Each of the artefacts mentioned in the title is an exemplification of products of the anthropological “Other”. Each of them comes from a distinct geographical region and represents an entirely different culture. However, all of them have been connected together in the Western culture realia as a result of a particular type of displacements. The first displacement involved their physical migration – first to European museums of natural history and ethnological museums. The next one resulted in their emergence on the market of exotic “oddities” whereas yet another displacement located them within the conceptual framework delimited by the artistic discourse. This last displacement shows that it is very difficult to understand or “translate” one culture into another because the conceptual framework of the “translator” is always determined by their own culture.

Żuławski – associations

In my short essay, I wanted to address the issues of Andrzej Żuławski’s „Shamanka”. Especially in the context of critical voices that consider this work to be iconoclastic. I was especially interested in the issue of transgression, understood as the ability to defend against the system. The essence of taboo collapse, also seen in other artist- -directors, exploits the potential of primordial violence, coming closer to relations that are not conditioned by economics or matter, but purely Nature’s laws, based on predators and victims, whose sources of behavior and characteristics pass. To the next stages of human evolution, only in fuzzy clarity. Because of new environment conditions, caused by culture, then civilization. Hence the great metaphorical values of the heroes of Żuławski’s production, and above all the character of „Italians”. The film’s content is her relationship with the anthropologist Michal, fascinated by archaic epochs, but with a completely different approach to them. Similar transgressive meaning, though on a different personal background, can be seen in Italian director Paolo Pasolini’s reminiscence, which may be recalled during the screening. Equally controversial was his last venture – Salo 120 days of Sodomy – a free adaptation of the novel of the Marquis de Sade. I set up both films to signal the polemic approach of both directors to postmodern societies.