Emil Bucki's 'Clinch' Exhibition Explores Post-Communist Tensions Through Ambiguous Gestures

The exhibition 'Clinch' by Emil Bucki showcases artworks that draw from Soviet visual culture, with a focus on propaganda and gymnastics manuals. Bucki, who was born in 1999 in Lublin and graduated from the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, reinterprets historical visuals to reflect on the social realities of post-communist Poland and Ukraine. The title conveys a sense of complex interdependence. Curated by Arkadiusz Półtorak, this exhibition is part of the Bunkier Sztuki Contemporary Art Award, which Bucki has won, along with the Grand Prix of the 12th 'New Image/New Gaze' competition and the Grand Prix of the 6th Leon Wyczółkowski Painting Competition. Currently residing in Kraków, he is also a scholarship recipient from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The exhibition's visual identity is designed by Rafał Sosin, with coordination by Agnieszka Sachar.