Jannicke Låker. Grenzsituationen

Thursday, October 20, 2016, 6:00 PM - Sunday, March 26, 2017

  • Thursday, October 20, 2016, 6:00 PM - Sunday, March 26, 2017
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The films by the Norwegian artist Jannicke Låker presented at the exhibition in MOCAK are mini-narratives, related to limit situations.

The twentieth-century existential philosopher Karl Jaspers introduced the concept of Grenzsituationen, limit situations; amongst these extreme situations he included death, struggle, suffering and guilt. According to Jaspers, we are truly ourselves when we experience such predicaments. Limit situations make us focus on ourselves rather than on external factors. The creative output of the Norwegian artist Jannicke Låker (b. 1968) seems to fit in with Jasper’s theory, with which it has many points in common.

The films presented at the exhibition are mini-narratives, related to limit situations. Each provides an analysis of a person, exposing the protagonist’s character, weaknesses and dark sides. The situations staged by the artist imitate real events; together with the uninhibited behaviour of the protagonists, they represent the extreme variant of situations that we repress in everyday life.

Jannicke Låker takes on board such themes as loneliness, the power mechanisms in male-female relationships and putting pressure on or hurting others, as well as the feeling of hopelessness, lack of motivation and will to live. In consequence, the situations shown by the artist lead to death and suffering, rejection and humiliation.

Limit situations are accompanied by extreme feelings, which Jannicke Låker’s works primarily seek to expose and they are indeed the main theme of her films. In Låker’s work, the emotional status quo of the world is expressed by women. As an artist, she has contributed her voice to the philosophical discussion about existence. Touching on its key issues, she has demonstrated that one’s true personality is revealed in the limit situations.

MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow

ul. Lipowa 4

The combination of post-industrial atmosphere with a modern and functional glass and concrete structure provides a perfect framework for the presentation of important phenomena in the art of the last five decades.

A memory of the former production halls of the enamelware factory (known from Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List) melds here with a modern and functional structure of glass and concrete, providing a perfect setting for the presentation of contemporary art. MOCAK has its own, regularly expanded collection of art (both Polish and foreign) from the last five decades, and its development can be traced in the successive variations of the permanent exhibition. It has been divided into a number of sections: conceptualism, video, sculpture, and objects. It is also the venue for numerous temporary exhibitions, including a large annual problematic exhibition confronting selected questions in contemporary public life with the artists’ outlook (the presentations made so far have focused among others on history, sport, economics, crime, gender, and medicine in art). Moreover, MOCAK regularly hosts exhibitions of Kraków Photo Month. The museum runs its own library with a book collection devoted to contemporary art and humanities, runs educational activities, and manages and implements research and publication projects.

Tickets: normal PLN 20, concessions PLN 10, family PLN 43, admission free to permanent exhibitions on Thursday

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