Aernout Mik's Communitas at Jeu de Paume Explores Political Bodies

Aernout Mik's exhibition at Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris, running from March 1 to May 8, 2011, features the video installation Communitas, shot in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. The work depicts a group occupying a former Communist party congress venue, exploring the formation and disintegration of political bodies. Mik uses non-professional actors and loose scripts, creating scenes that feel familiar from media coverage. Another film, Shifting Sitting, shows a trial where roles between judges and accused blur, highlighting the porosity of power boundaries. Mik emphasizes architectural display: modular walls bring images to the floor, three screens arranged in an arc face visitors, and only Raw Footage has two screens floating above ground. This piece uses unused archival footage of the Yugoslav wars, contrasting real images with staged works. Mik films without sound to empower the image. The exhibition includes nine works total.