Paulina kwam op aard in het jaar 2000. Een 23-tal jaren later zit ze in haar derde bachelor in de Schone Kunsten aan Sint Lucas Antwerpen. Waar ze zich vroeger vooral als schilder van grote olieschilderijen zag, investeert ze haar tijd nu vooral in een nieuw project dat ze, naar analogie met Bauhaus, the Paulhaus doopte en dat tegemoet komt aan haar nood aan meer sociaal engagement in haar kunstenpraktijk.
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Paulina Kaval is a social engaged person who built a café on a bike, a place where people can meet. She will be part of the Vruchtbare Grond festival in May.
We asked Paulina some questions:
How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
In my socially activated project that I will be exploring during my time at Het Bos I aim to find an entrance for myself, my practice and other artists into the streets of Antwerp, for collaboration to grow sporadically and happenings to just happen. I want to create a ‘place’ in which artists feel comfortable to not only show and activate their work in spaces reserved for artistic expression, but also in the ‘in-between’ spaces that we call public space. In my eyes there is a lack of social and communal connection, directly added on by the unwillingness of the city of Antwerp to recognize artistic practices as invaluable to society. With the use of this bike as an artistic space I’d like to create a more open communication between users of the public space and create moments in which a place in Antwerp is not solely seen as a place of transport or advertisement. But as a place with much more possibilities than the prescribed uses.
What's the purpose or goal of your work?
I’d like my work to become a visual manifesto of my view on shared spaces, the place of art in life, and of life in art. A movable artist-run space that embodies the play and fun art is for artists and viewers. Where limitations are limited to our imagination. Where artists can work together to create, explore and discover new parts of their practice. How it connects with other practices and how we can be inspired by each other.
Where do you find inspiration?
As a child my free time was spent in nature and drawing, painting, building. As my practice as an artist keeps developing, I am noticing more and more how my childhood fascinations are reflected in what I do, how I keep going back to the things I enjoyed most as a kid. Tiny houses, mobility and the contrast between city and nature are words I can use now to describe those inspirations that go far back for me. I tend to look for explanations and inspirations that connect to the life I have been building as an artist in adulthood, often not seeing that it is inextricably linked to childhood experiences and fascinations. This is something I hope to become more mindful of when I’m questioning my artistic interests and choices.