Hubert Czerepok Reflects on ‘Strange Tourists’ From the Cosmos

In Potocka Gallery on April 26-June 15, we can see the new project of a most interesting young Polish artist — Hubert Czerepok. The title of this exhibition, Strange Tourists, refers to an odd event that happened in 1978 in the small Polish village Emilcin.

Jan Wolski, a citizen of Emilcin, reported that he had met a UFO on May 10. The consequences of this story were widespread. There have been three additional local sightings, one immediately after the incident and two in the 80’s. Renowned cartoonist, Grzegorz Rosiński was so inspired by the event that he based his illustrated series Visitor upon it. The documentary film Unidentified Flying Object was also based on the events from Emilcin.

Using this strange story as his referent, Hubert Czerepok extrapolates upon the mechanism by which it is possible for people to so easily believe in such bizarre and unsubstantiated stories. Is belief in UFOs simply a question of faith? Strange Tourists is also about the notion of manipulation. Through his use of the ‘facts’ connected with Wolski’s tale, Czerepok himself tries to influence our perceptions of the story.

Hubert Czerepok presents photo re-enactments of this UFO event from 30 years ago; a film made just after Jan Wolski’s adventure in 1978; the video-document Unidentified Flying Object; and completing the exhibition, a film depicting the event as seen from ‘the alien’ point of view.

Also on exhibit is Hubert Czerepok’s model UFO, constructed in accordance with the precise drawings of Rosiński’s Visitors. Although Jan Wolski is dead, the memory of him and his adventures still exists. What’s more, his story has now taken on a life of its own.
 
Hubert Czerepok Strange Tourists
(April 26-June 15)
Potocka Gallery, Rynek Sikorski 10