Filmoteka Muzeum

In 2001, Maciej Krygier built a virtual representation of the space of Zamek Ujazdowski, which houses the Centre for Contemporary Art, based on the Unreal computer game engine. The concept was to enable a virtual stroll around computer-generated exhibition spaces of the Centre (following the indications of the Unreal interface) with a gun in the user’s hand, and to destroy works of art (mainly artistic productions constituting the permanent International Collection of Contemporary Art). Krygier implemented his project immediately after his return from France where he studied. The project was an attempt at diagnosing the situation of contemporary art in Poland and a response to new and more interactive behaviours in Polish art galleries such as destruction of works of art by actors or members of parliament. Krygier’s project is an ironic response to aggression directed against contemporary art, which is observable not only in spectacular devastation of works of art but mainly in the journalistic campaign against critical art, which has lasted for the last few years. The campaign is being held in popular newspapers and magazines, allegedly on behalf of the wider audience. Krygier's computer game, intended as a mass product (a modification of a mass product) is aimed at this wide group of culture consumers.

Based on his Art Raider project, the artist has implemented a number of activities and actions such as in 2002 where during a lecture by Łukasz Ronduda (on the works of art by Zbigniew Libera gathered in the Centre’s collection), Krygier created an illusion of direct correlation between real and virtual space and time. Having concluded his speech, the lecturer – upon a request of the artist – showed a short computer animation, which starts with a panorama of the Centre for Contemporary Art. After a subtitle saying: “12 June 2002, 18.00 hours" (date and time of Ronduda’s lecture), the audience could see an armed individual jumping off an attack helicopter and entering the Centre for Contemporary Art. Starting from the main lobby, where we see the space from a first person perspective, the armed individual performs a number of spectacular and bloody (which is common for such computer games) executions of people and destroys works of art (Foksal Gallery Deposit, International Collection of Contemporary Art). The character ends his devastating raid in the Centre’s virtual cinema room where a virtual lecture about Libera is being delivered. Having dealt with the lecturer’s avatar, the virtual warrior slaughters the virtual audience, provoking animated response of the real audience gathered in the room.

Quoted from: Łukasz Ronduda, Strategie subwersywne w sztukach medialnych, Cracow 2006.

Year: 2002
Duration: 5'51''
Language: no language
Source: HD video

© Maciej Krygier

Acquisition date: Feb 21, 2012
Acquisition: deposit
Ownership form: deposit

OTHER WORKS FROM THAT ARTIST IN FILMOTEKA