Slavic Bestiary: Dziad Śmiguśny-collodion animation

This animated and coloured glass plate was shot in large format camera using historic wet collodion technique and developed by hand in the darkroom. Voice-over of grandma tells Polish rural legend. Śmiguśniaki are the captives of the Tatars, whose tongues were cut off- they can’t speak so they rattle instead. To get protection from the cold, they clothed themselves with hay, acquiring plant-like properties. Their face mask proves their otherworldly origins- ‘Dziady’ are ghosts of the ancestors, connecting the world of the living and the deceased. Dziady are playing around, pouring buckets of water onto the passers-by on Easter Monday. Part of ‘Slavic Bestiary’ series, physically exists as monochromatic plate still, 2018-2022 Project decodes polish folklore, exploring the author's slavic heritage. Exhibited worldwide including: Shortlisted for BBA Photography Prize 2021, Germany; Finalist of Different Worlds 2018 Photon Gallery Prize, Slovenia; VISAGE(S) D'EUROPE 2020, France