and protection, encouraging viewers to confront the duality of control as both coercive and necessary for order.
Nowakowski explores how design can communicate danger across cultural and temporal divides. His installation incorporates references to the Human Interference Task Force, a 1980s US Department of Energy group tasked with investigating the problem of human intrusion into radioactive waste repositories.
The exhibition also draws from the works of economists and theorists, including Kenneth Boulding and Robert O. Keohane, to analyse interdependence in its many forms.
It looks at sensitivity and vulnerability as dimensions of mutual dependence, framing them in the context of human relationships, nature and societal systems.
Michał Nowakowski's carbon steel sculpture hostile 1 examines how public spaces are designed to control human behaviour. Photo: Polish Radio
Unpacking the complexity of entanglement
Mastalerz, a graduate of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and Malmö Art Academy in Sweden, is known for her exploration of mechanisms of control and their impact on individuals and communities.
Nowakowski, a sculptor and cultural expert, focuses on the interplay between humans and their physical environments, using sculpture as his primary medium to navigate these themes.
With its thought-provoking installations, Entanglement challenges visitors to reflect on the often invisible forces shaping their lives and the world around them.
The exhibition promises to leave an enduring impression on audiences by unpacking the complexity of entanglement and its implications for freedom, dependency and societal continuity.
The show runs until the end of January at the XX1 Gallery near Warsaw's city centre.
(gs)
Source: galeriaxx1.pl