The Emancipated Artist
Abstract
In the present essay Romuald Krężel compares and contrasts the working conditions faced by those working in performative arts in Poland and in Western Europe, particularly Germany. As it outlines the institutional shortages and deficiencies of theatre in Poland, the study puts forward suggestions for systemic change in a variety of fields – from ways of awarding public subsidies to the institutional organization of artistic life. As he references ‘The Emancipated Spectator’, an essay by Jacques Rancière, Krężel broadens the scope of analysis proposed by the French philosopher to include the artistic work process; he also examines relations of inequality occurring between artists and the institutional system in which they operate. In addition, Krężel surveys the differences in artistic education between Poland and Western European countries. He looks into a new kind of artistic education, offered by centres such as the Institute for Applied Theatre Studies in Giessen, oriented towards contemporary art in the broad understanding of the term.
Having made his comparisons, and having referenced the context of the emancipatory role contemporary art has to play in society (a phenomenon described by Alain Badiou), the author stipulates that the status of the artist in Poland should undergo profound transformation.