Info

Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts in Poznań
Faculty of Animation and Intermedia
Deaprtment of Intermedia
Studio of Audiosphere
Supervisor: Daniel Koniusz, PhD

Liberator is an undetectable 3D-printed plastic gun. Its design, along with assembly instructions, has been circulating online since 2013. I printed this particular piece on my university printer and then disassembled it into parts that I pawned at several pawn shops in Poznań. At both institutions, the weapon parts were classified as sculptures, and their valuation at the pawnshops depended on, among other things, the quality of the material and the precision of the print. For several hours it was possible to buy all the parts of the Liberator and thus complete a working gun.

DIY weapons became a starting point for reflection on systems of power distribution and regulation of access to knowledge. 3D printing technology, developed under an open-source license, is nowadays one of the symbols of technological emancipation. The main goal of the work was to exploit and thus expose the basic mechanisms that govern the public institution and the capitalist system. Balancing on the edge of the law exposed the field in which the ideals of freedom are used to seize power and create violent structures. An important aspect of the operation was to lay out the weapons and thus camouflage their purpose. It was only when information about the Liberator became available that the threat inherent in the situation I had constructed became apparent.

Olga Truszkowska creates objects and videos, performs, and sometimes writes. She dropped her philology studies in favor of Intermedia in Poznań, where she has been studying since 2016. Co-founder of the gallery and member of the Luka collective.