Here in Poland we’ve arrived at the point where police are assigned to protect the dignity of monuments, while simultaneously trampling the dignity of living people, beating and abusing them for demanding acceptance of their existence. This kind of discourse is offensive not only to the intellect, but also to the feeling of decency and interpersonal solidarity.

Last year, the Monument to the Neurotics was unveiled in Warsaw. It was designed by Rafał Bujnowski, a painter who’s treasured both in Poland and abroad. The unveiling ceremony was performed by an artist with a similar cult following, and also a well-known neurotic and melancholic, Oskar Dawicki. The monument, subtitled “Oskar’s Puddle”, was dedicated to him.

As the name indicates, the monument takes the form of a puddle. When it rains, the precisely moulded round depression in the pavement fills with water. Then it fits perfectly with the other puddles, which on wet days reflect the cloudy sky. On dry days, the Monument to the Neurotics looks even better, because it becomes almost invisible. It won’t be noticed by somebody who turns up their nose. It