Renata Kaminska’s biography is extremely rich and colorful. Originally from Poland where she was born in 1974, she now resides in Berlin. She is the author of many exhibitions, seen in Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Warsaw, London, New York and in many other cities. During the Night of Museums and Galleries she will presents two films: “180” and “EURO”.
Please describe yourself in a few sentences.
I was born in socialist Poland; in the Eastern Borderland (I’ve heard that this term is politically incorrect now. If that’s true, it means that I don’t know where I come from). My story with art started when I was in junior high where I passed preliminary exam for the Bernardo Morando art school in Zamosc. I took exams in two different high schools simultaneously: an art school and a medical school. All preliminary exams were at the same time, so it was impossible to take them one by one. I loved art, but neurology was my passion, too. Unfortunately, during my medical exams I noticed that I can’t stand the sight of open wounds, because I fainted. That is why my choice was easy – I choose art.
The films, which you have chosen to show for the Night of Museums and galleries, are totally different from each other. Why did you decide to show these particular two?
Both videos are perfect for projections in public spaces. Not all of my works are invented that way – some require intimacy. Both are about universal human longing… Because of that, they are understandable not only for “professional” art audience.
You had to wait 10 years to show your film ‘180’. Is there anything you would like to change now since you first
made it?
Yes, it’s true that I had to wait, but this kind of time lag isn’t rare in my job. But there is one big difference… Sometimes it depends on you, but sometimes (like in my case) you can’t do anything, you can only wait. Quite often I collect materials and start working, but after that I postpone it for some time and go back to them again later. If we’re talking about my movie, the time distance was too small, so my project is still very actual. And I am really glad about it.
Why did you decide to change EURO to ORO. Do you think that money or Euro can make people happy?
The neologism EURO is connected with the name of contemporary Europe, but also sounds like the ancient name of gold (in Latin). These two meanings are the subject of my work. But people can find other aspects there, too, for example social or educational.
Your first movie was about the German, the second one about the Europeans in general. You are Polish, now living in Berlin, and you studied during the rise of the Academy of Visual Arts, HGB, Leipzig. How do you see the geographical development of the global art map now?
Both works refer to the European community, and specifically to the capitalist Europe – the European Union, the Scandinavian Community or Switzerland. I am living in Berlin because life here is much easier for artists. Naturally, Berlin isn’t perfect, but in comparison with other places where I used to live, it gives artists the best possibilities. I studied in Lublin, Zurich, and Leipzig. In Leipzig I was in a class that was focused on the theoretical, not practical, aspect of art. At HGB there were classes devoted to one kind of art only, for example painting or graffiti. There was a class on mixed media, too – and I attended it. In my opinion, we need new vocabulary to describe art of my generation. New situations are connected with new lexicon.
Tell us more about your project Bel Etage.
The exhibition In Our Nature brings together 12 international artists whose practices examine the relationship between the human being and the elements, perceiving humankind as inherent of a primordial power intrinsically embodied by nature. For this reason, the projections focus less on the fascination with nature’s beauty, the sublime or on natural disasters reminding humans of their vulnerability, but rather show mankind as a sort of “natural hazard” – unpredictable, uncontrollable and often destructive. Furthermore, the invited artists explore the four elements as a prism of experience, a reflection of ideology, culture, ecological and environmental debate. Living in a natural environment of postindustrial cities that can be seen as urban jungles, we become increasingly wild “in our nature”.
Author: Jakub Munko
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НОЩ НА МУЗЕИТЕ И ГАЛЕРИИТЕ – ПЛОВДИВ, 2011
17 септември 2011
ПАРКИНГ
Църква „Св. Богородица“
21:00 – 01:00
„180“ – ням филм, c-video, 2008 г., 8:30 мин. Автор: Рената Каминска
„EURO“ – стерео-видео, c-video, (2010), 3:04 мин. Автор: Рената Каминска
Рената Каминска е родена през 1974 г. в Полша, живее и работи в Берлин. Реализирала е самостоятелни и групови изложби в Мюнхен, Берлин, Лайпциг, Варшава, Лондон, Ню Йорк и др. Филмът „180“ е заснет в Улм, Югозападна Германия, по време на спортни събития за мъже от 56 до 81 години. Филмът е датиран 2008 г., защото 10 години не се дава разрешение за разпространението на лентата.
Проектът е реализиран по „Отворена покана за проекти НОЩ“ на Фондация „Отворени изкуства“.
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Parking Lot, Sveta Bogoroditsa Church
21:00 – 01:00
Two videos by Renata Kaminska:
180 – silent movie, c-video, 8:30 min., 2008
EURO – stereo video, c-video, 3:04 min., 2010
Renata Kaminska was born in Poland in 1974. She lives and works in Berlin. Her works have been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Warsaw, London, New York and others. The silent film 180 was shot in 1998 in Ulm, Southwestern Germany, during a sports event for men aged 56 to 81. Because it was impossible to secure a permission to show it for ten years, it is dated 2008.
The project is part of the platform Open Call for Projects of the Open Arts Foundation.
