Alicja Biała: Totems

Once totems symbolized human relations with natural forces, which were treated as mythical ancestors. Contemporary totems by Alicja Biała visualize the scale of destruction and biodegradation of our planet. At the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, British scientist David Attenborough stated unequivocally that our Earth is dying. The "Totems" are meant to remind all those who will pass them daily in the space of the city. The sculptures that make up the installation are hand painted by Alicja Biała in patterns characteristic for her work. They form a three-dimensional picture with an area of nearly 400 square meters. Individual colours and patterns reflect the results of research and statistics on the state of the environment. Thanks to this, it is easy to visualize the scale of tree felling, air pollution or the exploitation of fisheries. Each of the six totems deals with a different issue. QR codes have been placed on the objects - after scanning, the smartphone will display references to scientific research and reports on the basis of which the sculpture was created. Art is mixed with science and statistics.