Iwona Zając i „Cud ciężkiej pracy”, czyli artysta jako homo faber

Abstract

Iwona Zając and ‘Hard Work Miracle’ or the artist as homo faber

This paper is focused on the ethos of work based on the example of Iwona Zając – a contemporary Gdansk-based Polish artist. The author introduces the term ‘work’ as the subject of philosophical reflection at the beginning. This leads the reader to considerations about ‘work’ as the leitmotif of Zając’s oeuvre and her bio/geo/graphy. The artist, strongly connected to Gdansk, has for many years witnessed the socio-economic transformation of the city. Her famous mural ‘Stoczniowa Nike’/‘Shipyard Nike’ became a symbol of the great moments in the history of this area. The epilogue of this work resembles the Gdansk Shipyard’s fate – it no longer exists. But the Iwona Zając is still present in contemporary artistic life. She looks for new aspects of work in life and tells the story through murals, video-art, or embroidery. Her art always puts the spotlight on the individual. This point of view is close to the main motif of the ‘Tkacze’/ ‘Weavers’ video-art by Anna Molska. The comparative analysis of these works shows many parallels between both artists.