As someone who, both professionally and personally, has always had an addiction to storytelling, it comes to no surprise that I would be fascinated by the work of the Polish artist Mirekis. With his imaginative photo manipulations, the artist has been able to create almost an own universe, a world that’s at times darkly beautiful but also dangerously heartbreaking within its somber melancholy. This work, from the artists’ series ‘Guardians’, named Sleeping City, reminds of Neil Gaiman’s story about a city that dreams, one I’ve always cherished fondly.
I love how the artist in one image can capture a strong sense of own mythology, I immediately start to or want to imagine the story behind the artwork. I think it’s a great gift of artists if they can do that and it’s something I feel Mirekis excels at. Do cities have a soul, do the colossal buildings our society creates contain a spark of their makers, a trace of the many lives that haunt its hallways? And do these slabs of concrete and towers of steel dream along with us and if so, as we dream of these nightly cities, do they also dream of you and me? The poetic nature of his work taps into something deep that connects us and I’m always looking forward to see what the artist will explore next.
