The artistic installation made by Karolina Mosiej-Zambrano, in the substantive cooperation of Paweł Kalisz, has been presented by us in various Polish cities for several years. We showed it at the Kościuszko Market Square in Białystok, but also in Poznań, Lublin, Białowieża and Supraśl.
The installation consists of objects selected in such a way as to correspond to authentic objects taken by deportees when they were surprised by the information about their immediate departure. “RzeczyViste”, a metaphor of an open suitcase, contains children’s toys, everyday objects, clothes. Each object is accompanied by a plate with information about a specific Sybirak whose fate that object refers to.
Wherever it is exhibited, the installation makes a strong impression, stirs the emotions of passers-by and encourages reflection and conversations with the present employees of the Sybir Memorial Museum. It was no different at the campus of the University of Lodz.
— A lot of students came to us and asked about the Sybir Memorial Museum, about our ways of reaching a wider audience. The installation is a good example of this, — says Ewelina Kamieńska from the Sybir Memorial Museum. — They told us that “RzeczyViste” was moving and thought-provoking. We heard them wondering aloud, “I wonder what I’d pack.” Many academics also came up to us, praised the original form, and we talked to them about the activities of the Museum.
Among others, the students of Wojciech Marciniak, PhD, head of the Siberian Archives of the University of Lodz came to see the installation. The presence of the employees of the Sybir Memorial Museum was also noticed by Professor Albin Głowacki, who leads the Museum Council and is a researcher at the University of Lodz on a daily basis.
A teacher from one of the high schools of Łódź brought his class as part of the lesson.
The installation “RzeczyViste” will be presented this summer in other Polish cities. On June 17, 2023 you will be able to see it at the Krasiński Square in Warsaw, on July 2, 2023 at the square at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Drohiczyn, and on August 5, 2023 at the Park of Solidarity in Ełk.
