The Treaty on Identity

ALL THAT MUSIC! EXHIBITION is an inter textual and inter subjective project, borrowing from private experience of Zuzanna Janin, nevertheless revealing universal problems common to most people. The exposition has been constructed as a multi perspective constellation of elements applying various means of expression and narration, among others, a monumental video installation, spatial objects, sculptures.

The exhibition dominant element is six channel video projection made by the artist in High Definition technology. It is about teenagers, young fans playing music. Zuzanna Janin with a camera enters their cluttered rooms, personal space, where even family members have a limited access. The boys are practicing on poor quality equipment and their skills could do with some mastering, nevertheless, their zeal and passion are both convincing and moving. We see them at this very special moment; they cease to be children and start to be adults. They are independent - most likely, against the will of their parents, contrary to their teachers' suggestions, they play sharp, rock music. They have selected the subculture they would like to belong to. This decision, frequently adopted intuitively, marks the first step on a difficult path towards selfdetermination. Zuzanna Janin shows how a creative act turns into a form of escape, how it helps to maintain youthful sensitivity and to develop one's own identity.

All That Music! project, presented in the first and biggest room of the gallery, accounts for a strong accent introducing the exhibition. Next, the author has changed her poetics, silenced down emotions, forced a viewer to slow down and contemplate. Such works as Towns (cemeteries), Pasigraphy or From the Collection... offer a nostalgic afterthought on passing in the individual and social dimension, on the transience of feelings, adopted or imposed cultural and political roles, even on collective industrial dreams of power.

The exhibition sightseeing ends with the meeting with Majka, defined by the artist in a conversation, as "a missing heroine". Majka from the Moovie is most likely the first Polish artistic serial, composed (so far) of seven episodes produced by Zuzanna Janin in cooperation with Tomasz Kozak. The film applies found footage, borrowing the scenes from the Polish serial from the 70's, entitled "Madness of Majka Skowron", as well as from numerous American and European movies from different periods. Some segments have been shot lately in various international locations - Japan, Europe, Poland. The main character, a teenage girl is traveling in time and space, not only in historic and geographic dimension, but also over cultural zones. She faces various situations, events, people. She talks to significant personalities in the area of Western culture, science, philosophy (Slavoj Zizek) or mass culture (pop stars, i.e., Lou Reed, Tom Waits). Majka eagerly observes, listens and asks questions. Where is she coming from, and where is she going to? What is the aim of her journey?

Majka is not heading for any defined destination. The sense of this journey is - I believe - the search for the meaning of one's existence in a social context, or more exact, developing an individual identity. An approach to this problem, presented by Zuzanna Janin, seems extremely interesting for one more reason. She has made a young girl her main character. Contradicting the European culture tradition where the part of the searching, maturing hero was reserved for a male. Even the "Madness of Majka Skowron" serial - on which the project by Zuzanna Janin and Tomasz Kozak was based - contrary to the title, featured Ariel, a young guy as a main character. Zuzanna Janin stands up for female experience, thus bringing back the upset balance.

Zuzanna Janin, "All That Music!", the "Arsenal" Town Gallery, Poznań, November 2009.