Art as a means of regaining one's voice. Romani identity in the narrative of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas's works (an analysis of the exhibition Travelling Images at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow)

Abstract

Narratives can take many different forms, including art. This article analyses the works of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas presented at the Wędrujące obrazy (Travelling Images) exhibition at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow from December 2022 to March 2023. The research focuses on ethe image of the Roma people and their identity as constructed in the artist’s narrative.

Historically, the Roma have been objectified, excluded from general history, and studied by non-Roma ethnographers and anthropologists. The depiction of Roma in paintings, as preserved in museum collections, was also created through an ‘external gaze’. Roma have experienced, and continue to experience, stigmatisation and discrimination based on this stereotypical image, as reproduced by art.

However, the situation is changing. A Romani political movement has emerged, Romani researchers and institutions have appeared, and Romani artists are establishing themselves in the art world. This enables them to regain their subjectivity, speak with their own voice, and help shape their image within mainstream society.

In this context, the works of the renowned artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas are important. She was the first Romani woman to represent her country in the national pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale in 2022, and her work focuses on the autobiographical experience of Romani identity.

During the analysis of the artist’s narrative presented at the International Cultural Centre, the following three threads were identified: 1) Family, solidarity and community (manifested in two forms: local Roma communities and the transnational community of Women-Giants); 2) Activism on behalf of the Roma; and 3) The Roma past, including the recovery and commemoration of history, as well as Roma heroes and heroines. The threads of the visual narrative tell a story about Roma canonical values that constitute their collective identity.