Saturday, October 20, 2012

QUT Art Museum - Tales within Historical Spaces


Tales within Historical Spaces

Beata Batorowicz’ Tales within Historical Spaces, which opened at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Art Museum on 1 September 2012 and will be touring Poland in 2013, displayed the artist’s process of unearthing and reconnecting with childhood memories, with a particular emphasis on Polish and German experiences during World War II.

Upon entering the pristine gallery space, it becomes evident that the section reserved for Tales within Historical Spaces is comparatively dimmer than the adjacent section of the gallery; as if to suggest that Batorowicz’ art works have subtexts as dark as the lighting. Pia Robinson, member of the curatorial team at the QUT Art Museum, unveiled the dark subject matter behind the exhibition by highlighting that the artist was informed by Fairy Tales from Auschwitz; a book that was secretly written and illustrated by Polish prisoners in concentration camps for their children (Queensland University of Technology 2012). Jadwiga Kulasza, Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum historian, stated that Fairy Tales from Auschwitz was an “…illegal work of Polish prisoners who had access to paints and paper because they were forced to labour in the S.S offices that produced plans for the expansion of the camp” (Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau 2012). It is clear that the influence of the illustrations in Fairy Tales from Auschwitz on Batorowicz’ art works is strong as both share the use of highly saturated colours, tones of varying transparency, and delicate lines. Each body of work exude a sense of purity and youthful wonder that one could associate with the saccharine illustrations in classic children’s books by Beatrix Potter or Enid Blyton. However, like saccharine, the sweetness is only artificial; once the viewer is made aware of the dark subtexts that both Fairy Tales from Auschwitz and Tales within Historical Spaces share; the viewer may be left with an unwavering bitter aftertaste.

Batorowicz’ soft sculptural art works bring the bitter side effects of sickly sweet saccharin to the forefront. In one room it appears that a bizarre take on the process of taxidermy has come to fruition. Across the room’s dimly lit walls, animals are skewered on. The shadows produced through the dark lighting only add to the grim atmosphere, a sense that the animals are attacking one another. Depending on how much of an animal rights activist the viewer is; they may be averse to Tales within Historical Spaces completely on the basis of Batorowicz’ use of leather, let alone the questionably realistic looking fur. Politics aside, it may be evident that not all of Batorowicz’ soft sculptural art works are as confronting as the animals hanging from sticks. Hedgehog (2012) is arguably one of the more subdued sculptures. Parallel to Batorowicz’ other soft sculptures; it is comprised of leather, wire, beads, leather thonging and felt. Hedgehog (2012) is located in the first room on the left-hand side of the gallery, encircled by The Trickster (2011), Tales from Wroclaw (2011), Trickster’s glove (2011) and Paw Warmer (2012). Its presence in this section of the gallery space, combined with the dim lighting and lively colours of the surrounding art works, emanates a sense of cosiness. Cosiness akin to Hayao Miyazaki’s animated fantasy film, My Neighbour Totoro (1988); particularly the scene in which Mei plays outside her home in the countryside and discovers a forested cavern with a gigantic Totoro, a forest spirit only visible to children, sleeping in its den (Miyazaki 1988). Despite the size of this creature, Mei feels safe in its presence, and quickly befriends the Totoro. Likewise, Hedgehog (2012) may have the same ominous undercurrent as Batorowicz’ other art works, but because its intended purpose and appearance is that of a cloak, as opposed to a full-bodied taxidermy animal, it almost invites the viewer to try it on and feel comforted by its ability to conceal them from the atrocities of the real world; atrocities that course throughout the veins of Tales within Historical Spaces.

Tales within Historical Spaces may be regarded as the result of an artist’s inquiry into how to create a balance between light visuals and dark subtexts. From an initial glance, it is almost hard to believe that such cheerful imagery could be informed by such devastating horror. 
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References:

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau 2012, viewed 29 September 2012,

Miyazaki. H 1988, My Neighbour Totoro, video recording, Madman Japan.

Queensland University of Technology 2012, viewed 29 September 2012,

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