The Concept of “Conjuring” the World as a Way to Deconstruct the Image of the Community: Around the Exhibition of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas

Abstract

The article describes the Polish Pavilion at the Biennale Arte (2022), where, due to the works of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, the “re-enchantment” of Romani people history took place. At the exhibition, the artist representing Poland presented the alternative history of the Romani or – using Ariella A. Azoulay’s term – “potential” history. The author of the article examines how Mirga-Tas implements the idea of community, while making space for the individual. The artist, without any Romani representations, created her own graphic fantasy, rejecting historical testimonies; the fantasy presented in the text as an identity attempt and the creation of a collective self-portrait at the same time. In the second part of the article, the author inquires if the concept of “re-enchantment” can be used in didactics of the Polish language and reflects on the question of how to emancipate Romani culture at school in order to work through the one-dimensional image of the Romani described as the Other of Europe. The essence of re-enchantment lies in repairing what has been damaged by violence or prejudice.