Memory, Play, Ordinary Life, City’s Fabric

On March 20, at Dom w Alejach (one of the branches of the Śródmieście Cultural Center), the opening of an exhibition took place, prepared by students from DP2 Visual Arts: Kalina, Pola, Zoja, and Kaia, working under the guidance of Katarzyna Gągol.

The opening was hosted by coordinator Tomasz Mazur, who began with a reflection on the need for each of us to pause in a reality of constant haste. The exhibition and the contemplation of works of art become an opportunity to achieve, as Mazur noted, “an optimal state of affairs that one can admire as beautiful, and to which one should aspire as to something good.” The coordinator therefore invited the audience to kalokagathia—that is, to experience the good and beauty conveyed by the artists’ works. 

Kai’s project consists of stories about the times of the Polish People’s Republic, a period she herself does not remember. In her exhibition, she explores how memories of those times, family legends, and individual feelings influence the narrative of history, and how certain elements of the past become iconic.

Zoja explores the themes of play, fun, and the creation of rituals as natural human needs. Through her art, she attempts to capture the moments in which we engage in play in various ways. She plays with form herself and encourages the viewer to participate in the game and interpret the meaning of her works.

Pola’s exhibition is titled “My Ordinary Life” and is an attempt at an artistic interpretation of how the artist feels and perceives reality. Pola often expresses what she does not say aloud through expressive illustrations featuring mainly cats. You will find them in many of her works, sometimes as stage directions or author’s comments, and sometimes as the main characters of the piece.

Kalina, on the other hand, depicts the city as a living organism. Through juxtapositions of architectural and organic forms, and various perspectives, she explores the similarities between the human body and the way cities are organized. The artist sees analogies between who we are and how we shape our surroundings.

Many guests attended the event—students, teachers, and the young artists’ family and friends.

The graduating students and teachers are very grateful for the large turnout. Art needs an audience, and each work conveys a specific message through both what it depicts and how it depicts it. Art fosters kalokagathia, allowing us to experience what is both good and beautiful.

The exhibition will be on view until March 25. We cordially invite you to visit.

(text: Katarzyna Gągol. edited by Beata Ciacvek, translated with DeepL.com by Beata Ciacek; zdjęcia: Beata Ciacek)