In my Postgraduate exhibition “Future Primitive” I dealt with this existential dilemma in the form of spatial objects, images and animations. Contradictions such as “East versus West” or “Province meets city” were both formal and substantive fund of the discussions with the material in my installation. As an allusion to the conflict between modern technology and old-fashioned lifestyle, they raise the question of how we measure our social status today and to what extent this is related to our origins.

The central element of the exhibition was a huge, steel credit card – as an ironic reflection on what wealth is in modern times and why it is represented by a piece of plastic.

This topic plays a big role for me, because the ongoing transformation of former socialist structures into neoliberal capitalism creates a societal issue. It is about the reality of life of many Eastern Europeans – whether as carers or butchers – who have to permanently deny their economic existence far away from their home with a pendulum life between East and West in order to improve their social status.

The status of a person does not only play an important role in Polish culture, but also around the world. What has changed, however, are the media, images and symbols we use to illustrate our wealth and capital.