The fourth and last meeting from “Arts and nations” cycle took place on 29th November 2013. We hosted professor Mariusz Bryl from the Institute of History of Arts of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, theorist of art and methodologist. Professor Bryl was supposed to give lecture on “History and style. Arts and the concept of nation in Poland in 19th and 20th century”, but he eventually changed his mind and lectured us on the Polish anti-national art.
The lecture began unconventionally, with presentation of parts of movies on the victims of Adam Humer and on general Fieldorf. Those fragments helped professor Bryl to indicate values crucial for being a Pole, namely: God, honor and homeland – he who does not profess them, may not be considered Pole. Next, our guest moved on to the analysis and interpretation of work entitled “God in my homeland is honorable” – according to professor Bryl, representative of Polish anti-national art – the author of which is Robert Rumas, born in Kielce, “associated”, according to our lecturer, “with the so-called Kielce pogrom.” The said work was classified by professor Bryl as manifestation of “oikophobia”, which constitutes in aversion towards one’s own primary community.
As an antidote to this attitude, professor suggested a poem by Zbigniew Herbert „Damastes z przydomkiem Prokrustes mówi” performed by Przemysław Gintrowski and the voice of pope John Paul II.
