The Cracks
Karolina HoworkoToday's world is constantly changing. Many fundamentals – once considered permanent – are dissolving or reforming. New currencies are emerging every day, strong nation unions are falling apart, and even the climate is changing. Artist Karolina Howorko wants to make us aware of the tearing, cracking and transforming of existing, entrenched ideologies. After all, they also offer room for innovation.
On the Montelbaanstoren on the Oudeschans, she created a lighting installation that 'cracks' the tower. In this way, the tower, which is part of the sixteenth-century fortifications of Amsterdam, acquires a new layer of meaning. “By projecting surrealistic graphic light cracks on the tower, I want to emphasize the disruptive changes of our time," says Howorko.
"While cracks often carry a sense of deterioration of the structural integrity of an object, they carry other meanings as well. They're demonstrative of an object's history, give warning signs for large acting forces, generate unique patterns, and, in the words of the poet: let light in."
The artist compares it to Japanese art kintsugi - repairing cracks in broken pottery with a layer of gold. In this way, the history of the object is celebrated instead of hidden away. Howorko: "Western society often only celebrates the perfect and uncracked. I hope my installation will make the spectator challenge this notion." The Montelbaanstoren – on which the cracks are projected – forms an essential part of the installation. Howorko: "It is a beautiful historic building in a central location, yet it is often overlooked. I hope my artwork will reiterate and expand on its beauty and importance."
Karolina Howorko
Karolina Howorko (PL/FR, 1988) has been dividing her time between Amsterdam and Warsaw since she obtained multiple master's degrees in Paris - in architecture, scenography and graphic and multimedia design. Howorko creates autonomous installations, video art, paintings, and sculptures. She plays with the imagination, memory, and expectations of the viewer and gives familiar objects a new meaning by placing them in an unconventional environment. In addition, Howorko has designed architecture, interiors and sets for theatres, museums and commercial parties at various design studios and currently as an independent designer.