Kurki. Lipsync for Identity
wd. 23-09-2020, 19:00
Online installation
Philharmonic and festival website
"Can't Hear You" refers to the popular socio-psychological theory of cognitive dissonance by Leon Festinger, according to which individuals adjust the image of the world in which they live to avoid confronting certain information contrary to their own views to eliminate dissonance and restore harmony to their own worldview. Not only one's selectivity in the absorption of information, but also its dubious processing through media and politics, results in manipulating facts, creating an image of hostility, spreading fear, and thus polarizing society.
The title of the work refers to the lack of dialogue and a Polish saying, "everyone can talk" describes the content of an absurd vision of the future. We also see here present social conditions with dominant themes such as right-wing populism, climate change, and denial, the so-called "faith versus facts" mentality, and the resulting social divisions. Structurally, the work has been inspired by a musical work – an opera in two acts. Some of the photos were taken in an echo chamber – a special room whose walls almost entirely absorb sound waves.
Piotr Matosek