Pawel Leszkowicz Curates 'Love and Democracy' Exhibition on Queer Polish Art in Poznan and Gdansk
In 2005, the 'Love and Democracy' exhibition was curated by Pawel Leszkowicz at the Kulczyk Foundation Galleries during the Poznan Art Fair. A more extensive version was planned for June 2006 at the Center of Contemporary Art 'Laznia' in Gdansk, with the goal of confronting Poland's heteronormative culture and systemic homophobia. Leszkowicz described this initiative as a 'Second Revolution' for rights, drawing parallels to the Solidarity movement of the 1980s. Among the artists showcased were Zuzanna Janin, Karolina Bregula, Piotr Nathan, and Robert Rumas. The exhibition highlights a larger 'queer narrative' in Polish art since the 1970s and critiques the prevailing homophobic political environment, positing that homoerotic art reflects the state of Polish democracy.
Key facts
- The exhibition 'Love and Democracy' was curated by Pawel Leszkowicz.
- The first part opened in May 2005 at the Kulczyk Foundation Galleries during the Poznan Art Fair.
- A second part was scheduled for June 2006 at the Center of Contemporary Art 'Laznia' in Gdansk.
- The exhibition aimed to present pluralistic stories of love and sexuality against Poland's heteronormative culture.
- Leszkowicz described the project as a necessary 'Second Revolution' for minority rights.
- The show featured works by over twenty artists, including Zuzanna Janin, Karolina Bregula, and Piotr Nathan.
- The essay traces a history of queer motifs in Polish art from the 1970s, discussing figures like Krzysztof Jung and Lukasz Korolkiewicz.
- The text critiques the homophobic political and social climate in Poland, including violence against LGBTQ+ individuals.
Entities
Artists
- Pawel Leszkowicz
- Tomek Kitlinski
- Izabella Gustowska
- Zuzanna Janin
- Karolina Bregula
- Piotr Nathan
- Robert Rumas
- Katarzyna Korzeniecka
- Anna Tyczynska
- Hanna Nowicka
- Bogna Burska
- Tomek Kozak
- Pawel Kruk
- Dorota Nieznalska
- Eliza Ciborowska
- Karol Radziszewski
- Wojciech Gilewicz
- Maciej Osika
- Alicja Zebrowska
- Katarzyna Górna
- Justyna Apolinarzak
- Krzysztof Malec
- Grzegorz Kowalski
- Katarzyna Kozyra
- Artur Zmijewski
- Andrzej Karas
- Jaroslaw Modzelewski
- Marek Sobczyk
- Anna Baumgart
- Izabela Gustowska
- Krzysztof Jung
- Dorota Krawczyk-Janisch
- Wojciech Piotrowski
- Lukasz Korolkiewicz
- Jacek Sempolinski
- Krzysztof Cwiertniewicz
- Tadeusz Boruta
- Jan Bujak
- Piotr Majdrowicz
- Józef Robakowski
- Ryszard Czubak
- Jerzy Beres
- Zbigniew Warpechowski
- Aneta Szylak
- Przemyslaw Saleta
- Anna Swietlicka
- Suppie
- Dominique
- Piotr
- Magda
- Tomoho
- Rafal
- Szymon
- Kasia
- Krzysztof
- Leon
- Rachel
- Sylwia
- Otto Weininger
- Anna Jantar
- Wojtek Karpinski
- Konstanty Jelenski
- Julia Kristeva
- Alexis de Tocqueville
- John Stuart Mill
- Claude Lefort
- Martha Nussbaum
- Rosalyn Deutsche
- Adrienne Rich
- Michael Warner
- Samuel Chambers
- Lech Walesa
- Anda Rottenberg
- Marysia Lewandowska
- Neil Cummings
- Amelia Jones
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Adam Mickiewicz University
- Poznan Art Fair
- Kulczyk Foundation Galleries
- Center of Contemporary Art 'Laznia'
- Fine Art Academy Poznan
- Aureus
- Campaign Against Homophobia (Kampania Przeciw Homofobii)
- Lambda
- League of Polish Families
- All Polish Youth
- Law and Justice
- European Union
- Repassage Gallery
- Zacheta National Gallery of Art
- Venice Biennale
- Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle
- Provincial Centre Of Culture Gdansk
- State Gallery of Art Sopot
- Capital cinema Warsaw
- Gellert Bathhouse Budapest
- Amateur Film Clubs
- Film Forms Workshop Lodz
- DIK magazine
- Columbia University Press
- Harvard University Press
- MIT Press
- Magazyn Sztuki
- Art in America
- Journal of American Culture
- Gazeta Wyborcza
- Polityka
- Exit. New Art in Poland
Locations
- Poznan
- Poland
- Krakow
- Gdansk
- Warsaw
- Eastern Europe
- Germany
- Paris
- France
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Venice
- Italy
- Dusseldorf
- United States
- New York
- London
- United Kingdom
- Lodz
- Sopot
- Plock
- Mazowsze