Even Faster, Even Higher, Even Stronger

2019, video, 6:05 min

The starting point for Rusicka and Lecnim’s work is the figure of Ludwig Guttmann, a neurologist who worked at the Jewish Hospital in Breslau and propagated the idea of the Paralympic Games after the war. It was at his initiative that the first sporting event for veterans with spinal cord injury was held in London in 1948, accompanying the Olympic Games. Referring to the official slogan of the Olympics, the artists focus on the ethos of self-improvement and competitiveness at a time when the paradigm of unlimited growth and the logic of eternal acceleration are beginning to be questioned. The incessant bouncing of a ball against the wall can be interpreted both as an expression of frustration and boredom or an indicator of strength and physical fitness. Practicing a team sport alone reveals the tension between an individual and a group, which can be viewed as “us” or them.” Rusicka and Lecnim’s approach to traditional gender roles and power struggles in relationships is also ambiguous – it is a woman who is in charge of kicking, this peculiar training of aggression and stereotypically masculine activity that can be viewed as preparation for competition.

description: Małgorzata Miśniakiewicz — the curator of the Concealed. Survival Art Review 2019