Art of Familiarity

supervisor: Artur Chrzanowski, PhD (Photography Studio) + prof. Wiesław Karolak (Intermedia Studio)
Department of Multimedia
Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz

The title “familiarity” on one hand means attachment to someone – a habit, but it can also be interpreted as an adaptation, subordination, or getting used to – the nature of a person or a situation. The word “art” is yet associated primarily with an artistic activity, and in conjunction with the word “familiarity”, it recalls the titles of today’s popular guidebooks aimed at making our life more perfect. So, finally, “The Art of Familiarity” – hastily read – may sound like an “Art of Living”, which brings about such terms of the modern art history, as: “Art is life, life is art,” or “Work of art stands for the action and life that can be documented”.

The central point of the work is the figure of the author’s uncle, crippled in car accident in his youth. Inspired by the attitude of the artists who made art of recording of the everyday life, the artist decided to photograph her uncle’s life. During long recording process, Madej created an archive, comprising a collection of photographs that document another minutes, hours, days and months of living of a beloved person.

The archive is available on: archiwumprocesu.blogspot.com.