2003-07-29 - Poland
Court Case against Dorota Nieznalska
Nieznalska who exhibited her new work Passion (2001) at the Wyspa Gallery in Gdansk was accused for the violence of religious feelings and recently is having a lawsuit with the right wing nationalist party called the Polish Families, League that brought the charge to a public prosecutor. The party and its youth called Mlodziez Wszechpolska (All-Poland Youth) announced a countrywide crusade against the art targeting the religious symbols and chasing not only the artists, but also everyone who is carrying the mark of the Other.

But what really happened? The installation Passion consists of two elements: the object in for of the Greek cross made of metal, suspended from the ceiling, and covered in its front by the color photo of men’s tights, hips and genitals. The cross is exposed on the silent, single channel video projection of the face of the man lifting weights in the background. Filmed overhead, he shows to the spectator only his head and shoulders. We can see the grimace of torment on his face. It would be hard to realized without written information, what this person is doing at the moment – the feeling of torment may come from some other kind of activity.

Since her study time Nieznalska for years has been interested in the cultural model of masculinity and the impact of Catholic religion in implementing this phenomenon She explored from the gendered perspective the Biblical myths of Adam and the original sin in Vitium Originis and Absolution (1999), discussed the control over the body in contemporary consumerist culture in Female and Omnipotence. Gender: Male (2000), searched for antic models of masculine sexuality in Potency and drawn the portrait of statistic rapist in Modus Operandi (1998). The subversive power of her art lies down in applying gender categories to Christian religion, observed here more as cultural paradigm than system of belief. Nieznalska is investigating the plots of control, discipline, guilt, punishment and an unspoken pains and pleasures of victimization. As we can realize from her works, she sees both women and men as the victims of cultural taming, not even fully able to define the origins of torment they willingly expose themselves to. She looks for the roots of it a voluntary self-sacrifice in the basis of our civilization.
The charge in the court concerns the juxtaposition of the form of cross the Polish Families League recuperates as only religious symbol they want to protect with the representation of men’s genitals, considered as an offense of religious feelings. The opponents of Nieznalska, among them many women were arguing, that the woman should not use a picture of men’s genitals, still one of the most forbidden images. “Shame on you” they were screaming”. Some of them were very caring: “I am sorry for you, you must be mentally ill”. In the Internet discussion many activists of Mlodziez Wszechpolska, including acting member of the City Council of Gdansk, suggested the exemplary punishments that should be performed on the artists, including shaving a head (like those who slept with the Nazis during WW II) and a group rape. This shocking opinions sound familiar to those who observe Polish art scene. In 1999 one conservative male publicists also known as Christian mystical poet suggested, that Katarzyna Kozyra should be punished by the public flogging and shut down in prison. Although also male artists were strongly attacked both by politicians and critics but only women were considered such humiliating and sexually dependent way.

It is reported that Nieznalska was sentenced guilty of the violence of the religious feelings. The charge is 6 months of limited freedom (she won't be able to travel outside of Gdansk) and has to work for some charity organization. She has to cover the entire cost of the lawsuit. She does not have any money to do so. They are trying to defend her due to the civic consitutional rights, such as freedom of speech and the freedom of the artistic expression.

http://www.hysterics.art.pl/
Source: Artinfo by Alenka Pirman - Slovenia