Beat Masha [about performance by Maria Anna Potocka]

Last week, Open Eyes Economy Summit was held in Krakow for the ninth time – global legislature of Economics of Values; an event aimed at people from the political, economical and cultural environment. It was officially opened by the president of the City of Krakow Aleksander Miszalski and the Marshal of the legislature of Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. Surprisingly, for the people gathered, but not for the president of the OEES Programme Council, prof. Jerzy Hausner, there was an incidental involving Maria Anna Potocka.

As shown by eyewitnessHausner was to introduce her as an ‘extraordinary person’:

“[of] 1 side, the artist, on the another hand the curator of art, manager of many different cultural institutions, of which there is no uncertainty the artistic level. Masha occurs at a point that is an integral part of the congress, called “Artist changes the world”, to which we invitation not only artists from Krakow, but those who change our way of seeing the world. I invitation everyone, and Masha, thank you for many years of friendship, for many things that I admire and for accepting this role.”

After an autopresentation dedicated to merit and success in the art field, Potocka reportedly cited an anecdote from the past erstwhile she concluded that "the submission of property statements is simply a rape on human freedom" (Confederacy She likes it), so she did not submit her own and was fired by then president of the City of Krakow, Jack Majchrowski. But calmly, there is no bad thing – she utilized the next 7 months productively: to compose her doctorate. On the occasion of her speech, she besides revealed that she is presently working on a collection of stories under a grateful title Rape.

Potocka then moved from the hall to the crowded lobby of the ICE legislature Centre; there she was joined by Tatar artist Robert Kuśmirowski (one of the signatories of the letter in defence of the compromised director). Together they have carried out a ‘performance action’ Man to Man – consisting in cutting off 2 puks of Potocka's hair and Kuśmirowski's beard and attaching them to a woman's previously taped with double-sided adhesive tape.

Kuśmirowski explained his intentions in the following words: “I would like to transfer my culture into culture, say, Krakow, [...] and the ambassadors of this place, Masha Potocka”. Among those late awarded the title Krakow Ambassador of Multiculturalism I do not see the name of the individual whose violent practices towards his erstwhile subordinate, Lydia Krawczyk, confirmed the final judgement of the court, but who knows, possibly another kind of representation is involved.

Hausner besides tempted for a brief summary, addressing his friend with the words, “Macha, you always wanted to look like this.”

That's right, how?

Unable to identify

To explain what the process of "impossible identification" Jacques Rancière recalls October 1961 eventsWhen the message “We are a cursed people of the earth” expressed solidarity with the repressed Algerian minority, and at the same time symbolically cut off from the actions of the French government, embodying power and colonial violence. A akin function 7 years later – erstwhile from France Daniel Cohn-Bendit was exiled, leader of student protests – played the slogan “We are all German Jews”, or – reaching to a newer communicative – the slogan: “Je suis CharlieIt’s okay. ”

This kind of ‘impossible’ operation is usually at stake for the part of the dominant group on the side of susceptible groups and victims of violence, representing awareness of their own privilege and simultaneous discrimination against others. If we ask a question about the intentions of the originators – Kuśmirowski, and above all consciously refraining from Potocki's feminities – the incidental in ICE, it turns out that the vector of attention is directed in the other direction: alternatively of empathy and equal ideals, the first violin plays cultural misappropriation and unfettered egotrip.

Initially, it was unclear what mention was made to which of the number identities was meant: Tatar, how would the engagement of Kuśmirowski or judaic suggest, as would the characteristic elements of the stereotypical image of judaic masculinity, or beard and dress indicate? Doubts were immediately dispelled by Potock herself. With modesty, she found interviewthat Kuśmirowski's intention was to “give something of himself, from Muslimism to the “Israeli side”. To make a symbol of communion between these 2 worlds, however, "of course, a more cliche explanation is drawn to the fact that this action is simply a mention to the word "bike the Jew" and refers to the escalation of attacks on me".

In fact, this explanation is more powerful, but I would not call it trivial. On the contrary, it governs the logic of which knowing requires considerable intellectual effort. But let's effort to take it.

We're all Jews.

Prewar judaic Society of Krakow of 60,000 people. Although a number of local entities, persons or institutions are regularly working to increase public awareness, Inclusion and Tolerance, both judaic heritage (disneylandization of Kazimierz) as well as anti-Semitic stereotypes are subject to continuous codification on a mass scale (trade of souvenirs with an image Jew for good luck or depicting judaic characters in traditional nativity scenes illustrating the alleged conventional anti-Semitism).

The ICE legislature Centre, located on the banks of the Vistula River, is not only a modern, awesome building, but besides "business and cultural business card of the cityIt’s okay. ” And it was Potock's space – with consent and with the support of highly placed people – that it was appropriate to usage its symbolic capital, environmental connections and social loyalty to make the subjectivity of the victim.

The strategy is theoretically well-known – so far Potock has created himself as a victim of unfair judgment, hate, ostracism, Cancel culture Or the celebrated cultural waste. Her repertoire of images of defence responses included specified classics as the non-acceptance of a final judgement of the court, the cover-up of the position of a witness (exceeding exclusively from the pathology of the Polish legal system), the expression of disagreement to resign as manager by agreement of the parties, and of course questioning the credibility of a erstwhile worker combined with yapping about being strong, demanding woman.

This average first line of Potock's defence decided a fewer days ago to enrich with an highly peculiar twist – a public standing in the position of a persecuted (Jewish) minority. Books on how and why Jews are beaten have already been published in 1885. A modern alternate to those who like practice to explanation can be at least about an Easter expedition Prusor. Apparently, the question raised on the theatre boards once, “Who wants to be Jewish“It has already become obsolete and present – with a small bad will, a advanced degree of self-centeredness and a deficiency of simple sensitivity – We can all be..

However, let us return to the crucial things, or escalation of the force against Potocka. An example of specified practices may be held in the prestigious Starmach Gallery in Kraków opening her exhibition (opened until the end of November), attended by Majchrowski, Hausner and Andy Rottenberg.

Or a gala for the award of the Nike Literary Prize (a chapter that inactive belonged at the time, before She gave up generously), with Adam Michnik recognizing it as “a warrant of moral integrity” and humanistic authority to the measurement of John Błoński.

Or published in the most popular press title in the country support letter, through which the aforementioned category of “cultural waste” will be recorded gold in the past of grandfatherhood.

Or a conversation between Jack Majchrowski and Radio Kraków and statementthat Potocka's only drawback is workoholism, which he besides requires of others. “Unfortunately,” added the erstwhile president of Krakow, any people feel that they should not work so hard, and if they are noticed and asked to do something, they consider it mobbing.”

Indeed, the atmosphere is almost pogromous.

Damage control

Under the regulation go large or go home, by the power of the authority of Kuśmirowski and Potock, which was given to each other, they decided to present the second as a victim of persecution, a typical of a number group, for centuries exposed in Poland (and not only) to systemic, social and symbolic violence, about pogrom actions, Or Marc 1968, not to mention.

They did this during an appearance that would most likely have been protested if it had been officially announced. However, this did not happen, most likely due to the fear of violating artistic freedom with the agenda of an global event.

Instrumentalising the situation of number groups (consecrated by a highly capitalised typical of 1 of them), their historical and contemporary repressions or trauma, and cynical juggler with stereotypes, which frequently led to real anti-Jewish violence, is an highly hypocritical image strategy Damage control.

The confusion on the horizon of the cry “Plash Masha!” may further indicate that the experimentation with autoviction has begun to get out of control and it is time to halt it.