The human being is a complex system of connected vessels, which outwardly seem to form a harmonious whole, while inwardly they can be cracked, distorted, and fragile.

Any phenomena that do not fit within a certain framework are anomalies. It is easy to see the outer ones. The inner ones are invisible. Any disturbance is undesirable. 

Every person has an exterior and an interior; every person has anomalies, whether they realise them or not. It does not matter in which layer: physical, spiritual, or mental. It is impossible to see one’s true self without understanding what we are made of.  

When thinking about the human body and its parts that are borderline between the outer and inner worlds, we come to the conclusion that the most immediate element is the skin. It seemingly divides the two worlds, but it is also the place where they meet. 

I define the human body as an inwardly open form that takes the shape of a hollow cylinder. The material used is a reminder of the deeply rooted archetypes and myths of human origins in our culture. 

Since childhood, I have suffered from the chronic and unpredictable autoimmune Crohn’s disease. It is characterised by states of remission and acute attacks; its main symptoms are gastrointestinal and are very embarrassing. 

The sculpture is my alter ego: a response to my physicality. It consists of my particles with which I identify. Each of the fivepiece half-cylinders that make up the sculpture weighs between 50 and 60 kilograms, as much as I do. The height and width of both modules correspond to my measurements. This form was created with the idea that I could construct it myself. I connect to it by reinstalling it each time. 

The bodily fluids in the video image and the water in the object tell a story of purification. A system of hoses pumps the water, collecting the residual bodily fluids as they flow down the drain. However, they have left behind visible artefacts, or anomalies, which testify to the process that took place. The sculpture is an expression of purification: a process leading to acceptance. 

Aleksandra Stefaniak