“Północ/Południe” [“North/South”] is a visual essay on absence. It tells the story of Władysław Zalotyński and Jerzy Seweryn – the author’s grandfathers whom she never met. The former was a ski jumper and dental technician, the latter – a professional driver. They share a complex biography linked to specific places – the eponymous extremes on the map of Poland. These are not, however, symmetrical stories. The first is local, built around a well-documented life and the micro-migrations of a sportsman and a lover of mountains. The second focuses on pre- and post-war migrations, and its context – Tricity – is constructed through the biography of a large family. Another important motif is also the tale of a work-related journey to the Middle East. The project is the late meeting with and the reclaiming of the memory of ancestors. Maps, created through the collage, constitute its narrative core. They are not an objective image of a territory, but a carrier of memory preserving the identity of individuals and places. “Północ/Południe” processes the archives of memory and memories, using them as building blocks of a universal narrative. It places non-linear stories within the wider context of historical and cultural changes. The processing of family archives gives them a new shape through the creative process. The project combines visual arts and a contemporary approach to archivism. It isn’t merely a collection of information, but also an interpretation, based on contrasts: north/south, old/new, known/unknown, local/foreign, present/absent, processed/created, or analogue/digital.

The exhibition “Północ/Południe” has been presented in the Sopot Museum (14–21.11.2019) and in the Tatra Museum in Zakopane (28.11–31.12.2019).

North/South
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