Freedom is an ongoing video art project by polish artist Justyna Maluchnik, showing at Bonhoga Gallery, to coincide with the Open Portrait Awards Exhibition, until October 3rd.
Currently the film work consists of two sections; one made while the artist was studying in Finland in 2008 and the second as part of her Masters degree in Poland in 2009. The subjects of the Finnish section are students while the Polish element was made using volunteers from different social groups including a philosopher, a prisoner, a monk, an artist and a feminist. Each subject was asked the question, ‘what is freedom?’ and their spontaneous responses were recorded. The aim was to show different views of what freedom means. One single definition does not exist.
Justyna is currently resident in Shetland and sees this as the perfect place to continue this project by asking those who live here the same question: what is freedom? Do Shetlanders have a different interpretation to those in northern or eastern Europe? Jane Matthews of Shetland Arts explains, ‘Justyna came to us with her film and we were impressed with the standard and concept of the work. Freedom is something that we all tend to take for granted these days but is a subject that deserves our consideration. Are we actually all as free as we think? The film ties in with the Open portrait exhibition by extending art’s traditional notion of the subject, or sitter, and what he or she represents to the viewer or outside world’.
If you would like to take part in Justyna’s project please email [email protected] for more information.
