Smuggled whisper
photography, objects

text by Masza Potocka

(…)In the work Smuggled Whisper, Markiewicz reveals the profound experiences of humiliation and exploitation encountered by women and children in factories in the poor countries that manufacture clothing for the rich countries. We are forced to consume clothing bearing the names of the most exotic countries, yet also labeled by the best-known companies—and, to be on the safe side, we have no desire to explore the things that lie behind such a combination. The mechanisms of globalization whitewash the problem of contemporary slavery. At times, nevertheless, the desperate slaves inform the world of their suffering. They sew news of their fate into a jacket or pair of trousers and send it blindly out into the world, like a message in a bottle, with no idea of who will read it, or where. Perhaps the recipient will do something, or burst into tears—or, alternatively, burst out laughing because the cry of despair strikes them as a brilliant gag. Learned about such practices, decided to create a cycle of clothing in which she sends out information about the condition and fate of the “seamstress.” On this occasion, she treats clothing as a shelter for smuggled letters. It appears in the role of a messenger of justice.

Work belongs to collection of Museum Berardo in Lisbon