Artist: Magdalena Sadlowska

Title: Drive my car

Venue:Starak Family Foundation, Spectra Art Space, Warsaw, Poland

Curators: Ania Muszyńska, Kama Kieremkampt 

Our understanding of reality is the result of inheriting emotional and sentimental fragments from previous generations. Those close to us pass on their experiences, sentiments, and feelings, which influence our understanding of history. Cultural empathy is an area of my interest. A recurring theme in my recent work is the trace of automobilism.

The automotive industry at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries revolutionized the world. Soon becoming an icon, it drove the previous century, expanding its influence and leading to inevitable changes resulting from this monoculture. It served as a significant marker of taste and place in culture. What I depict is still beautiful and tempting, even though reality does not in any way correspond to these ideals.

The installation titled “Drive my car” relates to fleeting memories, moments of detachment from reality, and a feeling of weightlessness that we often seek in our daily lives. The inspiration for creating this series was the recurring motif of a flash of light observed while driving a car, which blinds and blurs the direction of the road. Travel follows its own rules, brings surprises, and creates the opportunity for the unexpected.