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Sztwiertnia's 2003 Exhibition at Zderzak Gallery Explores Perception Through Medical Imagery

exhibition · 2026-04-20

From 6 May to 18 June 2003, Grzegorz Sztwiertnia showcased The Painter's Eye and Hand at Zderzak Gallery in Cracow. This exhibition included artwork depicting injured eyes, hands, surgical tools, and tracheotomized throats, drawing inspiration from medical literature. Sztwiertnia, who has been active since the 1990s, delved into perception using ideas from Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jacques Lacan. A book by Ignacy Witz, published in 1966, was featured, although Sztwiertnia pointed out its neglect of the brain's significance. The exhibition presented series such as Throat Issues and Painters Eye, alluding to Marcel Duchamp's Rotoreliefs. Unlike past works, this display lacked instructions, inviting viewers to interpret actively. It connected to Sztwiertnia's previous Farbenlehre at Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in Summer 2002, which engaged with Goethe's color theory, often reflecting on themes of flawed bodies and spiritual absence.

Key facts

  • Grzegorz Sztwiertnia's exhibition The Painter's Eye and Hand ran from 6 May to 18 June 2003 at Zderzak Gallery in Cracow
  • The show featured paintings based on medical illustrations, including wounded eyes, hands, and tracheotomized throats
  • Sztwiertnia used concepts from Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jacques Lacan to explore perception and vision
  • A 1966 book by Ignacy Witz titled The Painter's Eye and Hand was exhibited as a ready-made
  • The exhibition included series such as Throat Issues and Painters Eye (after removing the epithelium from the cornea, in order to see better)
  • Sztwiertnia's earlier exhibition Farbenlehre at Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in Summer 2002 referenced Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Rudolf Steiner
  • Sztwiertnia has worked across multiple mediums including performance, installation, video, painting, and text since the 1990s
  • The artist's approach frames creativity as defective yet powerful, with future exhibitions potentially titled The Painter's Eye and Mind

Entities

Artists

  • Grzegorz Sztwiertnia
  • Ignacy Witz
  • Marcel Duchamp
  • Johann Wolfgang Goethe
  • Rudolf Steiner
  • Luc Tuymans
  • Ellen Harvey
  • Maurice Merleau-Ponty
  • Jacques Lacan
  • Andrzej Przywara

Institutions

  • Zderzak Gallery
  • Wyspa Gallery
  • Bunkier Sztuki Gallery
  • Synoptic Clinic
  • ARTMargins Online

Locations

  • Cracow
  • Poland
  • Warsaw
  • Gdansk

Sources