Ela Szurpicka - Polish visual artist - I am a graduate of master's studies in design at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. I completed a scholarship at Sabanci University in Istanbul (Department of Visual Arts and Communication Design). Currently, I am a doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Humanities at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin in the field of visual arts. The topic of my doctoral dissertation is „Art installation as an immersive medium for building interspecies empathy." In my work, I translate into the language of art the spectrum of experiences of contemporary human-dog relationships. Significant for my research are theories from the field of animal studies, with particular emphasis on Donna Harraway's concept of companion species.
In my creative work, I am interested in crossing boundaries between the disciplines of art, science, and technology. I create immersive installations and spatial objects, drawing from dreamlike narratives and surrealist metaphors. I use elements of the natural world, combining them with technical and technological objects, treating them simultaneously as representatives of two dichotomous narratives. By intertwining these seemingly distant elements, I seek to blur the boundaries between them. I create hybrids, inviting viewers to contemplate the mutual connections between humans and non-human beings. Following Timothy Morton's postulates, at the center of my practice is the recognition of our human responsibility in these relationships, as well as the necessity for critical analysis of the ethical and political implications of our actions towards others.
I am also involved in designing exhibitions and scenography for theatrical performances and films. I have collaborated with institutions such as the National Museum in Krakow, the Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw, the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, the Museum of Literature in Warsaw, the Gustaw Holoubek Dramatic Theater in Warsaw, the Wanda Siemaszkowa Dramatic Theater in Rzeszów, and the Aleksander Wegierko Dramatic Theater in Białystok. Artistic activity scholarship from the Mayor of Lublin
Recent projects:
2024 - Site- specyfic installation as part of the performative event, European Poet of
Freedom Festival, Institute of Urban Culture, Gdańsk
2023 - "Locus Solis" Site-Specific installation, Old Granary, Port Sztynort
2023 - Multisensory installation "I Want to Be Your Dog" - kyu6u Gallery
2023 - Stage design for the theatre performance "Arka i ego" (The Ark and the Ego) -
Gustaw Holoubek Dramatic Theater in Warsaw
2023 - "No more tears" - symbiotic installation with Ula Kocjan SundayAfter Glow, Przyszła
Niedoszła Gallery, Warsaw
2022 - "...Nad" performative installation - Museum of Literature in Warsaw
2022 - Stage design for the dance performance "Mind is a still smoke in an endless space" -
EANT Festival - Kigali, Rwanda
Works
