Hide and Seek and Magic and Show in the Bush. / 01 August 2026
ART IN BRAMBLES / IN THE BUSHES
New School Residency in Kopice
August 1, 2026
Artists*: Marcelina Dereń, Eva Priečková, Nir Jacob Younessi, Jojo Schütt, Grażyna Siedlecka, Alfred vel Alfie, Zorka Wollny, Anna Molska, Andrei Kharchanka
Development and preparation: Grażyna Siedlecka & Alfred vel Alfie
Acknowledgements: Ursula K. Le Guin
MAGIC MUSIC SHOW/ Nir Jacob Younessi presenting his research to the youngest audience:
THE GAME:
Last night, the sky split open for five minutes, and eight fairy tales fell from the moon. The wind scattered them all around Kopice. A few sculptures slipped through from those tales into our world, and now they are lurking nearby. Our magic radars have tracked their locations, and we are sharing the map with you. Your mission is to gather all the stories into your Explorer’s Folder. Track down all the objects, collect all the scattered fairy tales - and win the Hero’s Cake!
Take an empty folder and a treasure map.
Find the sculptures and the fairy tales hidden inside the colorful folders.
Each colorful folder contains several copies of the same story: take one sheet from each tale and keep it safe in your Explorer’s Portfolio.
Take a photo of the sculpture or draw it- this is the proof of your success.
Once you find all the spots on the map, return to our Base - you will receive the Hero’s Cake.
Well done!
- Marcelina Dereń (Polska) - bajka i obiekt: Blindspot / Martwe Pole
- Eva Priečková (Słowacja) - bajka i obiekt: Another Story / Inna Historia
- Nir Jacob Younessi (Francja/Izrael) - bajka i obiekt: Brick / Cegła
- Grażyna Siedlecka (Polska)- bajka i obiekt: Expedition / Ekspedycja
- Alfred vel Alfie (Islandia) - bajka i obiekt: Little Golden Sheep / Mały Złocisty Baranek
- Zorka Wollny (Polska/Niemcy/Kosmos) - bajka i obiekt: Three Sisters / Trzy Siostry
- Jojo Schütt (Niemcy) - Bajka i obiekt: Story of the Fairy Beach / Opowieść o Wróżkowej Plaży
- 10. Andrei Kharchanka (Białoruś) - obiekt: Blood or Water / Krew lub Woda
- Eliza Parafianowicz (Polska) - bajka: I Caught My Mum... / Przyłapałam Moją Starą...
THE OTCOME:
CONCERT OF ŁUKASZ JASTRUBCZAK A.K.A "DUCH" (GHOST)
GHOST... - Performance of Eva Priečková
I try to observe and give attention to something I call ghost dance. Ghost dance appears in the past but is reflected though haunted memory to now, whatever and wherever now is. I start to move my finger tips to channel the dance. This time in Nowa Szkola as a tribute to Simone Forti who passed in july 29th 2026.
THE FAIRY TALES:
(Result of the inner writing workshops led by Grażyna Siedlecka and Jojo Schütt for the artists)
THE STORY OF THE FAIRY BEACH
Jojo
Once, around the turn of the 19th century, there was a girl who had been incredibly unhappy with her ordinary life in Kopice. She loved the wind and trees, but life in the village had been mostly dull for her. She yearned to go to university, to speak French, and to love passionately – not to be a maiden for those spiritless people who came to drink in the tavern where she worked. However, her family was so ordinary and poor that there wasn't really a chance for her to quit her job or ever get away. The only chance she had was to ask the fairies for help. But she knew the horrible stories about wishes gone wrong, so she knew she only had one chance, for if the fairies despised her gift, they might take out her heart or ruin her life otherwise.
One night, as she was working in the tavern, she overheard two travellers bragging about their adventures and getting more and more drunk. At one point, one of the travellers revealed that he had a diamond charm in the shape of a teardrop, given to him by a princess in Romania, that carried a curse. This charm, if it caught the moonlight, could be used to access the wisdom of the dead.
The girl knew that this was her chance. Once the travellers were drunk enough, she came to the table to collect the empty glasses, then quickly slid her hand into the traveller's pocket and stole the charm. He looked handsome, but there was no time to waste. She didn't even wait for her shift to end; she just hurried to the beach.
The stars were glistening, and moonlight fell upon the beach. There they were: the dancing fairies.
"Dear fairies," she said, "I'm bringing you a charm. I have to admit that I stole it, but I am poor and possess nothing that I could give you otherwise."
The fairies saw that she had a pure heart, and they also loved the diamond teardrop with its enclosed curse and magical abilities. They assured her that she would be safe and invited her to make a wish.
"I love nature, but I need to leave this cage. I feel destined for more: joy, pleasure, art. I want to go to France, have many lovers, and become a writer."
The fairies understood this wish well. They said, "You beautiful girl, we totally get this. We will transform you into a silver narwhal. This way, you can go anywhere you would like, pass through borders, and reach any continent. But know this: once you decide to leave the water, you will become human again, so be wise about your choice."
