VII. The Chariot // Mikołaj Sobczak
success, victory, personal development, enthusiasm, momentum, dynamism, audacity
The Chariot card heralds an imminent acceleration of things, encourages self-confidence and enthusiasm for planned endeavors. It invites bold forward movement, foretells travel, intense adventure, and an active time in life. Usually shows a warrior in a vehicle pulled by two creatures - horses, griffins, or sphinxes. This person has a certain advantage over others: it's faster, has a broader point of view, and physical protection. The Chariot by Mikołaj Sobczak refers to Plato's metaphor of the soul, in which the driver Reason (mind) drives the horses of lust and emotions. The black horse - lust - pulls towards satisfying basic bodily needs, which in excess leads to hedonism. The white horse - rashness - leads toward lofty acts, and with them comes the trap of excessive pride. The secret of life's success thus lies in the balance. In addition, the driver has been endowed with many pairs of eyes, symbolizing opening to others' perspectives and other points of view. The laurel of victory on his head, in the artist's intention, is awarded to the hero for his work in the collective. His way leads through discarded masks, symbolizing the search for authenticity and rejection of subsequent incarnations of our ego.
Mikołaj Sobczak (born 1989) - an artist involved in painting, video art, and performance. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw at the Spatial Activities Studio. He also studied at the Kunstakademie in Münster. He was a scholarship holder at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. In 2019, during the Warsaw Gallery Weekend, he was awarded the ING Polish Art Foundation Prize. In September 2021, he began a two-year residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions: Iliberal Arts at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin (2021), Metamorphoses at Polana Institute in Warsaw (2021), at the 7th Moscow International Biennale for Young Art - Moscow International Biennale for Young Art (2020), Biennale Zielona Góra at Lubuskie Theatre in Zielona Góra (2020), Joking aside at the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw (2020), On the Politics of Delicacy at Capitain Petzel in Berlin (2020), i'm from nowhere good at Maison Populaire in Paris (2020), New Kingdom at Polana Institute in Warsaw (2019), What is Enlightenment? at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2018), Drag Unbroken at the Polana Institute in Warsaw (2018), Love, Memory Curiosity in collaboration with the Polana Institute at the PGI-PIB Geological Museum in Warsaw (2018). Sobczak's work explores historical politics, contemporary political issues, and their impact on the lives of marginalized groups. He also explores the causes of current social problems from a global perspective. He lives and works in Warsaw and Münster.
The Chariot card heralds an imminent acceleration of things, encourages self-confidence and enthusiasm for planned endeavors. It invites bold forward movement, foretells travel, intense adventure, and an active time in life. Usually shows a warrior in a vehicle pulled by two creatures - horses, griffins, or sphinxes. This person has a certain advantage over others: it's faster, has a broader point of view, and physical protection. The Chariot by Mikołaj Sobczak refers to Plato's metaphor of the soul, in which the driver Reason (mind) drives the horses of lust and emotions. The black horse - lust - pulls towards satisfying basic bodily needs, which in excess leads to hedonism. The white horse - rashness - leads toward lofty acts, and with them comes the trap of excessive pride. The secret of life's success thus lies in the balance. In addition, the driver has been endowed with many pairs of eyes, symbolizing opening to others' perspectives and other points of view. The laurel of victory on his head, in the artist's intention, is awarded to the hero for his work in the collective. His way leads through discarded masks, symbolizing the search for authenticity and rejection of subsequent incarnations of our ego.
Mikołaj Sobczak (born 1989) - an artist involved in painting, video art, and performance. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw at the Spatial Activities Studio. He also studied at the Kunstakademie in Münster. He was a scholarship holder at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. In 2019, during the Warsaw Gallery Weekend, he was awarded the ING Polish Art Foundation Prize. In September 2021, he began a two-year residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions: Iliberal Arts at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin (2021), Metamorphoses at Polana Institute in Warsaw (2021), at the 7th Moscow International Biennale for Young Art - Moscow International Biennale for Young Art (2020), Biennale Zielona Góra at Lubuskie Theatre in Zielona Góra (2020), Joking aside at the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw (2020), On the Politics of Delicacy at Capitain Petzel in Berlin (2020), i'm from nowhere good at Maison Populaire in Paris (2020), New Kingdom at Polana Institute in Warsaw (2019), What is Enlightenment? at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2018), Drag Unbroken at the Polana Institute in Warsaw (2018), Love, Memory Curiosity in collaboration with the Polana Institute at the PGI-PIB Geological Museum in Warsaw (2018). Sobczak's work explores historical politics, contemporary political issues, and their impact on the lives of marginalized groups. He also explores the causes of current social problems from a global perspective. He lives and works in Warsaw and Münster.