Slideshow, 2008 by Michal Budny and Zbigniew Rogalski

Our story began in 2005, when I invited Michal to participate in my project (Projekcja, January 2006, Zacheta National Gallery in Warsaw). Michal not only accepted the project, but also had a profound influence on its final form. The outcome of joining different techniques and philosophies of work turned out to be surprisingly interesting and yielded new possibilities of expression  this is why we have decided to continue our cooperation.

In many of his works, Michal illustrates the fleeting nature of reality using fragile materials such as cardboard or paper. He creates models of situations and objects that are a symbolic record of emotions. His ephemeral sculptures and installations take on additional meanings as time affects their frail structure. Meanwhile, my own attempts of expression can be seen as, in a way, the opposite. With the use of tangible means, such as painting or photography, I strive to capture the effects and phenomena that constantly escape our attention  to plastically reconstruct the momentary processes taking place in our perception. At times, my works are attempts at realistic visualizations of impressions, thoughts, or phantom feelings.

Our combined methods of work make it possible to reach the previously unknown areas of subtlety in the field of creation. In the Projekcja installation, we tried to analyze the problem of fiction as closely as possible  the existence of each of the elements in the work is interdependent on the others. Moreover, none of them is real This unreal video screening is dedicated to all unrealized projects.

The use of simple media is an important aspect of our work. We use the techniques employed by each of us individually. Our cooperative work takes the form of meetings; we share the experience gained on a daily basis while working separately. Shared projects stem from a need for new artistic investigations and, at the same time, bring a relief from the loneliness inherent in the creation process.

Up to now we have realized three joint projects. We are currently working on an installation which will be an attempt at a dark analysis of the problem of drive towards violence as a basic need of human existence.

Budny and Rogalski’s work is the trompe l’oeil “projection” located on the north facade of SITE’s building.

By using the simplest tools and materials  predominantly paper and cardboard  Michal Budny creates formally restrained models not only of objects, places, and situations, but also of phenomena which lack a fixed material form, such as voice, memory, rain, or a ray of sunlight. These meticulously constructed tiny objects and sculptures, as well as the monumental installation or site-specific works that Budny also creates, function both as an echo of reality and a subtle narrative about the transitory nature of life.

Budny’s memento mori speak of ephemerality through a gradual fading away of the contents on paper, as well as empty forms and shapes whose physicality is difficult to decipher due to the passing of time and their removal in space. Because of the modesty of his materials and the freehand nature of his constructions, these works seem to be especially intimate and homely. They give form and meaning to that which we would previously consider as empty space. In this sense, Budny’s activities are a poetic interpretation of the architecture around us and the ways in which life fills it with meaning.

In 2006, Budny collaborated with painter Zbigniew Rogalski on Projection. Despite their inherent differences, what unites them is a love of surface, texture, spatial illusionism, and a penchant for blurring the lines between fact and fiction. For Projection, they constructed a representation of a video installation. Using cardboard, wood, paint, and some artificial lighting, Budny and Rogalski inverted the ephemerality and movement typically associated with video art into static, permanent objects.

Lukasz Gorczyca and Michal Kaczynski