University of Silesia in Katowice

Become a photo

| Tomek Grząślewicz |

In search for a perfect place to realise his artistic concept, Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts of the University of Silesia went to India – a country that fascinated him with its diversity. The richness of cultures, colours and ways of the local people’s life can be clearly seen in the works carried out as part of the project “Photographic recording process inspired by a family portrait at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries”.

What is interesting is not only the geographical scope of the project, but also the way of its creation. Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD knocked on the doors of private houses and asked their residents to pose for a photo with their entire family. Then, he asked them to arrange the space as they want and pose without moving for 10 seconds. However, instead of traditional photographs, he recorded continuous images. According to the author of the project, the use of this form allowed him to shift the centre of gravity from the effect of the work to the process itself.

“These 10 seconds, in a sense, unconsciously transport my heroes from the field of photography to the world of performance or theatre” says Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD “but it’s a rather unusual form, because the only tool for creation is stillness.

In this form, the lack of movement will never be complete. When posing for photos, the characters of the paintings blink, smile and make faces. We can see their small gestures in the video “Become a Photo” produced by the Media Communication Centre of the University of Silesia, in which the researcher talks about his artistic journey through India.

“I wanted to show a little about India, about the people living there, customs and culture, but also about man and his attitude towards himself. Above all, this project was a great adventure for me, an opportunity to meet wonderful people who showed me a lot of kindness and friendship” sums up Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD.

The video featured:

Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD

Faculty of Arts and Educational Science
University of Silesia in Katowice

Production:

Bartosz Solak

Ryszard Tyl

Media Communication Centre
University of Silesia in Katowice

The project “Photographic recording process inspired by a family portrait at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries” by Wojciech Kukuczka, PhD was financed under the “Freedom of Research” competition as part of the Research Excellence Initiative of the University of Silesia.