From Poznań to Warsaw – Key exhibitions of work by artists in the auction "Art Now. Curator's Choice"

In DESA Unicum, the season for contemporary art concludes with the November exhibition "Art Now. Curator's Choice," created in collaboration with the Polish fashion brand SOLAR. One of the main pillars of the company is supporting culture, primarily through local initiatives such as assistance to the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Fine Arts (UAP) in Poznań. This support includes workshops for students, internship programs, lectures, and backing projects inspired by the university. SOLAR is also a partner of the Maria Dokowicz competition for the best UAP diploma, providing special prizes and distinctions. The brand particularly supports young talents. This is evident in the choices made by the curatorial team, consisting of brand president Stanisław Bogacki, vice president Aleksandra Danel, and art critic Marta Smolińska.

Although the auction showcases the Poznań artistic community, for many artists, Poznań is often just a starting point, and many of them operate throughout Poland and abroad. As Marta Smolińska mentions, "This time, the 'Art Now. Curator's Choice' auction showcases the Poznań environment. However, today it is difficult to speak of such divisions because art has become essentially global. The key in selecting artists for this auction was that they have some connection to Poznań (…)."

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the journeys of the selected artists. Let's start with Kinga Popiela, who obtained her master's degree at the Faculty of Painting at the University of Fine Arts in Poznań in the studio of Prof. Dominik Lejman, Prof. UAP, and Prof. Andrzej Pepłoński. She was also a student of Interdisciplinary Environmental Doctoral Studies at UAP. In addition to exhibitions in Poznań, such as her doctoral exhibition at Rodriguez Gallery in 2022, titled "No Horse in the World Runs Like a Hare," and the exhibition at Molski Gallery & Collection in 2023, her works are also featured in international exhibitions. For instance, her pieces were part of the "Contemporary Polish Abstraction" exhibition during "Prague Art Week" from September 21 to 24, 2023. The end of the year marked a more intense period of creativity for Kinga Popiela. She inaugurated a joint exhibition titled "Każdy jest u siebie"/"Everyone is at Home" with Martyna Ścibior and Michał Frydrych at the WizyTUjąca Gallery as part of the Warsaw Gallery Weekend.

Małgorzata Mycek is a figure worth paying attention to, and fortunately, it's not difficult to do so. A non-binary individual from a small village in the Bieszczady Mountains, Mycek obtained an art education at the Faculty of Painting and Drawing at the University of Fine Arts in Poznań. They were recognized in the 40th edition of the Maria Dokowicz competition for the best diploma, became a finalist in the 19th edition of the Artistic Journey of Hestia competition, and awarded in the Allegro Prize 2021 competition. Until 2022, Mycek co-created the initiative the Bomba publishing house, which received an award in the Polish national "Młode Wilki"/"Young Wolves" competition in 2019. Mycek collaborated locally with galleries such as the Łęctwo Gallery, the Arsenał Municipal Gallery, and Pani Domu Poznań (individual exhibition "Kassandra" in 2022 and the collective exhibition "Środki przymusu bezpośredniego"/"Means of Direct Coercion" in 2022). Mycek's works have been featured in exhibitions throughout Poland and internationally. In 2021, they participated in the final exhibition of the 19th and 20th editions of the Artistic Journey of Hestia competition at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw and the group exhibition "Kto napisze historię łez. Artystki o prawach kobiet"/"Who Will Write the History of Tears: Women Artists on Women's Rights" at the Museum of Modern Art. Her individual exhibition "Na moje żyćko wpłynęła..."/"My Life Was Influenced by..." at the BWA Warsaw in 2022 made a significant impact. Her works were also included in the group exhibition "Niepokój przychodzi o zmierzchu"/"Anxiety Comes at Dusk" at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art and the exhibition "Bad Romance" at the Rondo Sztuki in Katowice. Małgorzata Mycek is also present artistically abroad, with exhibitions held in Frankfurt Oder, Mannheim, and the Manifesta 14th Biennale in Pristina.

Another noteworthy artist is Przemysław Piniak, who is increasingly gaining attention in the gallery circuit. He is graduated in painting from the Academy of Art in Szczecin and in painting from the University of Fine Arts in Poznań, he creates futuristic visions, illustrating them through installations and paintings. A significant element in Piniak's work is his experience of exclusion, which he has felt since his youth and was the subject of his master's thesis in painting. Consequently, the artist seeks new solutions for interpersonal communication. He has held individual exhibitions such as "Demony"/"Demons" at NOWY ZŁOTY, Wrocław 2022, "Wyspa Pucka i Pływające Chleby"/"Pucka Island and Floating Bread" at Zona Sztuki Aktualnej, Szczecin 2022, "Myszom ze strachu odpadają uszy"/"Ears of Mouses are Falling off out of Fear" at Łęctwo, Poznań 2021, and "W następnym życiu będę…"/'In the Next Lifetime, I Will Become..." at Fundacja Staraków, Spectra Art Space, Warsaw 2020. Piniak participated in Survival Art Review 2022 and was involved in the "Studio Mistrzyni" project with Joanna Rajkowska at BWA Wrocław in 2021. He was honored in the Maria Dokowicz competition for the Best Diploma at UAP in 2021 and in the "Młode Wilki/"Young Wolves" 2018 competition for the video performance "Pylnice P." His recent works were featured at the Warsaw Gallery Weekend in Łęctwo in an individual exhibition titled "Oczy ze środka głowy"/"Eyes from inside the Head."

It's also worth mentioning the everyday activities of artists associated with the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Fine Arts in Poznań. Paweł Fliegier and Julia Królikowska not only lead Artistic Studios at the Faculty of Painting and Drawing but, since 2022, have also established the artist-run space "Wołyńska 9" in Poznań. The origins of the gallery are recounted by Paweł Flieger: "The place was originally intended for domestic use. It was made available to us by the owners, so at a working level, we think of it as a home gallery rather than a grand-sounding villa. Wołyńska 9 was a home, and we don't change that. One could even say that we don't want to deceive anyone that it's a serious gallery. We see it more as an ephemeral place, which we enjoy and have fun around for some time, more precisely since last year's Art Week (ed. note Poznań Art Week 2022). We were looking for a place for an exhibition, and that's how Wołyńska 9 was created. It started and ended at the same place." The gallery has hosted highly interesting collective exhibitions featuring not only Poznań artists but also others, such as "Złe wychowanie"/"Bad Behavior" in June 2022, "Motyw płotu w sztuce polskiej"/"The Motif of Fence in the Polish Art" as part of Poznań Art Week 2023 with the participation of Celina Kannunikava, Kinga Popiela, or Sebastian Trzoski, and "Queerowe strategie"/"Queer Strategies" in June/July 2023 (curatorial diploma by Gabi Skrzypczak), where artists like Małgorzata Mycek and Przemysław Piniak were involved.