Klaudia Kot creates a unique journey through cultural and natural landscapes, demonstrating how folk art can be reinterpreted in a contemporary context. The artist was inspired by the words of Marcel Jousse, an ethnographer who asserted that interpretation is what continuously keeps the source alive, while analysis allows for the constructive presence of a work. These ideas became the motivation for a project that balances on the boundary between art and science, striving to reveal the profound connection between the landscape and artistic creativity.
The artist focuses on landscapes, both natural and cultural, posing the question: can the landscape serve as a source of inspiration for folk art? She concludes that folk creativity is inherently tied to the place of its origin, with its unique character and energy. By observing the space, she explores the relationships between traditional and contemporary art, attempting to capture how modern technologies can enrich and transform traditional forms of expression.
The exhibition at Villa Koliba is part of a four-year project titled „New Methods of Artistic Documentation and Interpretation of Folk Art Areas Using Contemporary Technologies.” In this context, Klaudia Kot seeks to discover alternative forms of documentation and interpretation of folk art by employing tools such as photography, video art, 3D scanning, sound design, the creation of virtual spaces, and personalized maps on drafting film. Her creative process includes collecting materials in the field, archiving them, and transforming them. The artist then transfers these materials to virtual space, creating an immersive experience for exhibition visitors, allowing them to immerse themselves in a world of reimagined „folk art.”
An important aspect of this project is its interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity—Kot incorporates not only art but also humanities disciplines such as ethnology, cultural anthropology, and ethnography. In this way, she builds a bridge between traditional artistic techniques and modern interpretive tools. She challenges the stereotypical perception of folk art as closed and defined solely by its traditional forms, broadening its definition through contemporary technologies and innovative approaches.
In her work, the artist draws on the concept of friluftsliv, a Norwegian idea of outdoor living, emphasizing a deep connection with nature and a return to fundamental existential values. Through both physical and intellectual journeys, Kot engages in dialogue with the space, finding inspiration for her artistic endeavors. Her approach also references the 1920s definition of a map, seen not only as a tool for navigation but as a material for creative development and multifaceted interpretation.
Klaudia Kot 
