Polish Modern Art Foundation

Young Poland

Young Poland – Afterimages of Reality
1.10 – 4.12.2016
Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art, Komor Marcell u. 1, Budapest

Young Poland – Afterimages of History
13.10 – 21.11.2016
Museum of Yugoslav History, 6 Boticeva street, 11000 Belgrade

The way we currently perceive the surrounding reality requires historical reasoning in order to see the elapsing present as the past. One must become sensitised to this dimension of the present, so that personally experiencing the history occurring now can become an everlasting means of referring to both the past and the future.

History follows the swing of the cultural pendulum, invoking a hereditary mass of impressions – historical symbols are often more influential as pop-cultural artefacts than as components of tradition or historical fact. Traditional notions of history teach us the rule that the times we live in are somehow “exceptional”. Observing reality is possible thanks to afterimages of reality; transitory images that linger in our consciousness, despite having faded into history.

27 years after the fall of the “Iron Curtain”, Poles are still struggling with identity issues. Only after 1989 – for the first time in fifty years – were they able to discuss and examine Poland publicly, without censorship. Today, they are still pondering the true nature of Poland and the Poles.

Alongside the continuing advance of capitalism, there is a constant air of uncertainty. The younger generation – distanced from history and free of the typical Polish complexes of the Communist era – is actively engaged in building an identity, revisiting the past and striving to reacquaint itself with history. At the same time, it encounters problems stemming from globalisation, commercialisation, and a crisis of values, which are common to young people the world over.

The group exhibitions Young Poland – Afterimages of Reality and Young Poland – Afterimages of History are a statement by artists deliberately presenting, analysing, and defying the reality of Poland. The exhibition attempts to explore and observe themes of interest to a younger generation that must deal with history and the transition in order to find its place in the collective consciousness of both the country and the world.

More on the website www.youngpoland.eu

Young Poland. Afterimages of Reality

Young Poland. Afterimages of Reality

The voice of the young generation of Polish artists.

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curators:
Sarmen Beglarian, Sylwia Szymaniak

organized by:
Polish Modern Art Foundation

partners:
Polish Institute in Budapest
Museum of Yugoslav History
Ludwig Museum in Budapest

Co-financed from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
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