Kerim Seiler’s Hypnos (Situationist Space Program) can be found on Maria Magdalena Square. It has taken on the form of a chemical compound structure, in other words molecules – in this case morphine molecules. The artist weaves ancient, chemical and natural motifs, as well as the theory and practice of 20th Century art. Three intertwining plots dominate Seiler’s installation: the dialogue between culture and nature, the reference to the theory of Situationists and their understanding of city space, and also, as the title suggests, Greek mythology and the dream motif.

For an artist the molecule is a figure which shows how such a natural element for nature can change our perception of the space we are experiencing when it is placed in an unexpected context and scale. The appearance of this matter, which at first glance seems strange and invasive, in Krakow’s historical centre causes tension. The city centre is marked by many meanings and narrations; it is subject to myth creation. The residents are more like passive actors than directors in this performance. Situationists, and also Seiler, treat space differently, as a process of building and redefining social relations. It is a critical approach, based on an ever-changing and continuously negotiated net of interdependence. Introducing the artist’s installation among Krakow’s historical buildings leads to antagonism, which acts on emotions and the behaviour of individuals, and through this, on the process of developing public space. In creating the first molecule the artist’s inspiration was the works and views of Dr Albert Hofmann, a chemist. The scientist claimed that when it came to the relation between nature and culture “we should overcome the materialistic and dualist view that man and the environment are separate.” Man is the only species on Earth which managed to create culture – he reached a level of growth in evolution which allowed him to consciously transform the real world surrounding him. In this sense culture is not the opposite of nature, but is its result. In this way the construction of the molecule (nature), which is made up of atoms connected by chemical compounds, can serve as a model for the way of thinking about the city and its space (culture).

The nature-culture relation appears in the third thread of Kerim Seiler’s project. On the one hand he uses such a chemical individuum as the morphine molecule (nature), and on the other a name taken from mythology from the name of the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos (culture). Hypnos is the son of Night and Darkness, and the father of Morpheus, the god of dreams. The Ancient Greeks believed that he lived in a cave on the River of Forgetfulness, at the edge of the earth. He was portrayed as a young man, smiling gently and sleeping with a poppy flower in his hand – and as is widely known morphine derives from opium, extracted from the poppy-head of the opium poppy.

Kerim Seiler’s installation, Hypnos (Situationist Space Program) attracts the eager participation of visitors. People enter the “mirror” pavilion, they look around, touch and experience this installation. It elicits many comments. It is surprising for both tourists and residents alike.

We invite everyone who is interested in this piece and in Kerim Seiler’s works to a meeting with the artist which will take place on Sunday, 27 June at 7 p.m. at Wyspiański Pavilion.