In contemporary bio-philosophical theories, the concept of life is no longer articulated in the traditional way, with a central place reserved for individual beings. Instead, life is viewed through the lens of coexistence, where living beings are symbiotically connected, and the boundaries between them are blurred. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is one of many confirmations of these theories, which reveal the fallacies of rigid boundaries between individuals. The primary method of protection against the virus proved to be the mask, which became a symbol of biopolitical adaptation to new circumstances. In her work, Karolina Żyniewicz focused precisely on this element of redesigning human presence, collecting used and discarded masks and archiving the biological traces of unknown people. She supplemented this archive of masks by systematically recording the life experiences of people she knew during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic is slowly fading from human memory, which is logical given that nearly four years have passed since the peak of the pandemic, marked by numerous deaths. To provoke necessary reflection on this topic, the artist transferred hibernating microorganisms from the archived masks into laboratory conditions, stimulating their growth and revealing numerous bacteria, fungi, and molds, some of which are pathogenic.
Żyniewicz also transmits others' experiences through her own body, performatively inscribing the archived memories. While the experiences of the pandemic unfold into stories on one screen, the genetic code of the microorganisms from the masks is simultaneously displayed on another.
In this complex work, Żyniewicz explores the concepts of contamination and purity, as well as the social and biological boundaries that became blurred in the context of the global pandemic. The masks become carriers of memories and biological data, raising questions about the biological legacy we leave behind. Signs of the Times serves not only as a reminder of the fragility of human life but also as a means of resisting oblivion and alienation.