Description by Filmoteka Muzeum
The film presents Jan Świdziński through the lens of his theory of contextual art. It portrays the artist in different settings: during a journey, at home, in public space, at work; and in varied company: among gallery viewers, students, passers-by in the city, members of his family. It also features statements from fellow artists, such as Joseph Kosuth and Richard Martel. Their comments and analyses of contexual art reveal a range of perspectives on that theory. According to Świdziński, context influences the work on an ongoing basis. The point is to show one’s own context and one’s own situation. The basis is provided by differences in contexts, which are perceived as beneficial and inspirational. The energy lies not in the work, but in the process. A contextual system is completely open. Świdziński believed that the static image of art had ceased to exist because objects have a meaning, and with the passage of time the meaning changes, thus generating an empty sign.
The film poses questions: Who is an artist? What is art now? How is it different from what was before and under communism? What is reality? How is it different from the reality of a given individual? What is context and how should it be understood on the social and personal level?
(ZK)