The Unreasonable Man Persists in Trying to Adapt the World to Himself

installation, sketches, photos, video
2018

I grew up in the countryside and later in a boarding school in a forest in Otwock town. For this reason, I developed a great sensitivity to the beauty of nature. I look closely at the plants and give names to those I grow at home. In the presented photos, this relationship is emphasised by tender physical contact. Also, in the videos there are stories about green friends and about myself: “My name is Daniel, am I a plant?”. 
For me, the natural world is not only a source of delight, but also a starting point for reflection on my own situation. I see an indomitable will to live and the possibility of regeneration among plants. I can see that damage, such as breaking a branch, does not stop the plants from growing, it just changes their direction. I am similar – I feel shaped by the fact that I am Deaf, but I find that it doesn’t stop me from growing. I live my life to the fullest. Following Michel Foucault, please do not call me ill. I am Deaf and I am fine with it. I don’t want to be changed. 
The work “The Unreasonable Man Persists in Trying to Adapt the World to Himself” is an in-depth self-portrait. You can see the naked body of a young man in it. However, I also show myself as a person: a sensitive, self-aware individual, following my own path. 

text by the curator: Alesandra Czerniawska

photo credit Piotr Kruszak