“Every man's memory is his private literature.”
― Aldous Huxley


In my artistic practise I draw ideas from phenomenological philosophy and focus on individuals and their stories in the belief that everyone has their own unique story which in a poetic way transcends the understanding of life in general.
My interests revolve around rural communities settled in varied geographical places. So far I met and researched those scattered in Polish Region of Masovia, those in surroundings of Scottish-English border (Berwick-upon-Tweed) and also those found in mountainous Macedonia. I centre around people who, I believe, are the living archives of the past. Each and every of them has a unique story behind them. I am particularly interested in the stories that are overlooked in nowadays society. I strive to show the oeuvre and visions of people in a new visual form. The medium of my choice usually is a film. It works as a tool of research and exploration to me. That’s also how I bring voices on the agenda. I feel a deep respect to my interlocutors and always try to get closer to them. Going further with my interpretation, I should say, I equalize social art or community engagement art to this work of engaging small local communities. When I get into action with my camera, I know my characters can be sure of receiving something permanent in return but also something filled with their original spirit. That’s how I stay honest to them. Up till the present I managed to propose works beyond categories, which I believe is a key value of theirs. While in the creative process, I many times stumble upon that fact, that I actually travel between categories of the documentary film, the ethnographic scrutiny and the field of contemporary art. I also like to play with the film medium restrictions. That is why I proposed installations of multichannel projections in gallery spaces. I also embraced the performative institutions in my practice. I never limit myself when seeing new opportunities to better connect with my audiences. As a summary of my stance I would like to underline the importance of old people to my practice. The storytelling they propose through my films works as a solid poetic vehicle that transcends us and our lives.

I am inspired and influenced by works of Fiona Tan, by films of Bela Tarr, Carlos Reygadas. I love the cinematographer of Terrence Malick's films Emmanuel Lubezki.

 

Piotr Piasta
2023