Lungs for sale/ Servais Collection Art Residency/ Auction in Poland
Hope you are safe, healthy and have a good start to 2021! After months of hiding in nature in Devon I came to Brussels for the art residency at the Servais Collection. The last year was both an incredible journey of personal growth and a great challenge when life felt overwhelming at times. The result of my internal struggle is the film “Lungs for Sale”, currently exhibited at Koppel Project Hive in London (due to Covid restrictions, the show is closed and will re-open as soon as the lockdown is lifted).I’d like to invite you to the online screening of ‘Lungs for sale’ & my previous film ‘Eleutherophobia – fear of freedom’, both being part of the Forging the Self exhibition at the Koppel Project, as well as to the online auction in Poland where I’m presenting ‘In the name of the Mother, and the Daughter and of the Holy Spirit’.____Online Screening‘Lungs for sale’ (11min) & ‘Eleutherophobia – fear of freedom’ (11min)+ Q&A with the artist4th February 5pm GMT/ noon ESTBook your free ticket here
ART RESIDENCYI’m currently in Brussels at the Servais Collection art residency. The residency is located in the 900sq meters beautiful loft filled with contemporary art. I’m sharing this gorgeous space with two artists from the collective Aparatus 22. I’m very grateful to be able to explore the city’s art scene as well as working on the new body of work, including the upcoming two-channel video installation.AUCTIONPolswissart Auction House
26th of January at 7pm CET ‘In the name of the Mother, and of the Daughter and of the Holy Spirit’If you are interested in bidding please contact: natalia.bradbury@polswissart.plThe artwork raises the question of the gender of God presented in most monotheistic religions, and also opens a discussion about its influence on the weakening of the position of women throughout history. More info about the artwork available HEREINTERVIEW IN THE EVENING STANDARD
In October 2020 Poland banned abortion. The country’s top court has ruled that abortions in cases of foetal defects are unconstitutional. The country’s abortion laws were already among the strictest in Europe but the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling means an almost total ban.As millions of other Polish women, I’ve been outraged by this decision and have joined the Strike of Women (Strajk Kobiet). I have organised few campaigns to raise the awareness and fund-raise money for the movement. The full article available HERE
LUNGS FOR SALE
‘Lungs for Sale’ (11’28”) is a film that documents the convergence of two distinct timelines of anxiety; the existential threat of extraordinary global events and the unraveling of Karpowicz’s own mental and physical health. After a lifelong struggle with an undiagnosed lung condition, the breaking news of the pandemic struck powerfully into Karpowicz’s psyche. Not only were her conscious thoughts bombarded by the daily onslaught of horrific imagery, the sense of dread permeated her dreams. One of those dreams, in which she attempted to purchase a new set of lungs, instigated a cascade of uncomfortable revelations about the structure of society and the artist’s own position within it.
Utilising this dream as an access point, Karpowicz explores the confluence of tensions that define our fraught socio-political landscape. Intertwining her own fear and confusion with a parallel onslaught of disturbing news from around the world, Karpowicz endeavours to articulate the vulnerability of the individual as they attempt to comprehend and adjust to radical change. ‘Lungs for Sale’ explores the dystopian reality exposed by the pandemic and the dangerous consequences of industrialised societies fuelled by hatred, fear and greed. A reality where universal experiences of disempowerment and disenfranchisement have led to the destruction of democracy and looming environmental disaster.
Whilst 2020 brought humanity’s desperate situation into sharp focus, the threats posed by poverty, inequality, unregulated capitalism, abuse of power, destruction of democracy, lack of universal healthcare and climate change are perennial. These problems were already part of our daily lives but the pandemic has made facing our collective challenges more pressing than ever before. We are at a decisive moment for our existence; will we respond effectively to the horror laid bare, or will we attempt to forge a “new normal” that isn’t that much different for those already suffering?
‘Lungs for Sale’ is a continuation of Karpowicz’s exploration of the potential to formulate a New Human Identity as a response to the dissolution of the foundational myths and institutions upon which our culture is predicated. The global problems we face require global solutions. They can be found only through solidarity and empathy. However, are we ready to see ourselves as allies not enemies?Stay safe! I hope to see you soon! All the best,