Concrete, pigments, 42 x 42 x 4 cm, Städtische Sammlung Erlangen
In her works, Zuzanna Czebatul playfully takes aim at our traditional understanding of history and its associated power stereotypes. In Gentle Reminder (of the Banality of Power), she also deals with systems of power and their symbolic embodiment. For this work, she takes up the old Roman technique of opus sectile, for which stone segments were cut out to be embedded in walls as decoration. Czebatul uses concrete and pigment for her rondos, on which erect phalli are depicted. By taking up the ancient technique, she draws attention to the histories of art and architecture that characterize our public space and our society.
As the title suggests, the rondos can be read as a reminder of who holds power and where exactly this power is located. The work also impresses with its aesthetic appeal. The phalli are embedded in an artfully marbled surface.
