June 28 - December 28, 2024
1 PLN, Thursdays: free admission

Whip Instead Of The Sun

Only half of all the people living in Warsaw were born there—the data comes from censuses that have been conducted since the 1880s. The numbers are surprisingly consistent and studies carried out in subsequent decades show similar statistics: nearly half of Warsaw’s residents are migrants from small towns and villages, both a hundred years ago and today.

The exhibition by Agata Jarosławiec opens with a self-portrait of the artist in which she refers both to her personal history and to a broader reflection on the folk turn in contemporary Polish culture. Migration to a city is often associated with social advancement, albeit not necessarily straightforward or unequivocal. Struggles with the negative image of being “from the provinces” or cultural alienation have accompanied many residents of Warsaw, turning into a vital component of their new identity. These people helped shape the city, but their cultural heritage was absorbed by the dynamics of metropolitan life. Considered inferior and immature, it disappeared from both social consciousness and the pages of history.

Through her own biography and that of her family, Agata Jarosławiec analyses the experience of social advancement in a broad social context. The artist processes themes related to class shame, the burden of serfdom memory, and the relations between history and contemporary identity. She analyses the issue in a multifaceted and timeless manner: her works combine historical elements, such as imprints of inscriptions from serfdom crosses, with very contemporary forms, such as a trampoline or Lowen’s stool. She addresses the topic of violence and transgenerational trauma recorded in the body. The exhibition features objects, photographs, paintings, and videoart.

Agata Jarosławiec – graduate of the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (2020) and undergraduate studies in art history at Jagiellonian University (2014); since 2021, a PhD student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Laureate of the third prize in the Hestia Artistic Journey competition (2020), finalist of the Allegro Prize (2021), participant of the 17th edition of “Survival” Art Review in Wrocław (2019). Agata’s artistic practice is based on exploring the relationship between history, body, and identity. She is interested in the undertones of individual and social narratives in which she seeks opportunities for growth. In her practice, she often uses objects, video, and performative actions.

KOLOFON

artystka | artist: Agata Jarosławiec

kuratorka | curator: Zofia Rojek

tekst | text: Agnieszka Pajączkowska

tłumaczenia | translation: Karol Waniek

projekt wystawy | exhibition design: Michał Sroka

projekt plakatu | poster design: Anna Bieńkowska

redakcja i korekta | editing and proofreading: Urszula Drabińska

realizacja / production: Ksenia Góreczna, Paweł Grochowalski, Piotr Lipiński, Katarzyna Radecka

wypożyczenia zewnętrzne | external loans: Janusz Kurczak

opieka prawna | legal services: Ina Klimas

produkcja | producer: Monika Mazurek

komunikacja i marketing | communication and marketing: Joanna Andruszko, Joanna Bębenek, Małgorzata Czajkowska, Melissa Czaplicka, Agata Fijałkowska, Agata Fronczyk, Klaudia Gniady, Daniel Karwowski, Anna Ładna, Jowita Purzycka, Nela Sobieszczańska

projekt graficzny plakatu | poster graphic design: Anna Bieńkowska

specjalne podziękowania | special thanks: Agnieszka Adamska, Teresa Jarosławiec, Grzegorz Kumorek