FOR JULIAN

MULTIMEDIA INSTALLATION

This painting-cum-drawing installation was presented at MOCAK—the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków—as part of Dorota Mytych’s 2025 monographic exhibition. It is dedicated to the memory of the artist’s father, Julian, who died in hospital in 2020 due to complications following a mishandled intubation. He had been admitted for a routine eye procedure but never returned home. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, his wife could only see him through the hospital window.

The installation weaves together personal grief and cultural symbolism, creating a layered and poignant narrative. It includes drawings of the Dance of Turoń, inspired by the exuberant folk figure from traditional Polish Christmas processions. At the end of the carolers’ performance, Turoń collapses—then rises again—symbolising death and rebirth, the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new.

Another drawing, Art. 155, references the article of the Polish penal code that defines manslaughter, hinting at the legal and ethical implications surrounding her father's death. A calendar page marked 30 January 2020 signals the date when time, for Dorota Mytych, stood still.

One of the most striking images is a dog made from raw meat—Ralf, the dog of Amon Göth, commandant of the Płaszów concentration camp, trained to attack prisoners at his command. Another quietly devastating motif is a pair of shoes, recalling the words of Jan Twardowski: “Let’s hurry to love people – they pass away so quickly, leaving behind only shoes and a phone that stays silent.”