Robert Rumas, Mnewry Miejskie (Urban Maneuvers) 1998, installation view
Deskur and Rumas reveal the radical change in Polish social life since the collapse of communism. Included in this exhibit are spare, charged images and videos from Marta Deskur's allegorical "Family" series; and Robert Rumas's iconic altered street signs. Deskur's work portrays an invented and ever-growing "family," illuminating the evolving definition of and relations within contemporary family life. Rumas's sign project "Urban Maneuvers" assumes the guise of civic communication, the ubiquitous signs of our everyday life that warn of danger, prohibit or define behavior, or highlight cultural spots. Revealing taboo subjects like rape, child molestation, and homosexuality, or illuminating everyday activity, like love or rest, through the authoritative voice of basic public signage, "Urban Maneuvers" evidences one aspect of the structuring of everyday life, as well as the limitations of current public discourse.
The work of these two contemporary Polish artists is presented in cooperation with In Between: Polish Art, 1945 to 2000 organized by the Chicago Cultural Center. This is the first major survey of Polish art in the United States, designed to introduce American audiences to the significant artists and aesthetic issues that have shaped the contemporary art of Poland. Other exhibitions organized in collaboration with In Between are presented at The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Renaissance Society, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
