This will be our secret

(2020)

97 x 37 x 126 cm
Mixed media. Jute bank bags, stole.

Photo: Igor Haloszka

Satan in iconography and imagination had an animal face. It is significant that man has chosen the image of an animal for a story of eternal, boundless evil, as if forgetting what human beings are capable of. The language is full of words synonymous with cruelty such as bestiality or animalization, even when set within a sublime culture. In a powerful and evocative metaphor, Ida juxtaposes three orders. The poles of children’s cradles and toys are associated with carelessness and a sense of security. The animal on the poles, however, is not a horse but a goat, Baphomet, a symbol of eternal evil used in satanic iconography.

The cape on his back, sewn from a liturgical dress is a direct reference to paedophilia committed by those responsible for the upbringing of young people within the structures of the Roman Catholic Church. Church officials preach unconditional love and grace, yet they commit irreversible acts of child abuse and easily escape accountability. Ida moves on the borderline between the human and animal worlds, where the history of taking control of animal bodies mixes with the symbolic sphere and the creation of culture based on animalistic imagery. The animal sculptures are profoundly humanistic, addressing the theme of human choices and responsibility. Ida addresses her demands in the social world, sculpting a collective portrait of man, his creative possibilities and the destructive potential of his creations. Whether it’s animals, the planet or other people, Ida stands up for innocent victims exposed to systemic violence.

Paweł Brylski