Aneta Szylak on Wyspa Institute's Political Art Projects and Contextual Curating

Aneta Szylak, director of Gdańsk's Wyspa Institute of Art, discusses the organization's history and political engagement. Founded by artist Grzegorz Klaman in the 1980s, Wyspa emerged during Poland's Solidarność movement as an independent artist-run initiative. Located on Granary Island, a historic site bombed in World War II, the institute examines layers of Polish history through exhibitions, publications, and participatory projects. Notable works include The Dockwatchers (2005), which featured a Lech Wałęsa lookalike and explored historical narratives, and Subjective Bus Line, where former dock workers lead contentious tours. Szylak emphasizes polyphonic approaches, citing Mikhail Bakhtin, and contextual curating that engages local realities. She has collaborated with artists like feminist conceptualist Ewa Partum and Kurdish artists from Northern Iraq. Szylak teaches at institutions including Goldsmiths College and the Akademie für Bildende Künste Mainz, and is completing a doctorate. Wyspa's future includes the recurring event Alternativa in Gdańsk, focusing on locally produced knowledge. The interview was conducted by Aleksandra Kaminska in March 2011.