Always Beautiful

2018

Album with postcards / collage

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According to Edward Said, the West constructs its identity through the negation of the Orient. Instead of focusing on similarities, we emphasize differences—though studies show that the worldview of a conservative Pole closely resembles that of a conservative Syrian. Syria, devastated by a bloody civil war, has become a key reference point for Europe’s right wing: portrayed as an allegedly uncivilized, pagan land, a cradle of terrorism—evoking both fear and a sense of superiority. In opposition to this image of the “Other,” we construct our own grotesque and megalomaniacal self-image.

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The image of Poland, as presented on postcards from Syria, becomes a kind of palimpsest—souvenirs from a place that no longer exists serve as the foundation for projecting Polish identity. “Always Beautiful” was a slogan promoting Syria as a tourist destination, issued by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism in 2016. In the context of the ongoing war that has destroyed Syrian culture and tourism, the slogan sounds absurd—more like irony or a veiled distortion of reality. The country once beloved by travelers is now gone. What remains is a distorted reflection of ourselves, gazing at its downfall.