Ulica Próżna Warsaw
Dwarfs, Warsaw/ Dresden 2009
The Dwarfs are copies of a pair of cast-iron figures in ulica Próżna in Warsaw, in the former ghetto area. Until 2012, parts of the street remained unchanged since the war. It was only during my visit in November of that year that I saw renovation had begun on one side of the street. Flanking a gateway in the part of the street that had not yet been redeveloped, the dwarfs originally served as a distance guide for carts or carriages driving through the entrance. They are concealed behind a conical sign with the date 1898 and seem to be repositories of mental contents from various eras, such as the 19th century with its pseudo-mythical formalizations. They might also be custodians, of the unimaginable history of the Warsaw Ghetto.