Major Waldemar Fydrych's Account of Poland's Orange Alternative Movement

Major Waldemar Fydrych, an activist, shares insights about the Orange Alternative, a Polish collective from the 1980s that employed 'social Surrealism' to mock the state capitalist regime. Their notable acts included recreating the storming of the Winter Palace with cardboard tanks and handing out toilet paper during shortages. Fydrych refers to his approach as 'dialectical art.' The group’s events, such as the arrest of Santa Clauses, echo the neo-dadaist movements of the 1960s. Their graffiti featured imagery of dwarves, drawing inspiration from the Dutch Kabouters. The book 'Lives of the Orange Men' includes biographies of its leaders, manifestos, graphics, and a timeline, aiming to promote the Orange Alternative similar to Chris Gray's 'Leaving the 20th Century.' This article appeared in ArtReview in October 2014.