Panaceum

Witch hunts remain in our collective memory, though often only in the form of pop-cultural fiction. What rarely resonates within it, however, is the misogynistic foundation of the accusations of witchcraft or the impact that these persecutions had on the shape of the modern order. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, hundreds of thousands of women were tortured or executed under accusations of pacts with the Devil, participation in demonic sexual acts, or the use of the bodies of unbaptized children. The widespread image of the witch and her alleged practices emerged under the influence of Church propaganda and patriarchal authority, which maintained control through fear. Mass hysteria about the “inherent evil sown within women” spread across societies, resulting in large-scale denunciations. These were often based on the flimsiest of suspicions—such as a sideways glance or the mere possession of a black cat. The most common victims of this campaign of terror were unmarried, elderly women from poor social strata. It was precisely they—through their independence, embodiment, and life experience—who were perceived as a threat to the patriarchal order in the age of nascent capitalism. Witches were believed to possess secret knowledge, which they were said to use for evil purposes. This knowledge manifested itself in the preparation of potions and the casting of spells, which is why healers and herbalists were most often accused of witchcraft. Yet, in reality, they played a crucial role in rural communities as the only available doctors and pharmacists. From generation to generation, they passed down their knowledge of local plants and their properties, using long-standing observation and practice to cure illnesses and save lives. Despite their vast expertise and skills, herbalists were excluded from the world of contemporary medicine, reserved exclusively for men from the higher social classes. Moreover, their empirical approach to healing stood in stark opposition to Church doctrine, which only intensified the repression and further diminished their role. In her latest painting cycle, Justyna Baśnik recalls plants closely tied to the mythology that grew around the figure of the witch. The artist employs species which, according to legend, were used in the “flying ointments” with which witches were said to smear their broomsticks in order to secretly attend sabbaths at night. Furthermore, all the plants presented in the exhibition are simultaneously potent poisons—improperly used they can cause hallucinations, nausea, palpitations, and even death. Properly prepared, however, they serve as medicines. Only knowledge and experience in working with them allow one to consciously balance between life and its end. The education of herbalist-witches, along with the dangers and exclusion it entailed, becomes the starting point of the exhibition. Through ornamental paintings that draw upon the graphic and illustrative depictions of plants in early herbals, the artist invokes both mythological and herstorical contexts. Henbane, datura, belladonna, and brugmansia here become iconographic references to the figure of the witch. The exhibition space—the former pharmacy of Michał Mutniański—thus serves as a symbolic gesture, restoring rural herbalists-healers to the world of pharmacy. Exhibition Panaceum was part of FRINGE Warszawa 2025. Program of the 4th edition of FRINGE Warszawa: www.fringewarszawa.com