This week, the Springfield Art Association and UIS partnered to present a film screening of The Art of Un-War. This documentary discusses the life and political work of Krzysztof Wodiczko, a world-renowned artist, activist, and educator. The movie explores themes of Kryzystof’s works, such as the effects of war trauma and how war culture is perpetuated through art. After the screening, students had the opportunity to meet and speak with artist Krzysztof Wodiczko and the director of the documentary, Maria Niro.
Artist Krzysztof Wodiczko has a 50-year history of activism through art. His utilization of public space for political commentary is intentionally provocative to viewers. Wodiczko was born into a war-torn Warsaw. He created artwork that challenged his peers and made statements about Poland – such as his interrogative piece titled Personal Instrument. Upon being exiled, he spent time living in Toronto and New York and began taking his activism in a different direction – for example, his Homeless Vehicle project. His art amplifies the stories of the silenced, the marginalized, and the victims. He utilizes monuments because society teaches us a very Western, nationalistic version of history. Using these statues to bring to life the stories of refugees subverts the usual messaging, giving marginalized people a voice and counteracting the pro-war message of most monuments. In addition to the symbolic meaning of using statues, this medium is visible to the general public – viewing Krzysztof Wodiczko’s art is often free. A video posted by Art 21 details his creative process and gives an example of one of the monument projections.
The creator of the Art of Un-War is award-winning director Maria Niro. Her films cover social trauma, such as political turmoil (In an Alien Land), voyeurism (Station to Station), and mass consumerism (Torso). The Art of Un-War has been screened at film festivals and universities across the globe and won Best Feature Documentary at the New Jersey Film Festival. During the discussion, Maria discussed what drew her to create this documentary. She said, “Krzysztof’s work is important and goes beyond art. It speaks on so many levels…” and “When I met him at his Lincoln projection in person, I knew it was important to capture the reactionary element of his work.”
In addition to detailing the life and work of Wodiczko, Maria also uses this film to illuminate the pinnacle of his movement, his dream of changing the Arc De Triomphe into an anti-war monument. At its core, The Art of Un-War is a plea to humanity to counteract its deep romanticization of violence. You can find Maria Niro’s work by streaming through New Day Films.
Dr. Kat Novak worked with the Brookens Library, UIS Visual Arts, UIS Student Life, the College of Public Affairs and Education, and the School of Communication and Media to put on this event. Dr. Novak stated, “…there were two things that grabbed me about the film. One was that it examined tackling the culture of war and how we dismantle that culture. The other was that I was impressed with Krzysztof’s body of work and his life-long dedication to the antiwar movement. I wanted to show these meaningful messages to students”.
