Marta Górnicka
Multitude
12.09.–08.11.2020
Gallery Weekend Berlin
Ebensperger ⅋ Luxoom Lab
Constitution for a Chorus of Poles
2016
Video
27’
Produced by Nowy Teatr, Warszawa
In the first year of the rule of Law and Justice Party, when it became clear that the right-wing government and the parliamentary majority were attempting an attack on the democratic order in Poland, and society was being split into two hostile camps, Marta Górnicka gathered over fifty people from both the left and the right wing of the political conflict in Poland to read the Polish constitution together. Actors from Nowy Teatr, football fans, members of the paramilitary association “Strzelec”, Christians, Vietnamese and Jewish people, THE CHORUS OF WOMEN, Muslims, refugees, people with Down syndrome, seniors, and children formed THE CHORUS OF POLES. The show premiered on 1 May 2016, that is the International Worker’s Day, during a great national debate caused by the turmoil surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland.
Marta Górnicka reacted to this crisis with a powerful gesture: she showed that the Polish constitution is not a project for an ethnically homogeneous group, but for an extremely diverse political community. Announcing the performance, she wrote a letter to the Polish society:
Dear Society,How are you? How are you doing? We are asking because your life has recently accelerated a great deal. A lot has been going on with you. As you know, in the theatre we often address you and talk about you a lot. And we even speak on your behalf. A lot of words have been revolving around you with an ever-greater velocity, load and striking distance. The Polish-Polish war with words, so they say.HOMELAND, TRUTH, NATION, CITIZEN, ENEMY, PATRIOT, TRAITOR, EVERYONE, CONSTITUTION. And it is impossible to talk using ammunition.Whose are “Polish values”? Mine? or Yours? What is it that is taking freedom away from us? Is there any US?We want to ask you about it, Society. We want to ask about it in the theatre.So this time WE ARE INVITING YOU onto the stage to read the Constitution(libretto)CHORUS OF POLES:(solo)The Republic of Poland is a commonwealth of (CHOIR) ALL citizens.The Republic of Poland is a commonwealth of all (CHOIR) CITIZENSEVERYONE shall respect the freedoms and rights of (solo) OTHER, OTHER, OTHER, OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER. OTHER OTHER OTHER OTHER
The colours of the Republic of Poland are white and red-WHITE-RED-WHITE-RED-WHITE-REDWHITE! RED! INVINCIBLE! COLOURS! What do you think, Society? Fun, huh? Words are there to be spoken.Will you drop by? Let's talk.And if you do not want a Homeland? Then add some spice and eat it;)
Cast: Marta Adamczewska, Beata Banasik, Sebastian Biały, Grzegorz Brandt, Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer, Ewa Chomicka, Paulina Drzastwa, Maciej Dużyński, Dawid Dziarkowski, Bartosz Gelner, Krystyna Gielecińska, Violetta Glińska, Alicja Herod, Edina Iliasova, Anna Jagłowska, Rafał Jatczak, Maria Jolanta Nałęcz Jawecka, Katarzyna Jaźnicka, Borys Jaźnicki, Mateusz Jóźwiak,Gubani Khay Kharoeva, Ewa Konstanciak, Maja Kowalczyk, Wiesław Kowalski, Grzegorz Kuraszkiewicz, Kim Lee, Zaretta Mamaeva Mateusz Marciniak, Marta Markowicz, Kamila Michalska, Mateusz Michnikowski, Olga Mysłowska, Natalia Obrębska, Ngo Van Tuong, Michał Pęszyński, Jacek Poniedziałek, Anna Rączkowska, Paulina Sacharczuk-Kajper, Natalia Samolijk, Jakub Sitek, Michalina Sitek, Kaja Stępkowska, Kamilla Tantasheva, Ton Van Anh, Dawid Wawryka, Karolina Więch, Anna Wodzyńska, Anna Wojnarowska, Viet Thu Lan Pham, Raisa
Credits
Concept, direction, text: Marta Górnicka. Dramaturgy: AGATA ADAMIECKA. Choreography: Anna Godowska. Spatial design: Robert Rumas. Visual identity: Luka Rayski. Lights: Artur Sienicki.
Image
© Michał Rumas, Courtesy Nowy Teatr, Warsaw