MICHAL
MARTYCHOWIEC

La Chambre de Labastrie

Benedict de Saint-Maure’s Roman de Troie describes the Alabaster Chamber as a guarded paradise, radiating light yet sealed from view. Its alabaster walls possess mirror-like qualities, allowing those within to observe the outside world while remaining unseen. This ‘dream of seeing without being seen’ reveals the power dynamics inherent in sight and access.

The Alabaster Chamber symbolises institutional power, a privileged space accessible only to a select few. Martychowiec’s series of large-format photographic portraits, printed on silver gelatine fibre based paper, seemingly depicting the chamber’s inhabitants, subverts this dynamic. Viewers, initially granted the privilege of sight, find themselves observed by the very subjects they intended to view. The act of looking is reversed, the power dynamic destabilised.

At the same time, the portrayed find themselves in a privileged position as they assume new identity of the chamber’s inhabitants. Through this symbolic practice, they achieve a form of immortality, becoming part of art history. The project underscores the interconnectedness of power and history, as the creation of enduring myths often relies on access to resources and privilege.

In La Chambre de Labastrie, Martychowiec explores themes central to his practice: the fluidity of identity, the mechanisms of power, and the role of art in shaping and preserving narratives. By reimagining the Alabaster Chamber and its inhabitants, he invites viewers to question the nature of visibility, access, and control in both historical and contemporary contexts.