Prison, 1982-1983 (1-21/21)
In 1981 Libera dropped out from his Toruń school and got engaged in strikes and collaboration with Solidarność union. Right after the announcement of Martial Law he created his first political linorite, which was the miners' killed at the Wujek mine obituary. He begun collecting printing devices and together with friends, he begun printing and distributing leaflets in famiy Pabianice. They also created their own magazine “Bibuła” (informal for “illegal press”).
Afetr a short while he moved from Pabianice to Łodz, where around the “Attic” (space in Włodzimierz Adamiak studio at a house at Piotrkowska 149) the beginnings of Culture of Gathering started to form. Artists, opposition activists, intelelctuals, students met at the Attic, organised meetings, discussions, and in June 1982 Libera presented his first solo show there. In the Attic, as it turned out, Libera met Jacek S., who reported on him and lead to his arrest on August 26th.
During search the secres servive officers found printing devices and the artist, accuced of creating and distributing oppositional leaflets, was moved to arrest cell on Smutna in Łódź. At first, he was kept in isolation from other prisoners, then he was moved from cell to cell multiple times. Breathrough was meeting Longin Chlebowski at the prison yard – the instigator of tramwaymen strike from August 26 in 1981 . from him, he learned about political prisons (created on the basis of agreement between general Jaruzelski an pope John Paul 2nd) and they both started starvation strike to be moved to such prison.
After five days of strike, by Spring 1983 they were moved to Hrubieszów prison, where people, who broke the Martial Law decree were put. There were around 150 prisoners there, and a completely different atmosphere to the oridinary prison. Prisoners spent whole days on prison yard reading and discussing, had an access t better food, medication, cigarettes, and even allowed to listen to the radio.
Thanks to smuggled printing materials, Libera begun creating stamps, Christening souvenirs, tatoos, drawings and paintings on bedsheets. He met people from political parties, like KP or KOR (Worker's Defence Comittee), made friends with Marek Łada from the underground publishers NOWA. During prison visits, Libera's mother and Włodzimierz Adamiak smuggled him a camera and photographic film. This way he could create unique documentation of prison life in Hrubieszów (only 7 frames survive of two films, the rest was never returned to Libera by Solidarnośc members, who borrowed the negatives).
Prison in Hrubieszów was under the guidance of a jesuit, father Miecznikowski, who after the release of prisoners in September 1983 as a result of amnesty due to pope's visit in Poland, organised a two month stay at Białka Tatrzańska near Zakopane in Polish mountains. Former prisoners were taken care of by the locals, who gave them food and accomodation.
