Where to find them? - artists of the auction "Art Now" in museums and art galleries not only in Poland
What is art today? This question often arises in the context of current phenomena concerning contemporary art and the current activities of artists. DESA Unicum attempts to answer this question with the "Art Today" project. The aim of the auction is to observe and identify what is happening in modern art, to track how and at what pace young promising artists develop.
The Polish gallery scene is abundant in displays of modern art, which often last for quite a short time, so it is worth following current events: pay attention to which exhibitions, how often, and in which galleries artists present their works. In the case of collective exhibitions, it is significant to note the group, the context, and the curators who took care of the presented works. Below, we briefly present you with the achievements of emerging, promising artists who shape the image of Polish modern art, building their careers on important events in the Polish art scene.
When following the life of art galleries over the last few years, you can come across the artists of the "Art Today" auction. We will find exhibitions that serve as a point of convergence for some names, as well as those which include collective displays, such as presentations of the collection in the Gallery of Polish Contemporary Art of the Branch of Modern Art at the Museum of Art in Gdańsk titled "Young Polish Painting" from 2019, or "New Look" from the turn of 2019/2022. The exhibitions included works by, among others, Agata Przyżycka, Michał Jankowski, Mateusz Szczypiński, Julita Malinowska, Anna Szprynger, and Tomasz Kopcewicz. Moreover, the works by these artists are part of the collection of modern art at the Museum of Art in Gdańsk.
Celina Kanunnikava (1988) and Olga Dmowska (1983) participated in the exhibition "Paint, also Known as Blood" at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2019), and the latter artist presented her solo exhibition at the WizyTUjąca Gallery in Warsaw at the beginning of last year.
The artists included in "Art Now" have participated in very interesting solo and collective exhibitions. One example is the last year's exhibition "The Discomfort of Evening" in Zachęta – the National Gallery of Art certainly, which reverberated throughout the art scene, bringing attention to the condition and work of the next generation of artists, including works by Anna Grzymała, Kamila Walendykiewicz, and Zuza Piekoszewska. Each of the artists is a promising figure in Polish modern art, and it is worth following their future careers.
Anna Grzymała (1997) finds motifs for her paintings in reality. She exposes the absurdities and tensions of the present. The series of her diploma paintings "Ursynów Fairy Tales" is based on classical compositions with a hint of onirism. The artist's paintings are part of mBank's new collection of works by young artists, which she presented at the exhibition "Y as Youth" at the State Art Gallery in Sopot (2021). She has also advanced to the finals of the 10th edition of the "New Image/New Look" competition of the University of Arts in Poznań and the 20th edition of the Hestia Artistic Journey. She took part in the final exhibition "We are Present" at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2021) as part of the competition.
Kamila Walendykiewicz (1997) graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She presented the series of her diploma paintings, "I Can Change, But I Will Not Die" in the HOS gallery in Warsaw. In her work, she blurs the boundaries between digital technology and the classic medium of painting. Her technique, which is based on layers, like in graphics software, produces an unusual pixel-like effect on a square canvas.
In turn, the work by Zuza Piekoszewska (1996) is not based on a traditional medium. Our auction presents you with a woven canvas. Her work is marked by a great deal of mystery and fear. The artist takes up the threads of the relationship of a human surrounded by oppressive reality. Zuza Piekoszewska graduated in Media Art from the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and in Photography from the University of Arts in Poznań. In addition to the exhibition in the Zachęta Gallery, she took part in the collective exhibition "In These Days of Tumult, Heat and Dazzle, I Retreat in My Mind" (Stefan Gierowski Foundation in Warsaw, 2021). She participated in two editions of the Warsaw Gallery Weekend: in 2021 (with the Serce Człowieka Gallery) and in 2022 (with the Prześwit Gallery). Her solo exhibitions took place in the Łęctwo Gallery in Poznań. She also presented her works at exhibitions of the GiG Munich art project. Recently, the works of Zuza Piekoszewska and Marcel Adamczyk could be seen at the "Fragile Landscapes" exhibition at the stART Studio gallery in Warsaw in January.
Karolina Majewska (1987), making her auction debut, will show us her work that blurs the lines between sculpture, installation, and photography. The main focus of her art is now the female body, specifically its objectification, instrumentalization, and repression. The artist graduated in painting from Warsaw's Academy of Fine Arts and in photography at the School of Visual Art in New York. She often displays her works at foreign exhibitions, for instance, in New York and Los Angeles on numerous occasions, as well as in Vienna and Berlin last year.
We recommend following current and ongoing exhibitions of the four presented artists. Soon, on the 18th of February, the "Bad Romance" collective exhibition of mBank's collection takes place at the Rondo Sztuki Gallery in Katowice, during which you will be able to see paintings by Alicja Kubicka and Anna Grzymała.
Solo exhibitions of works by Patrycja Piętka and Agata Przyżycka are also interesting events. Piętka inaugurated her second solo exhibition, titled "You Lie Down and Wait for Sleep. You Stay Awake for Some Time" at the Bureau of Artistic Exhibitions Gallery in Bielsko-Biała (which took fourth place in the rank for the best Polish contemporary art galleries of Polityka weekly). Works of Przyżycka appeared as part of "A World Beneath the Heel" exhibitions at the Serce Exhib. X Kravitz Contemporary gallery group in London. In addition, paintings on paper by Mikołaj Moskal are on display at the collective exhibition "Again" in the Nanazenit gallery in Warsaw until the end of February.
By and large, our selection presents you with a wide spectrum of works by numerous active artists who are present on the art market and in art galleries.