selected articles
BLOGS: OWN OBITUARIES. THE INTERNET MADNESS
A blog is just dreaming about immortality and fame. Embellishment and decoration of own gravestones becomes something more powerful here. It stems from the apotheosis of individualism and courage of one’s convictions. The special space in which blogs are located – the influence of audience and interaction – deprives them of the right to retain sexuality. It is more like a discourse alternative, a style, resultant, like dreams come true and expectations satisfy. There is much of the Lasch’s sexual utopia in it: “everyone is welcome” as a gesture of absolute exchange. A blog is a view, no restraints, no veil. A clear, transparent and detailed message. A substitute of this all can only be found in Japan these days. The culture of Otaku, Idoru and kawaii. The culture of teflon-coated she idols and aggressive avengeresses.
press review
ON “DIALOG” – THE SPRING OF THE LIVING WORD
Over one third of the issue headed with a phrase Getting A Father Back, “Dialog”’s authors ponder upon what is hidden under such a familiarly and attractively sounding ‘daddyhood’. To whet our appetites, we are served a sad drama by Marek Pruchniewski and Marek Wortman, titled Nasz syn [Our Son], the text on “the drama of parenthood, the fall and breakdown of the family”, or to put it even shorter – on family traumas. Next comes a sketch by Katarzyna Taras Tacierzyństwo [Daddyhood], which asks questions rather than gives easy answers. The author is looking, both intently and closely, on the father figure in the Polish movies of last few years, on the voice of the low budget production in the discussion on the condition of the modern man. So “fatherhood is, above all, chafing”, especially for the men in their thirties, especially for the fathers out of necessity.
WHAT EVERY EUROPEAN MUST KNOW
Before the familiar world turns ultimately into the paradise or wilderness, maybe it is worth trying to put aside the discussions about Putin’s authoritarianism, Islamic fascism or globalisation. We could, for instance, read literature however demagogic and naïve it would sound. Formerly, in pages of “Europe” Markiewicz and Markowski discussed criterion of truth in interpretation, we could read the interview with Rymkiewicz, learn something about Houellebecq. The editorial staff of Weekly of Ideas less frequently decide to initiate such themes and presence of such personas. Maybe it results from the precise specifying of the magazine’s subtitle: maybe the editorial staff understand those ideas only from the narrow ideological perspective.
COMMUNING WITH ARCHITECTURE – A NECESSITY OF LIFE FOR THE MODERN MAN.
The scope of responsibilities and the required knowledge of an architect have evolved over the centuries, and so has the notion of architecture itself. But today…. Today it is also a form of art par excellence. More emphasis on aesthetics – this is what we should strive for!
Equipped in the basic knowledge on the subject, I would like to gain a better understanding of this art form. Fortunately, I can fall back on the magazine “Architektura-Murator”. This specialized monthly, devoted to construction technology and interior design, is targeted at experts in the field, though it may be of interest to lay people as well.
So I find myself reading, with great excitement, about exhibitions on architecture and architects being continually opened (and closed) in art galleries and museums around the world. Critical recognition is levelled at architects studios and independent authors alike.
For instance, the exhibition of the joint projects by architects’ studios in Sedes Gallery, Berlin, was designed in such a way as to stimulate not only the visitors’ intellect but also their personality; its aim was to emphasize the fact that ‘a sensitive and responsible approach to the built environment should be a concern for us all.’
LE NOM DU PÈRE IS PÉEREL
In the current issue of „Przegląd Polityczny” (78/2006), the main section concerns embitterment. Embitterment is a unique blend of love and hate. What is it all about? It is all about being hurt. It is distressing, especially if caused by someone close, by a person who should bring relief and not harm. On the face of it, embitterment seems to be a simple hatred. However, it is not. It is extremely difficult to admit that you love someone who you actually hate. What to do about this? According to Nietzsche and psychotherapy, it should be cured. Embitterment is a result of trauma and it is required to come back to that situation and constructively answer to that.