Technique: Installation made of LEGO bricks and other materials, painted.

Dimensions: No precise data on dimensions.

Year of creation: 1995

Collection: The work is in the collection of contemporary Polish art.

General description: The installation consists of a cartoon bird made of colorful LEGO bricks and a red oval with gold decorations. The bird figure is located on the left side and is half the size of the other part of the installation. It has a distinctive elongated beak of intense yellow and expressive large eyes. It extends its hand towards the other object.

Detailed description: The installation consists of two elements: a cartoon bird and a red oval. The animal figure is located on the left side and is half the size of the neighboring object. It was made of multicolored LEGO bricks. The figure has clear human features. Instead of a pair of wings, it has black-colored hands. The head, tail end and breast are also black. The belly stands out in shades of white, yellow and red, with small black details. The elongated, intensely yellow beak with a red tip and massive yellow-red fins come to the fore. The cartoonish character of the figure is emphasized by the large, expressive eyes.

The red oval is located on the right side. It has a conical shape that tapers downward. At the apex of the cone are two spheres. From each of them protrude long slender ovals resembling rabbit ears or foreheads. The whole is decorated with a pattern consisting of golden squares of irregular arrangement. The bird figure extends its hand towards the red object.

The work Queen Midas is looking for Bugs is an example of the artists' ironic play with mass culture. Marek Kijewski and Malgorzata Malinowska (alias Kocur) were known for their use of unconventional materials, such as LEGO, rubber and plastic, combining them with mythological, religious and pop culture motifs. In this case, the title refers to the myth of King Midas, whose touch turned everything into gold, and to Daffy Duck, one of the most recognizable cartoon characters.

The installation criticizes consumerism, juxtaposing mythological motifs with elements of children's toys. The work is part of the critical art trend of the 1990s in Poland, which commented with distance and humor on social and cultural changes after the fall of communism.

Audiodescription text: Emilia Szymanska

Audiodescription consultation: Adrian Wyka