Ryszard Górecki. Tajne konstrukcje lotnicze PRL | Ryszard Górecki. Secret Aerial Structures of the People's Republic of Poland,

Richard Górecki's book-objects were created as part of the artist's more extensive project known as Edycje. Published by Invisible Sign. These are series of relatively cheap art objects reproduced in limited editions. The nine books published by the fictitious publishing house have a print run of a few dozen copies. At the artist's exhibitions, Edycje's presentations often take the form of mini art fairs, where the works can be purchased for unaffordable sums. The exhibition of books from the Invisible Sign Publishing House is then arranged in a manner similar to a classic book stand, accompanied by traditional promotional posters. As Górecki writes: "Books are still one of the most popular gifts. Although the age of the book is passing, its production remains enormous and easy. Almost everybody writes and publishes. These objects are a critical and ironic response to the commercialisation of knowledge, history and culture. In Secret Aerial Structures of the People's Republic of Poland, the thought-provoking title is juxtaposed with a ridiculous photomontage on the book's cover. A soldier hovering over the fields catches the eye not so much with a jet backpack bearing the chequered flag, the symbol of the Polish armed forces, but with the wings of Polish hussars attached to the device, giving the whole an absurdist tone. The mocking context is emphasised by the dog staring at the flying figure, the agricultural machines left in the field in the background, and the tranquil rural landscape of the Polish countryside with the characteristic spire of the nearby church.  Magdalena Lewoc