Michał Korta (PL) - Weeping Willows. For the last 6 years I was driving across Lesser Poland and documenting Polish country side, paying special attention to how people treat trees. For the first time in my life I’m working that close to the place I live in. The series is a critical story about mishandling the trees. The situation with trees, gardens, house facades tells a lot about todays society in countryside and small towns of southern Poland. I go slow, as slow as I can, I observe and analyse. I talk to people. Even if I started with trees, the story is about todays Polish society. The real essence of the place in time is what I’m after. I love trees. And I walk a lot. I think trees are perfect organisms in every aspect. Even if they do not move in our sense of movement, I think we can learn a lot from them. I walk every day. I’m driving within 30-40 km radius, I leave the car and I walk. It’s southern part of Poland, so called Lesser Poland, quite densely populated area, but here and there there are some small woods. And of course lonely trees. I walk and I observe trees and the relation Polish people have to them. 30 years ago other Polish photographer, Edward Hartwig had published his photo book “Willows”. It was fresh at that time, even if it was a little romantic point of view on the Polish landscape. Nowadays I’m trying to capture the essence of infamous changes in this landscape. The title of the series is a paraphrase of the original title, but I used the botanical name Weeping Willow (Salix Sepulcralis) of a very common tree species in the Raba River valley area. There is a tradition of topping willows. There are also myths that say a cut tree will grow thicker and stronger. And it’s truth, when we cut one hand off, in fact the other one will become stronger, but … Trees are patient. They have no voice, they can accept a lot, in silence. They will suppurate, stunt, sprout alternative shoots, and they will not give up until vital juices still flows in them. Poland was once a typically agricultural country. Our ancestors survived only because of plants and animals. Life of a human beeing was very closely connected with nature, observation and understanding of the vegetation cycles, seasons and rhythms. I think nowadays people do not SEE trees. The connection was lost. The trees are silent. They are humble. From one place they witness disasters, cataclysms, political and climate changes, different eras and tendencies. Imagine an old wooden house on some forgotten hill. Near the house an old linden tree is growing. With huge branches, like guardian’s arms. It was there before the house was build. Three generations have passed. And it still stays there. It is possible that it will be still there long after this house is gone. I’m telling sad and critical story about polish society in the beginning of 21st century. For this series I created more than 4.000 pictures so far.