Piotr Wyrzykowski

Beta Nassau is a video work by Piotr Wyrzykowski, in which the artist abandons traditional narrative and expression in favor of cool observation. In the nearly ten-minute-long recording, the artist showcases the texture of the hull of a ship entering the harbour, capturing it continuously, almost mechanically. The image evolves slowly, subjected to the play of light and movement, focusing the viewer’s attention on the material itself and time. Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, has played a key role for centuries as a seaport. Although Nassau is not traditionally associated as a destination for contemporary migration movements, its history as a place of refuge and transit for various groups – from pirates to British loyalists during the American War of Independence – speaks to its long-standing role in the region’s migration narratives.

In the context of Wyrzykowski’s work, Beta Nassau refers to the symbolism of the port as a place of encounters, transitions, and transformations, prompting reflection on contemporary issues of migration and identity. The word beta itself refers to the video recording format as a stage of testing or developing new technology. Music: Ziemia Mindel–Würm.

• Object type:
  video
• Year:
  1993
• Duration:
  9 min 24 s
• inv. no.:
  MNG/NOMUS/74/D
• Własność:
  Gdansk Collection of Contemporary Art, a deposit of the City of Gdansk in the collection of NOMUS – New Art Museum, Branch of the National Museum in Gdansk