The girl was incredibly happy, gave them the charm, and was immediately transformed into a silver narwhal. She loved how her scaly body reflected the moonlight, how weightless she felt in the water, how powerful her spiral tusk felt, and how she could dance with the waves. It felt as if she were one with the world, the stars laughing with her, the fairies welcoming her as one of their own, and she joyfully delved into the sea.
No one knows what happened after that, or whether she ever made it to France. But sometimes, on starry nights, children tell their parents that they have seen a dancing unicorn with a fish body on the horizon.
Little Golden Sheep
Alfred vel Alfie
There was once a sheep, a shiny, fluffy ram. Sheep little still. Shy was the sheep, and blushed often out of the blue, but no one ever saw the pinky cheeks below the fluffy woolly fur.
Why was a sheep shy, you ask? The sheep was different, and as you know, different means always being trusted less. That’s how the world unfairly rolls from day to day. The sheep was different because it wasn’t black or white, or gray or brown, or like all the other sheep that the world knows. The sheep was shiny yellow. Bright as a sun’s face, it more reminded flowers blooming, jumping through the meadows, startling pheasants and hares, and always covered by the twinkling coat of butterflies drawn by the sweet yellowness - a magical charm of warmth and joy.
There was a mean laughter heard all around when the yellow sheep played in the fields, and the other jealous sheep would say:
„Baa baa, what universe have you fallen from, and hit your head so hard? You are not one of us, baa baa, yellow like a flower that the parents feed to baby sheep - but flowers smell like heaven; baa baa, yellow like a midnight star, but stars are beautiful, baa baa, covered in butterflies like honey, but - honey is sweet, and you are just retarded little sheep, baa baa”.
But no one knew that the sheep had a little golden ray hidden deep in the yellow wool. Lightning hot, fast as a storm, it could fulfill any wish that yellow sheep would ever want to have.
And one of those days, when all the friends were mean, and the world seemed to be the shittiest of the places, sheep pulled it out and asked:
- My sweet hot little ray, tell me please, why am I not a little star that fell from the sky?”
And the night sky fired up in thousands of blinking lights, and the warm voice from the moon whispered:
- BUT, YOU ARE.
ANOTHER STORY
Eva Priečková
The mind is meandering
We have been sitting here together for ages
Bit hungry, half blind
We can read each other’s mind and we listen to the sounds inside of our ears
Which others can’t really hear
There is a center of gravity in your inner ear
With each movement of your head
The fluids start to move and help you to orient in the space
Try it now
Move your head upside down and sense if it's possible to hear the liquids
We are sitting here
Tilted
There is nothing straight here
Never was, never will be
We come closer as we whisper the collective dream
In the dream
We are not us
We are colorful moths
Flying around the source
Of the light
In endless dance
We spiral, and go fast
We are brave and unstoppable
And we sing the song of the eternity
THREE SISTERS
Zorka Wollny
Once upon a time there were three little sisters, and their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie; and they lived at the bottom of a well.
- What did they live on?
- They lived on treacle.
- It didn't have to be pleasant for them...
- On the contrary, it was downright sweet.
The first sister opened her eyes at 5 a.m. because a bird perched atop the well had pooped on her eye. She woke up in a bad mood.
The second sister opened her eyes at 6 a.m. when the first ray of sunlight kissed her cheek. She woke dreamily, her eyes still blue.
The third sister didn’t wake up that day.
So when the first sister sat down to her duties, she ground her teeth. In some way, this corresponded with her work. Her duty was to constantly count the stones at the bottom of the well. Every day she started over, and each day the number she ended with was different. The sister knew that the number she ended up with would give meaning to the events that had happened to the people at the top that day.
Today she ground her teeth, and the stones ground and clashed, creating a noisy orchestra that, however, did not wake the third sister.
The second sister stayed unannoyed. Her job was to sing to the moss on the well walls, helping it grow and ascend. Today, in her dreamy reverie, her voice was even sweeter, her melodies even more nourishing.
The two sisters together—well and stones, moss and insects—created a strange symphony rising from the bottom of the well, and when it reached the people above, they suddenly felt filled with new hope, relaxed, and simultaneously energized.
The third sister slept.
She woke at night. Her work was based on touch. Every night, when the insects living in the moss and water at the bottom fell asleep and the stars began to twinkle in the sky above the well, she gently touched each tiny creature, checking if it was still connected to its star.
And mostly they were.
I Caught My Mom Eating an XXL Kebab
Eliza Parafianowicz
My mom and I had been on a diet for about a month. I couldn't believe she would ever eat an XXL kebab. But to my surprise, I caught her eating that kind of junk food.
I came home from the casino on a Saturday evening, expecting to see my mom cooking a healthy meal. Instead, I heard some very unusual sounds coming from her bedroom. I immediately decided to find out where they were coming from. I walked upstairs and grabbed the doorknob to my mom's room. I almost convinced myself to let go and go to the kitchen to eat a healthy meal instead. But I couldn't stop myself, so... I opened the door.
What I saw traumatized me.
