Grand Finale

organized by the Zaytun Ensemble and people of Stolec

21.09.24

The Grand Finale was intended to provide both the artists and the village community with one last major opportunity to come together, share and view artistic works, and then eat, drink, and spend time together. It was a Saturday, so it could be assumed that everyone had enough time to stop by in the afternoon and stay as long as they could.

The happening began with a program on the carpet, which served as the store's stage. Malik Meyer shared some final words, which were not meant to be the last words, addressing the artists, the cooperation partners, and above all the people of Stolec, the store’s visitors, and the audience. This was followed by three performances of artistic works that had been conceived and rehearsed during the artists’ residency at the store.

Julla Kroner opened with Three Sisters. This research and performance lived from the depth, humor and trilingual language she used on stage and was based on the myth she found in Stolec. Next, Katarzyna Kupiec presented initial processes from her monodrama research work titled iluzoryczny/illusorisch.Together with Malik Meyer, she explored the theme of illusory fear during the residency. Marcel Tadeusz Jarocki concluded the program with his performance Mr. Knee. In this work, he shared with the audience a puppet performance addressing themes of transience and shifting perspectives, which he had explored during his time in Stolec.

Afterward, the long-awaited buffet was opened. It had been prepared and shared on the initiative of the people from Stolec. Together with the Market-Groseria cakes, it became a feast for all visitors. What followed was a cheerful gathering, during which it was observed that everyone was exchanging thoughts about what had happened and what might still occur in the coming days, as well as discussing what the store had been and what it could become in the future.

The store’s artists had set up small exhibitions in various corners of the rooms and placed objects that symbolized past happenings. These were either discovered by the attendees or remained as a backdrop during the gathering.

Accompanying the get-together, and later, in the darkness outside the store, Jonasz Hałas and Jakub Hałas performed various musical pieces with their instruments. Later, some people started dancing to the music.

Between the afternoon and evening, the film Miejsca i Granice (Places and Borders) by Adam Ptaszyński was shown. For some, it was like a time capsule, as they recognized themselves in the project by the Kana Theater, which had taken place in Stolec years earlier. The images of the film sparked further conversations and memories.

People lingered in and around the store until the late hours of the night. The Grand Finale, though not the last day, offered a portrait of what community art and the exchange between artists and the community can mean: how both can connect, experience together, and learn from each other.

In the days that followed, Market Groseria was not intended to end abruptly but to gradually wind down, allowing moments of stillness to take shape after a grand and resonant day.

More impressions in the analog and digital gallery