Paulina Trzeciak

Chasers of Promise: Towards Desirable Future(s) examines the aftermath of the Polish transition from communism to capitalism followed by the logic of ‘shock therapy’ that was employed at the beginning of the 90s. Today, as a result of this economic plan (written over the course of one night), Poland faces a rising nationalist movement and a powerful Catholic Church which is heavily involved in politics.

In the video work, Paulina Trzeciak is wearing wedding garments she retrieved from her parent’s bridal salon founded after the fall of communism. Her parents’ desire to join the emerging business elite paralleled the unleashed national desire to chase the promise of the American dream.

Paulina creates a persona for this story: a bride naively waiting for her promised fiancé to show up, just like Poland awaits the promise of success and prosperity to come true. Like the bride, Poles find themselves in constant pursuit of ’the better’, which is located somewhere in a highly fabricated future created by Western economic ideologies.