„Dlaczego mnie jest tak wielu, a państwa tak mało?" Performatywna tożsamość Orsona Wellesa
“Why are there so many of me and so few of you?” On Orson Welles’s performative identity

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on Orson Welles's public appearances and the performative character of his self-presentation — with particular emphasis on two lengthy Q&A sessions recorded in the early 1980s at the University of Southern California and at the Cinémathèque Française. Although these recordings were made shortly before the artist's death, they were only recently made available in their entirety to a wider audience in a restored version. Despite their value, they have not yet received broader analysis — their renewed presence in circulation thus provides a good opportunity to examine their significance and form. The analysis focuses on self-creative strategies present in Welles's behavior and utterances, which situate him in the space between art and life. Particular attention is paid to his consistent use of irony, hyperbole, and conscious stylization of his own image. The author of Citizen Kane emerges as a conscious performer, utilizing the formula of a meeting with the audience to maintain and update his media identity, blurring the boundaries between the role of artist and public figure.

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