Eliza Proszczuk
Girls from the Castle
Girls from the Castle is part of a large, ongoing since 2012, project by Eliza Proszczuk – painter, cartoonist, creator of art books, and works of art in public space.
The word “castle” in the project’s title signifies, on the one hand, the setting of a maximum security prison, wherein the artist implemented her project. On the other hand, it signifies the structure in which the project is now being presented. Girls from the Castle is about three young girls who were convicted of felonies and imprisoned in a maximum security penitentiary, the project’s participants, as well as girls, who in the depths of their hearts, through participation in the project, are still able to be like princesses from a beautiful castle, waiting for their prince.
Girls from the Castle tells the story of how, through art, three young girls can return to a world of colors, colorful fairytales, and the fun of playing together. It’s a story about how to transform, even for a brief time, a prison space devoid of color into a space of multi-colored freedom as well as to regain the ever so valuable sense of freedom, however momentary, but nonetheless ever so valuable. Despite the colorful quality of the project, this is not a happy children’s story.
Eliza Proszczuk’s project happens primarily, but not exclusively, in a space between imprisonment and liberty, isolation and participation in a mutual action, maturity and childhood, as well as limitation in the expression of freedom and the freedom of its practice. The project also intends to enter into a space of reflection and discussion about the role of art and artists in social rehabilitation activities and their effectiveness, as well as into a space of reflection and discussion about “culture as a prison,” both in a social and symbolic aspect, and in particular, about art’s ability to liberate and allow, even whilst being enslaved, imprisoned or isolated, entry into a state of freedom, as well as its oppressive aspect, preventing access to it.
The project is composed of four films – two projections and two videos – as well as objects: costumes made of toys and toys made by the project’s participants.
- Text
- Marek Goździewski
