WHALE - installation
May 20 - opening at 6:00 PM
May 21-29, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
WOK LAB (Warsaw Cultural Observatory, ul. Marszałkowska 34/50)
From May 20 to 29, we invite you to the Warsaw Culture Observatory for the sound and visual installation WHALE prepared by Sara Pour and Pietro Floridia in cooperation with Strefa WolnoSłowa.
The installation is a reflection on climate change and refers to the story of a whale washed ashore in a certain bay—a story that also becomes the axis of the performance of the same title shown as part of the festival on May 25 at Komuna Warszawa.
The whale washed ashore becomes a symbol of the Earth itself, exploited to the point of collapse. The installation encourages visitors to reflect on the price that humanity will have to pay for the destruction of the planet. The floor and walls of the installation merge into a symbolic map that unites the body of the whale and the Earth. Fossils and traces tell intertwined stories of fragility and resistance, inviting visitors to discover collective memory.
Creators of the installation
Sara Pour - Iranian visual artist based in Bologna, illustrator, scenographer, and workshop leader throughout Europe and many countries around the world. Her art is characterized by a strong emphasis on the intertwining of memory, symbolism, and social critique.
Pietro Floridia - playwright and director, founder of Cantieri Meticci. His work combines poetry, epic narrative, and social engagement, giving voice to stories that speak of our times.
The event will be translated into Polish Sign Language.
RE-THINK THE CHALLENGE FESTIVAL is a festival of creative activities focusing on exploring the theme of migration in the context of climate catastrophe.
What do we mean when we talk about so-called climate migration? How do we shape narratives about the movement of humans and other living creatures? Through encounters, workshops, seminars and performative activities, we will look at the justice of movement from the perspective of interspecies solidarity, how movement is integral to our existence and how its restriction deprives dignity and prevents survival - for humans, plants and animals.
Festwial will take place from 19 May - 1 June 2025
Festival partners: Zachęta - National Gallery of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Zygmunt Hubner Powszechny Theatre, Komuna Warszawa, Warsaw Cultural Observatory, Cantieri Mettici, Reimagining Mobilities
Colophon
May 20 - opening at 6:00 PM
May 21-29, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
WOK LAB (Warsaw Cultural Observatory, ul. Marszałkowska 34/50)
The festival is taking place as part of the Re-think the challenge project funded by the Allianz Foundation
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