Marek Szyryk | On the Beauty of Life
Marek Szyryk revisits the past, aided by old photographs he took in his youth. He juxtaposes these traces with contemporary photographs, provoking reflection on timeless, universal human dreams, yearnings, and aspirations, and the need to later confront them with reality. The world of childhood and youthful play, marked by active presence, is filled with the joy of the moment, the need for friendship and acceptance. Unpretentious games with liberated imagination contrast with the harsh realities of decades past. Moments captured in frames create a vision of a land of freedom, happiness, and carefree spontaneity and courage.
The youthful photographs by the young Marek Szyryk, despite their unpretentiousness and optimistic tone, sometimes boldness, surprise with their exceptional maturity and technical correctness. The young photographer composes frames with great sensitivity, capturing both static shots and those caught in motion, using various points of view. He also has the ability to capture the specificity and mood of the moment in a reportage style. Over a hundred shots presented during the exhibition manifest a belief in the beauty of life, creating a vision of a world seemingly detached from grim reality, governed by the unique laws of youth, filled with the need for happiness. The young protagonists simultaneously dream about the future, in which they believe they will appear someday as heroes of much more serious dramas.
The archival aspect is developed in a series of contemporary Polaroids obtained by the author through an online action. Here too, the land of childhood is detached from surrounding adult contexts and gains a symbolic dimension. In this way, the artist bridges the past and the present. Marek Szyryk’s nostalgic journey is deeply personal and sentimental, but his reflections also prompt us to reminisce, evoking regret for lost time and unfulfilled dreams. Although deeply personal, they strike a sensitive universal chord.
Text: Dariusz Leśnikowski
Vernissage:
21.09.2024, 18:00 | Free admission
Opening hours
Tuesday–Friday – 11:00–17:00
Saturday – 10:00–14:00