Intensywne doświadczanie cielesnej obecności. Strategie Łodzi Kaliskiej – resuscytacje wspólnoty w dobie wirtualnego fake’u

This is an essay about Łódź Kaliska, an alternative group of artists who created an autonomic structure in the 1980s in Lodz. It was an artistic shelter providing space for operating away from official, mainstream structures and culture enforced by the state. The venue was transformed into a shelter and sanctuary for creative individuals who desired to lead a free life of completely unlimited expression. Attempts were made to open a local dialogue on creative life in a controlled society. Following the “Do It Yourself” (DIY) idea, they organized independent cinematography festivals, concerts, performances and social meetings. It is the oldest artistic collective operating in Poland and probably one of the oldest in the world. This year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the group. Today, in times of superficial relationships, the role of bodily co-presence in developing interpersonal trust is worth remembering. In real life, commitment to the community is also a result of bodily performance. The physical experience of closeness is conducive for putting a stop to isolation, creating a sense of closeness and security and strengthening the bonds of bodies willing to talk to each other, to create, to play and laugh. The essence of that world comes down to artistic coexistence, intentional existence of opposite axiological systems and cultural dialogue.