Camouflash – is a free combination of the word 'camouflage', which means concealment, disguise, and the word 'flash' which means a spark, moment, short message. The combination of these two words determines the subject of the exhibition, which is the condition of the contemporary man in the context of camouflaging oneself, and concurrently wishing to become known, to shine. This specific schizophrenia is by no means marginal, as proved, e.g. by the various reality shows, some of which attract artists, too.
Rationale: The contemporary culture is rather pictorial in nature, idea has been marginalised. The plethora of pictures in our lives induces a sense of being lost, or immunises us against them by creating and augmenting trite reception of such pictures, which, consequently, makes them neutral (e.g. another murder). Obviously, such trite and superficial reception is also true of religion, art and its products.

On the other hand, noticeable social behaviours indicate an urge to appear in the media in a short flash of an advertisement or reality show. This urge replaces the essential question: “what idea do I want to pass across?” or “what is my principal message?” People appear to participate in the social and cultural life, but on the level of entertainment, rather than inclusion or reflection on human existence. The present-day society seems to be complex, however, following the thought of Jean Baudrillard, it is rather a mass that is “an opaque nebula whose growing density absorbs all the surrounding energy (...), to collapse finally under its own weight. A black hole which engulfs the social.”

Before the black whole is formed, however, there is a short, yet spectacular explosion, followed by a collapse of a massive star. Relating this to human behaviours, perhaps this flash is the one and only opportunity to step out of obscurity before disappearing and being absorbed by the mass? To what extent, then, is this flash true and is not a camouflage, a desire to be somebody else for a moment?
It seems that just to induce the question “who am I and what am I doing?” is in itself a great success.

Mariusz Sołtysik

Text about The CamouFlash by Łukasz Guzek, Ph.D »


Artists:

Janusz Bałdyga – Poland;
Olga Bergman – Iceland;
Charlie Citron – USA/Holland;
Kristaps Gulbis – Latvia;
Shilpa Gupta – India;
Jessica Higgins – USA;
Gabriele Horndasch – Germany;
Eric Van Hove – Belgium/Japan;
Adam Klimczak – Poland;
Erika Knerr – USA;
Anna MacLeod – Ireland;
Christine Mackey – Ireland;
Tomasz Matuszak – Poland;
Aisling O’Beirn – Irlandia;
Mariusz Olszewski – Poland;
Mariusz Sołtysik – Poland;
Ewa Szczyrek–Potocka – Poland;
Suzy Sureck – USA;
Richard Thomas – Australia;
Miyuki Yokomizo – Japan;



Organizer:
PATIO Art Center

Patronage:
The President of Łodź City
Jerzy Kropiwnicki

The Chancellor of Academy of Humanities and Economics in Łodz
prof. Makary Krzysztof Stasiak

Sponsors:

ZETO – computer centre

and

IDP Intersign

Portobello


Partners:

MONA Innerspaces

The Nomura Culture Foundation

Dom Studencki WSHE

Akademia Języków Obcych i Kultur Narodów


Media Patrons::

TVP Łódź

Radio Łódź

www.artistorganizedart.org

Łódź-art.pl

spam.art.pl

Mega Spot

culture.pl


Exhibition coordination:
Małgorzata Nowak, Agata Nowicka

Photos:
Paweł Piłat, Mariusz Sołtysik, Mariusz Olszewski

Translations:
Elżbieta W. Walters, Jeremy W.Walters.


Music improvisation to performance by Jessica Higgins -
Tomasz Ogrodowczyk

Co-operation with Aisling O'Berin - Elisabeth W.Walters
Co-operation with Miyuki Yokomizo - Paweł Piłat, Mariusz Olszewski

Next editions:
29th of August - 14th of September 2008 Dresden, Germany »

4th - 30th of October 2008 Poznan, Poland »

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