Kajetan Oniszk

* De oorspronkelijke Engelse versie van deze tekst is wegens artistieke overwegingen behouden.

"If not for the shareholders I would gladly become a mushroom or a handful of moss."

Grew up on the outskirts of Warsaw in the district of Wesoła (eng. Cheerful), neighborhood of Wola Grzybowska (eng. The Will of Mushrooms). Spent most of his life in front of a computer or watching Mythbusters.

Professional Polish person raised in the hangover of post-communism, shaped by scarcity, improvisation, inherited cynicism, and emotional attachment to damaged things. In his room nothing was thrown away and things were repaired beyond dignity, forever wriggling their way out of mortality. Failure stayed in circulation. 

Oniszk’s work exists somewhere between the individual martyr and the abstract statistic. He is drawn toward things considered inefficient, excessive, unnecessary, pathetic, obsolete, or "dead". His work often begins with objects that failed their assigned destiny: century old bullets that didn't kill, broken clocks, discarded toys, damaged tools and losers. 

Through absurd "labor", failed objects are given a second chance outside their original designated purpose. Ideas become filthy snowballs of grime, dust and obsession rolled until they feel heavy enough to exist. His practice explores meaning beyond the margins of usefulness, productivity, or success. 

His art aims to enforce accountability through modifications of everyday objects and concepts. Death, responsibility, waste of time, emotional overinvestment and abuse of power are explored through found-object amalgamations and performative gestures.