Maria Bitka

Maria Bitka is a visual artist based in Poland. She uses diverse media and creates: performances, videos, installations, and objects, often the documentation of her actions becomes an equal, parallel work of art. She works with themes of intimacy, relationship with nature, and issues of identity. She sings in the traditional singing group „Niezłe Ziółka”. Co-founder of the art group Kuratorki (the Curators). In 2023 she received her PhD from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland. 

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Participated in the following Live Art Ireland projects :

During my stay at Live Art Ireland, I was working with the figure of an imaginary princess, discovering the magnificent interiors of the  Milford House.  The princess that I became was temporary, created by dress and context, the fabric I used to make my dress was dissolving. By wearing such a dress, I was reflecting on the crossing point between imagination, dreams, and reality. Before I visited Ireland I had a chance to observe my little nieces wearing a “princess dresses” and playing. They were moving constantly taking poses that real “princesses” would never take. That connection of dress up and way of moving was fascinating. I was trying to copy that impression by moving and exploring different rooms. It reminds me of the situation of women trying to fit in unattainable roles and looks that they should, in their minds, fulfill. I also added layers of my childhood in Eastern Europe to my artistic process. In that time and place,e buying a dress of a “Disney princess” was impossible, and the only option was to make a dress from a curtain or sheet and the power of imagination. 

> Buzzing the Boles : See more

Be queen bee

During the Buzzing Boles event, I presented a performance inspired by the organization of bees in their hives. I took on the role of the “queen bee” whose most important role is to lay eggs and the pheromones she secretes have a fundamental impact on the functioning of bees in the hive. During my performance, I was accompanied by a description of the life of bees available at this LINK.