Analysis of Emotions and Vexations II, 2016
part II of a film diptych
Analysis of Emotions and Vexations II is a film production forming part of a diptych developed over the years 2015–2016. It comprises metaphorical representations of the intimate space of one’s own room and… mind. Combining music and specific sounds with spoken poetic content and animated drawings is the trademark aesthetic of Bąkowski’s film productions, the artist having abandoned the technique in 2019.
Bąkowski’s consistent artistic mindset has evolved from his immersion in “reality of the lowest rank”. The artist is fond of referencing the phrase used by Tadeusz Kantor, considering it a perfect choice for describing his own activities as well as explorations by his colleagues – fellow members of the ‘Penerstwo’ formation. Bąkowski applies a coherent aesthetic arising from a congruence of opposites: primitivism and sophistication, arrogance and sensitivity, experiencing the world profoundly and wallowing in the gutter (I. Kopania, 2012).
Wojciech Bąkowski (b. 1979 in Poznań, Poland) – visual artist, poet and musician. Lives and works in Warsaw, Poland. His works were shown i.a. by New Museum, New York (2009), Schmela Haus, Kunstsammlung North Rhine-Westphalia, Dusseldorf, Germany (2012), Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany (2013), Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, Poland (2013). His basic vocabulary is built around text, sound and image, occasionally becoming the content
of his artworks as a result. Awarded the Grand Prix of the 61st International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (Germany) in 2015. Had film productions screened at festivals in Toronto, Vienna, Ann Arbor, and others. Had individual screenings held at the Anthology Film Archives, NY, Museum of Moving Image, NY, and National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA. His music albums were released by Dunno Recordings, Bocian Records, Qlturap, Dyspensa Records and ArtBazaar Records. Played concerts at multiple festivals across Poland (Unsound, OFF festival, Open’er, Nowa Muzyka and others), as well as galleries and museums: Museum of Modern Art, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, and Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland. Played abroad at the Eye Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Bureau gallery, NY, USA, and other venues. Wojciech Bąkowski is represented by Stereo gallery in Warsaw, and Bureau gallery in New York.
photo: Adam Gut
