Excerpt from the essay "The Encounter": One could say that art is merely a mirror, merely an illusion, that it is an expression of human weakness, a failure to cope with reality, a creation of phantoms. This mirror might not show the whole truth, but it is one of the most magnificent creations or phenomena associated with human activity, alongside the ability for empathy, love for others, and the ability to pass on life. This mirror creates a platform, perhaps a magical one, not as real as the tactile touch of an object existing in our shared reality, but a platform for encountering the human of the past, with the whole world reflected in that person’s consciousness. Someone might say, for example, that my encounter with Michelangelo is an illusion, not reality, because this man died five centuries ago, thus does not exist and cannot be met. I do not deny anyone the right to such an interpretation of reality; however, I consider the chain of culture and tradition to be alive, I might even say it breathes life into what belongs to the past, and that is why I meet Michelangelo in the objects he created, objects referred to as works of art. This encounter happens on both the spiritual and material planes. Firstly, he exists in my consciousness through his work, and secondly, as one of many artists inspired by his creativity, with each sculpture on which his influence is imprinted, I once again incorporate him into this living organism – the chain of tradition.
