Info

Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Faculty of Media Art
Studio of Audiovisual Space
Supervisor: Professor Prot Jarnuszkiewicz, assistant: Agata Witczak, MA

The piece As Long As The Canary Sings, We Are Safe is my commentary on the contemporary situation in which politics and industry, despite the voices of reason and concern for the planet and future generations coming from many directions, protect and support the operation of institutions – in this case, mines – that have far-reaching negative effects on ecosystems, including humans. It’s also a documentary (in the “Brave New World” section) about activist actions – grassroots, often dramatic calls to come to their senses and make the real change (closing the mines). The dark corridors of the mines, the literal interior of the Earth, can also symbolize the psyche of a person or a community sterilized by greed, a self-destructive trance in which it is very difficult to stop and reflect. The work is therefore a voice in the discussion on the Anthropocene, saying that we got ourselves into this mess and only we can change it.

Bartek Zalewski creates photographs and videos. His areas of interest are political, social, and climate change. He works professionally in commercial photography and video and collaborates with artists on image production.