Gay, Innocent and Heartless. 2008

Zbigniew Libera

Gay, Innocent and Heartless. 2008

Zbigniew Libera

☏♕◑

“The Gay, Innocent and Heartless” revisits numerous recurring themes that have characterized the artist’s work since his debut in the 1980s, delving into topics like the impact of mass media on human identity. This makes the exhibition, to a certain extent, a vibrant retrospective of his oeuvre. Despite its controversial exploration of masculinity and the military, the presented collection seamlessly integrates with the museum’s permanent assortment. The exhibition’s focus on symbols of national defense and identity has propelled it into the Polish Arms and Uniforms gallery, underlining the multifaceted connections between the artist’s work and other realms like martial arts.

Within this project, Libera meticulously dissects the visual portrayal of history and its sway over collective and individual memory as well as national identity. Drawing inspiration from James M. Barry’s “Peter Pan and Wendy,” the title “The Gay, Innocent and Heartless” introduces a series of meticulously staged photographs depicting an unidentified unit embarking on a cryptic mountaineering expedition. The culmination of Libera’s endeavor comes to life in a photographic book that simulates a fictitious National Geographic article. This article asserts that “The Gay, Innocent and Heartless” is a cohort of young guerilla warriors battling for liberation. These fighters were purportedly encountered by archaeologist David Gorgos and photographer Zbigniew Libera during an expedition to Madagascar. Additionally, the book showcases images from an imagined handwritten diary belonging to these partisans.

To enhance this elaborate narrative, Libera interweaves carefully selected quotes. These quotes range from William S. Burroughs’ prose devoted to an unrestricted utopian land free from bourgeois constraints to excerpts from Che Guevara’s “My Revolution,” where the revolutionary leader extols the charms of the guerilla movement and the proletariat’s revolution.

While this ostensibly romantic tale fabricated by Libera is designed to captivate viewers, it also serves as a catalyst for a discerning and critical assessment of its subject matter. Piotr Piotrowski, a reviewer, acknowledges that the project isn’t a naive tribute to boyish fantasies of a communal expedition into the wilderness. Nor is it merely a nostalgic expression of a mature man yearning for a bygone revolution and lost youth. In fact, Libera subjects these desires to unfiltered critical contemplation, reframing their initial perception to critique the phenomenon itself and his own artistic practice. “The Gay, Innocent and Heartless” can be construed as a provocative game with the ideal of masculine camaraderie, a martial odyssey, and enduring renown. The artist highlights symbolic figures that mold human behavior and their visual representations, drawing from history, art, and media roles in constructing images that often become more real than reality itself, influencing our actions. This project masterfully weaves together Libera’s cherished themes, all while subjecting them to a meticulous critique. Having emerged from the anarchic “Kultura Zrzuty” movement, Libera adopts the position of an established artist who, having mellowed with time, looks back upon his years of fervent engagement.