Be One for Another

community and performative-collective activity during the exhibition “Simple Gestures” at the Contemporary Art Gallery BWA Katowice 21.02.–20.03.2020
Curator: Marta Lisok
Film still: Piotr Ceglarek, Tomasz Strojecki

The action involved creating a circular structure in a supportive configuration with all the participants. Knees and thighs served as a base for the person in front, while the head and shoulders rested on the knees of the person behind. Closing the circle ensured the stability of the entire formation, symbolizing the strength of collective action and cooperation—just like in a bee swarm. Once balance was achieved, the participants attempted to synchronize their movements to shift the formation—step by step, as one organism.

The exhibition was based on collaboration—each participant invited another person or group to co-create artistic actions such as happenings, installations, sound and visual archives, or protests. The documentation of these activities reveals the merging of everyday life and art, emphasizing the role of the institution as a space for encounters and the exchange of ideas. The artwork becomes an intermediary stage of communication and an invitation to collective action. The notion of authorship becomes blurred—artists initiate processes by sharing scenarios for practices. The proposed activities, such as gathering, caring, storytelling, filming, or sharing, create a choreography of community and encourage reflection on the future.