Located on Wrocław’s Tamka Island, Paweł Kulczyński’s work simulated a public audio information system that broadcasted blatantly false messages into the urban space — statements that could be instantly recognized as untrue based on basic general knowledge. This artistic tactic challenged, in real time, the ingrained assumption that public announcements — typically issued by seemingly credible sources — are automatically truthful. No deep reflection was needed; the listener’s instinctive cognitive dissonance prompted a recoil, followed by the satisfying exposure of falsehood.
The Orwellian title directly references the long history of propaganda, in which loudspeaker systems played a crucial role in spreading disinformation at rallies, workplaces, and schools. At the same time, the installation maintains a performative lightness reminiscent of the avant-garde — not overly preachy, but applying just the right amount of pressure to an inflated context. Wrocław’s legacy of the Orange Alternative becomes useful once again.
This temporary “radio node” broadcasted short announcements voiced by professional actor Marta Zięba — read with either bureaucratic seriousness, a hint of irony, or even playful disbelief. This tonal variation created a subtle play on meaning, allowing each slogan to be interpreted in multiple ways. The messages were played in ephemeral episodes every 15 minutes from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, like a chime clock. Phrases such as “Autocracy is democracy,” “Illness is health,” or “Wisdom is stupidity” were each introduced with tags like “Ministry announces” or “Institute announces”. These fictional bodies symbolized a broader concept of authority compulsively producing new “axioms” — for both private and public consumption, for social and national purposes, and most of all, for its own benefit.
Marta Zięba performed the voiceover for the installation’s texts.
Paweł Kulczyński, also known as Wilhelm Bras / Lautbild, is a musician, experimenter, and sound artist. He creates open-air concerts, sound installations, and theatrical music. He collaborates with leading festivals and institutions in Poland and abroad, performing at events such as Unsound, Sacrum Profanum, and CTM Festival. His avant-garde electronic music blends genres in a unique idiom that often flirts with underground club culture.
Over the past years, he has played more than 100 concerts across 3 continents, from major festivals to small club venues.
More at: pawelkulczynski.com
