Rafał Dominik is interested in pop culture and mass iconography, in which murals play a very important role. In the tradition of Mexican 20th-century and Polish post-war art, large-scale painting carried a strong political message. It echoed the 19th-century tradition of realism, but also created a positive message (most often related to the creation of a new nation state) that was comprehensible for millions of viewers.

The scene depicting Polish-Polish reconciliation created by Dominik echoes to figural compositions known from art history and simultaneously features elements of comedy. The static silhouettes of Poles uniting seem to be as epic as a real monument, but it is hard to identify with them. Frozen mid-handshake, the half-naked figures overwhelm the viewer with their size and hieratic insincerity. One can suspect that the process of unification has been going on for a very long time and, despite the best intentions, has stalled. Perhaps it will never come to a successful end. Perhaps the reconciliation postulated by the artist does not have to be commemorated with a monument or festivities, but should simply happen.


Rafał Dominik

 

(b. 1985) – painter, sculptor, and illustrator. Pop culture aficionado. Founder of the disco polo group Galactics, member of the Czosnek Studio collective. Author of animated films, digital images, collages, and videos. He illustrates children books, designs computer games and mobile applications, and creates “apartment-sized” sculptures and items of clothing. Dominik perceives art as an important element of social life, which is why in many works he focuses on introducing it to a wider audience. His search for art that is accessible and comprehensible for ordinary people is reflected in the materials he most frequently works with: self-adhesive paper or foil and various plastics.

Rok powstania: 2020
mural. Author of the mural: Maksymilian Łukomski. Courtesy of the artist