THE MIDGET GALLERY

2006-2008

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TECHNICAL DETAILS

Single channel video projection with slides (colour), loop, 4:3 PAL, audio, language: Polish, subtitles: English

Series of colour photographs: Ela Białkowska and Marcin Oliva Soto, various sizes, lambda on 3mm plexi covered dibond, copyright: Katarzyna Kozyra

The Midget Gallery Squats The 4th Berlin Biennale, 23-25.03.2006;

The Midget Gallery Goes to Frieze Art Fair, 11-15.10.2006;

The Midget Gallery Is Invited To An Art Fair (Liste, Basel), 12-17.06.2007;

The Midget Gallery Goes To Art Basel To Buy An Artwork, 12-17.06.2007,

The Midget Gallery Buys An Artwork By E-mail, 20.06.2007 – 11.06.2008,

Ist Midget Biennale, 3-6.04.2008

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DEMO

 

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DESCRIPTION

After having invaded Budapest public bathhouses, learnt opera singing, striptease, and make up, having performed in a night club and participated in a film fairy tale as the princess, Kozyra decided to fulfil another of her dreams, albeit outside the “In Art Dreams Come True” series. Dreams connected to her professional career. The artist took part in the most fashionable contemporary art events of 2006: In the Berlin Biennale and Frieze Art Fair. Uninvited, she barged in with a group of midgets dressed in Bavarian folk costumes, who – as the Midget Gallery – displayed the film frim the “In Art Dreams Come True” series – “Winter’s Tale”  on small screens attached to their backs. They would also suggest buying online Kozyra’s artwork in the form of postcards from the series. While artistic institutions have already incorporated artists’ provocations and attacks in their modus operandi, the art market, with all its sombreness, is still taking itself too seriously. Perhaps this is why the Midget Gallery was thrown out of Frieze Art Fair after only twenty minutes, and by the event director himself.

Unexpectedly, after the London incident, the Midget Galley was invited to participate in the Liste Fair in Basel. The group seized the opportunity and both publically (and legally) played cards adorned with Kozyra’s likeness. On this occasion, The Midgets dropped by Art Basel, which was taking place at the same time, in order to try and buy some art.

Another step in the developing activities and career of the Gallery was the purchase of Richard Jackson’s artwork. Dakis Iannou, great art collector, with generosity of a true patron of arts, handed the Midgets twenty thousand dollars, asking them to purchase a work of art for his collection. The task turned out to be more difficult than could be expected: It’s not easy to sell, but even harder to buy. Artwork offered before the professional show were either too expensive or impossible to take home – eventually the Midgets were not able to buy anything. They did, however, manage to achieve something: twice, they unwittingly chose pieces by the same artist [Richard Jackson] for a potential purchase. This coincidence led to a conversation with the gallery representing him, which promised to ask the artist to create a piece worth less than twenty thousand dollars. 

The artist whom The Midget Gallery liked the most at Art Basel was the one who made the duck sitting in a bathtub. The Midgets were happy to be able to buy only its legs, or even just one of them. After over a year of phone conversations and e-mail exchange with the artist and the gallery, he agreed to create a work of art worth less than twenty thousand dollars, and even prepare a surprise for the Midgets. They were very excited by the prospect and expected to receive the duck legs they’d dreamed of. Alas, when they opened the package, there was an entire duck inside, but a tiny one: a miniature duck made in Taiwan.

After having experienced the biennale and art market, what was there left for The Midget Gallery to do? The only thing remaining was to organise their own biennale. Determined to climb to the very top of the art world, the Midgets decided to create the greatest biennale in the world, the 1^st Midget Biennale showing, as the title suggest, art “from cave paintings to Art Basel and e-flux”. Essentially, it’s a great journey through the art of the last millennia, and at the same time a novel proposition concerning the art market – the full title of the event includes “The Third Way for Communism”. Many international artists were invited: from Jeff Koons to Damien Hirst, from Maurizio Cattelan to Cindy Sherman, from Marina Abramovic to Paula McCarthy and from Takashi Murakami to Olafur Eliasson. All were placed in a mural, a gigantic fresco depicting the history of art and humanity. Katarzyna Kozyra is also among them and try as she might to deny it – many consider her the true inspiration behind the activities of The Midget Gallery.

Additional activities of The Midget Gallery involved publishing their own online magazine, press releases, production of postcards, and series of especially prepared gadgets: stamps, playing cards, banners, and calling cards. They have turned from amateurs into professionals.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Katarzyna Kozyra. The Midget Gallery. Berlin, Auguststrasse, March 23th – 25th, 2006, PRESS RELEASE

   

• Katarzyna Kozyra. The Midget Gallery Goes to Frieze. London, Regent’s Park, October 11th – 15th, 2006, PRESS RELEASE

   

• Katarzyna Kozyra. The Midget Gallery goes to Art. Basel to buy an artwork, Basel, June 12th, 2007, PRESS RELEASE

   

• 1st Midget Biennale. From the Caves to Art. Basel and e-flux. The Third Way for Communism, Belin, Mariannenplatz 1, April 3rd-6th, 2008, PRESS RELEASE

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SEE MORE

 

• “Katarzyna Kozyra, Casting”, Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Warsaw 2010.

• “The Midget Gallery, A Guide To the Art System and Art Market”, Studio Blok, Warsaw 2009.

• IN ART DREAMS COME TRUE

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The Artist would like to thank all her collaborators and people who helped in the realisation of the project, in particular:

Ela Białkowska, Fabio Cavallucci, Richard Cobelli, Joanna Kiliszek, Kama Kowalska, Marcin Oliva Soto.

 

Production:

Galeri Image, Arhus, Katarzyna Kozyra.