I saw my own mother eating an XXL kebab in her bed. I was so shocked that I didn't even notice the song she was listening to. It was called "Romuś." I stared at my mom in disbelief at how quickly she was eating that kebab, and beside her were empty Happy Meal boxes. I asked my mom about them, but she told me they all belonged to my dad.I knew she was lying because my dad went out to buy milk when I was five years old. Before I knew it, I woke up in my own bed, and my mom was making me a healthy breakfast for school. I asked her if she had eaten an XXL kebab the night before, but she immediately told me she would never eat something that unhealthy and asked why I would even think she'd do something like that. But she answered way too quickly, like she had practiced that exact response.
The next few days passed normally.
On Thursday, I was sent home early from school because of a headache, but I decided not to tell my mom because I thought she was hiding something. I quietly came home and once again heard the same strange sounds I had heard in my dream a few days earlier.
This time, I was sure it wasn't a dream.
I immediately went to my mom's room and opened the door, certain I would find her eating another XXL kebab.
I was right.
She was lying in bed, eating that kebab as if it had zero calories, and empty McDonald's packaging was scattered across the bed. That's when I noticed the song my mom should never have heard...
"Romuś."
That traumatized me even more than seeing her with the XXL kebab.
This time I decided not to confront her and instead see what she would do the next day, because it seemed like she hadn't noticed me.
The following morning, before school, I asked her about it again, but she once again denied eating anything before I was supposed to come home from school.
I didn't believe her because I was certain I hadn't been dreaming this time. I had watched her inhale that XXL kebab into her mouth. It had taken her exactly five seconds. I made sure to count, just in case she wanted proof that what happened the day before had really happened.
I left the house to go to school, but instead I stayed in the garden to catch her ordering the food.
I hid among the sunflowers and played Roblox to pass the time. I was playing Murder Mystery, and I had just become the murderer when I saw Amir from Uber Eats delivering my mom eight XXL kebabs for a two-grosz tip.
I have no idea how she managed to eat eight XXL kebabs in less than a minute.
I decided to finish the round, which lasted three minutes, then ran into the house, but all the kebabs had already been eaten. My mom asked why I wasn't at school.
I couldn't explain myself because all the evidence I wanted to find was already gone.
That same day, I started planning my escape from home.
BRICK
Nir Jacob Younessi
I shard a wall with the kingdom’s best brick brilliant master.
Each brick that fell,
He replaced with another.
It's a normal day,
arrows were flying and a brick fell.
Hours passed and the best brick brilliant master broke his tale.
I knocked on the wall,
it echoed more than before.
I knocked and the dust is flying fast
The bricks are moving alone,
Replace and change - they have a life of their own.
The missing brick becomes a door,
I entered and watched the kingdom's walls.
I could pinch a brick and a house would fall,
I could add clay and build a hall.
I left the door.
Covering the hole with a framed wall.
BLIND SPOT
Marcelina Deren
A: What’s under? What’s behind?
B: I’ll show you what’s on your back.
It happened at a dead point.
Sudden crush.
Now useless, forgotten.
What’s behind?
Could tell you.
What's around?
Out of its sight.
In a hidden place.
Shattered.
Holds into one.
Still shows the image.
Filling your mind.
With the idea of who you are.
Mostly there, where blind spots are.
EXPEDITION
Grażyna Siedlecka
A. Ah, crap, I left my raspberry at home. Will you share yours?
B. What the hell? Why are you always such a child! I am not your mama, to constantly take care of you. Grow up!
A. So, will you share your raspberry, or will you let me die of hunger? I always knew that you’re waiting for me to die, so you could inherit the Grand Mistletoe Estate alone.
B. Ah, shut up, drama queen. I’ll give you one bite, and I don’t want to hear about all the things you forgot to pack. It’s just unbelievable - you think you can reach the edge of the Great Waters and sail to the end of the universe, dreaming of saving our village by finding the Lily Fairy, but you haven’t packed even one nut, even one berry. Tomorrow I sleep in, and you go foraging for both of us.
A. Are you crazy? Do you seriously want me to wander alone into the jungle? Thank you very much; I am not intending to die in the jaws of a snake. I’m made for much greater things in this life.
B. Like reaching the end of the world and saving the village, yes? What a stupid idea it was to take you with. Ridiculous.
B. Ah, get off me. And stop being so annoying and serious.
B. Say what you want, but you either stop eating my food or go back home and stop being a baby. Your backpack is empty; you only took one fermented blueberry and got drunk on the first night. We just started yesterday; we can still see the smoke from our estate at the end of the Greatly Enormous Meadow, and you have nothing more to eat. Let me call the Sparrow and send the request for the mouse-riders to pick you up: I’ll continue alone. This whole expedition is just a joke.
A. Ok, ok. Whatever. You’re such a bore. I’ll pick the berries. But you set the camp, and make the fire, and feed me today, you’ll be a good brother, won’t you?
B. Ah, if only I hadn’t promised Grandma to make an adult elve of you, I would have ditched you this morning with your blueberry hangover. Pack your stuff: it’s the end of our resting break. The sunset is near; we need to find a spot to camp. And stop rolling your eyes at me. We have a long and dangerous journey ahead. Let’s go.