Mirosław Bałka's whiskey fountain at Gavoi festival

Polish artist Mirosław Bałka (Warsaw, 1958) presents a single installation titled 250 x 280 x 120 (Sweets of Sin) at the Museo del Fiore Sardo in Gavoi, Sardinia, as part of the Preludio of the literary festival Isola delle Storie. The work, conceived in 2004, is a rusted metal fountain that continuously circulates 30 liters of whiskey, reflecting paradoxically and humorously on human existence and engaging with James Joyce's literature. Curated by Luigi Fassi, director of MAN Nuoro, the exhibition runs until July 7, 2019. Fassi describes the piece as blending altar and urinal, addressing alcohol's promise of happiness and liberation alongside physical discomfort and disillusionment. The fountain is not prohibited for visitors to use a small glass, but depleting the whiskey would end the magic. The show continues a format initiated in 2018 with Hans-Peter Feldmann's 'Cento Anni,' featuring a single work by a living artist in dialogue with literary themes, aiming to reduce visual noise and evoke the concentrated narrative power of a book.