Monograph Documents Łódź's Galeria Wschodnia as Case Study of Polish Alternative Art Under Economic Transition
In 2019, 'Galeria Wschodnia. Dokumenty 1984-2017 / Documents 1984-2017', a comprehensive 916-page monograph, was released by Galeria Wschodnia, Fundacja In Search Of, and Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi, edited by Daniel Muzyczuk and Tomasz Załuski. This work delves into the Łódź gallery established in 1984 by Adam Klimczak and Jerzy Grzegorski, which distinguished itself from state-affiliated institutions by fostering independence. The publication includes an essay by Załuski that explores the gallery's networks and its role during Poland's economic shift. It also discusses unsuccessful publication efforts since 1989, features archival performances, and links Wschodnia to the Eastern European art scene, citing Piotr Piotrowski and Zbigniew Warpechowski, with statistical visualizations by Mikołaj Iwański and Jakub de Barbaro.
Key facts
- Daniel Muzyczuk and Tomasz Załuski edited the 916-page monograph 'Galeria Wschodnia. Dokumenty 1984-2017 / Documents 1984-2017' published in 2019
- Galeria Wschodnia was founded in 1984 in Łódź by artists Adam Klimczak and Jerzy Grzegorski in their apartment after martial law
- The gallery operated as a private residential space distinct from state-aligned venues like Galeria Foksal, Akumulatory 2, and Permafo
- The publication analyzes the gallery's negotiation of Poland's economic transition from communism to capitalism through everyday 'tactics'
- Tomasz Załuski's essay 'Galeria Wschodnia – A Biography of the Place' forms the monograph's central research component
- Previous attempts to document the gallery's history failed in 1989 and 1991 due to financial pressures despite award support
- Karolina Breguła's 2011 performance 'Rekonstrukcja' organized the gallery's scattered archival documents with public participation
- The book includes statistical visualizations by Mikołaj Iwański and Jakub de Barbaro from a 2014 retrospective at Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Muzyczuk
- Tomasz Załuski
- Adam Klimczak
- Jerzy Grzegorski
- Karolina Breguła
- Józef Robakowski
- Ryszard Waśko
- Ewa Robak
- Marcin Polak
- Janek Simon
- Tomasz Szerszeń
- Zbigniew Warpechowski
- Jerzy Busza
- Maria Morzuch
- Jolanta Ciesielska
- Mikołaj Iwański
- Jakub de Barbaro
- Bruce Checefsky
- Piotr Piotrowski
- Luiza Nader
- Marcin Lachowski
- Jakub Banasiak
- Andrea Fraser
- John Cage
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Michal Novotný
- Zbigniew Brzeziński
Institutions
- Galeria Wschodnia
- Fundacja In Search Of
- Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi
- Galeria Foksal
- Akumulatory 2
- Permafo
- Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle
- Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej
- Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie
- Towarzystwo Naukowe Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego Jana Pawła II
- Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
- Liberal Democratic Congress
- Exit
- Third Text
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Łódź
- Poland
- Warsaw
- Baltic
- Eastern Europe
- Central-East Europe
- Asia
- United States