Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, PL
Jangare (Black), 2023. Two pieces Wax, coal, metal.
The work of Romani artist, educator and activist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas addresses anti-Roma stereotypes and engages in building an affirmative iconography of Roma communities. Her art depicts everyday life: relationships, alliances and shared activities. Mirga-Tas’s vibrant textile collages are created from materials and fabrics collected from family and friends, imbuing them with a life of their own. Textiles made of curtains, jewelry, shirts and sheets are sewn together to form "micro carriers" of history, with the resulting images showing different perspectives. Her vibrant works offer a rare opportunity to see the Roma on their own terms, both as a contemporary community and as a people with a rich heritage.