Simon Leung's Artistic Collaboration with Warren Niesłuchowski Explores Desertion and Nomadism
In 1992, Simon Leung encountered Warren Niesłuchowski at PS1 in Long Island City, where Niesłuchowski served as an assistant. Their joint efforts delved into themes of abandonment, exile, and unstable living conditions. Niesłuchowski, originally named Jerzy, was born in a German displaced persons camp after WWII and resided in Paris from 1968 until 1975. Leung's 1993 piece, Warren Piece (in the '70s), connected the Gulf War with Vietnam. Niesłuchowski later embraced a nomadic way of life, characterized as a refugee in Leung's 2011 project War After War. For a 2011 exhibition at MAk Center, Leung featured Niesłuchowski in an installation that mirrored his experiences. War After War, a 90-minute film, chronicles Niesłuchowski's life around the world. This article, first published in December 2012 in ArtReview, was reissued to commemorate Niesłuchowski, who passed away in 2019.
Key facts
- Simon Leung met Warren Niesłuchowski in 1992 at PS1 in Long Island City.
- Niesłuchowski was born Jerzy in a German displaced persons camp after WWII and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s.
- He deserted the American Army for seven years and lived in exile in Paris from 1968 to 1975.
- Leung's 1993 project Warren Piece (in the '70s) connected the Gulf War and Vietnam at PS1.
- Leung hosted Niesłuchowski for six weeks in 2011 at the MAk Center in Los Angeles for Artist in Residence.
- War After War (2011) is a 90-minute video documenting Niesłuchowski's nomadic life across multiple countries.
- The film includes Kant's 'Perpetual Peace' read by Niesłuchowski's hosts, including Joan Jonas.
- Niesłuchowski passed away in 2019, and the article was republished in his memory.
Entities
Artists
- Simon Leung
- Warren Niesłuchowski
- Vito Acconci
- Jerzy Grotowski
- Andrea Fraser
- Lincoln Tobier
- Joan Jonas
Institutions
- PS1
- ArtReview
- MAk Center
- CUE Art Foundation
- Teatr Laboratorium
- Bread and Puppet Theater
- UC Irvine
Locations
- Long Island City
- United States
- Poland
- Paris
- France
- Los Angeles
- Shanghai
- China
- Warsaw
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York