Jakub Jasiukiewicz (1983, Szczecin, Poland)
Jakub Jasiukiewicz uses multiple media such as photography, object, video or multimedia installation, to develop his artistic practice.
The artist usually reflects on complex human issues regarding anxiety, fears and threats. A big part of his work makes reference to the inherent limits that concern every individual, such as the boundaries between life and death. He seems to observe the death up close (Dirty Bomb) or even, in a way, experience death himself (13 minutes), confronting his own phobias and traumas.
Another aspect that fascinates Jasiukiewicz is the irrational fear that emerges as a consequence of our distorted notion of danger, which in our contemporary society is triggered off by the increasing number of threats we face, from terrorism, through illnesses, epidemics, to the end of the world in 2012 (Nibiru).
After a thorough reflection on these different manifestations of anxiety, Jasiukiewicz manages to tame them through his art, using a characteristic combination of humour and playful subtlety, despite the seriousness of the topic. By means of diverse media, he arranges ambiguous situations to intentionally confuse the viewer. He leads our path to understanding in a certain way, just to make it all crumble seconds later and forces us to redirect our train of thought to new, less explicit meanings, proving at the same time that easy questions have nothing but difficult answers.
In his latest series (Gravity and friction) the artist gradually shifts towards different concerns. The recurring motif of limit is still present, however now this boundary becomes more palpable and physical, referring to issues connected closely with the body.
