22 Jul 2014

Crime in Art at MOCAK, Kraków

Crime in Art at MOCAK

Crime reveals all the inner fanatical turmoil, bleak helplessness and wrongdoing without atonement. Crime has two sources. It stems either from 'lesser' crimes that often go unpunished, because they have been committed in the privacy of the home on the weak and defenceless, who go on to seek revenge on society at large. Or else, crime is instigated by politics and religion. Crime reveals the abundance of evil inside us. It is the ultimate lesson in human vulnerability and cultural turmoil.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication both in Polish and in English that will develop the themes of the presented works and analyse the significant issues that transpire from the relationship between crime and art. As well as the theoretical texts by Noël Carroll, Brunon Hołyst, Bogusław Habrat, Colin Wilson and Maria Anna Potocka, the catalogue will also comprise a richly illustrated part devoted to the artists and the works presented in the exhibition.


Arists: Mac Adams, Kjersti Andvig, Virginie Barré, Jan van Bijlert, Małgorzata Blamowska, Piotr Blamowski, Christian Boltanski, Rafał Bujnowski, Jake i Dinos Chapman, Larry Clark, Hubert Czerepok, Danny Devos, Robert Devriendt, Grzegorz Drozd, Generic Art Solutions, Marian Henel, Debora Hirsch, Szymon Kobylarz, Justyna Koeke, Ignas Krunglevičius, Robert Kuśmirowski, Lars Laumann, Zbigniew Libera, Teresa Margolles, Jan Matejko, Bartek Materka, Andrzej Mleczko, Dorota Nieznalska, Anna Orlikowska, Olivier Pietsch, Agnieszka Polska, Andres Serrano, Taryn Simon, Daniel Spoerri, Mladen Stilinović, Beat Streuli, Alejandro Vidal, Andy Warhol, Ryszard Waśko, Franciszek Żmurko.


Crime in Art
The exhibition is running: 16 May – 28 September 2014
Curators: Delfina Jałowik, Monika Kozioł, Maria Anna Potocka

The project is financed by the European Union as part of the Operational Programme for the Małopolska Region 2007– 2013

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Other current Exhibitions:

I Am a Drop in the Ocean. The Art of the Ukrainian Revolution
Opening: 31 July 2014
Running: 1 August – 19 October 2014

On 21 November 2013, the protests began on the Maidan, Independence Square, in Kiev. They were the response to Victor Yanukovych failing to sign a Ukrainian association agreement with the European Union. The intransigence of the ruling party and the brutality of the militia acting on orders from the authorities led to the radicalisation of the prevailing mood. The protest, originally envisaged as a manifestation of support for the European option for Ukraine turned into opposition to the internal policies and corruption. Finally, the Maidan demanded that the President step down.

At all times, art accompanied the protests; it was a sphere of freedom, an expression of resistance to Russian influence in the corrupt state. Artists created their works at the Maidan, exhibited them there, designed posters and organised performances.

The title of the exhibition refers to one of the slogans of the Ukrainian revolution. Its message is that no single person is enough to change the system; however, a determined collaboration of individuals guarantees an effective impact on the course of events. The photographs and paintings presented at the exhibition provide a critical commentary to the social and political situation in Ukraine, whereas video works and banners, documenting performance actions, demonstrate the context in which specific works were created. The artists take a negative view of the government's actions and bemoan the situation where Ukrainians are egged on to fratricide and show an analogy between today's political reality and the civil war of 1918–1921.

The exhibition was previously shown at the Künstlerhaus in Vienna and in November it will be taken to New York.

Artists: Maksim Belousov, Alexander Chekmenev, Maria Dragina, Ksenia Hnylytska, Boris Kashapov, Pavlo Kerestey, Vladislav Krasnoshek, Sasha Kurmaz, Sergei Lebedinsky, Markiyan Matsehk, Roman Minin, Maria Pavlenko, Oleksiy Radynski, Vlada Ralko, Vinny Reunov, Ivan Semesyuk, Nikita Shalennyi, Mykola Ridnyi, Oleg Tistol, Vasilii Tsagolov

Curators: Konstantin Akinsha, Alisa Lozhkina
Co-ordinator: Agnieszka Chyrowicz

Exhibition Partner: Culture.pl


Krzysztof Niemczyk
Situationist, Writer, Painter
27.6–14.9.2014

The exhibition aims to remember this uncompromising and independent artist. We show fragments of Niemczyk's manuscripts, his paintings, portrait photographs and photographs documenting his artistic actions as well as memorabilia from the family archives: the artist's letters to his sister, records and books from his collection, books and a film showing places with links to the artist, with a voice-over by Monika Niemczyk. The exhibition is accompanied by a multi- theatrical performance entitled I, Krzysztof, directed by Natalia Korczakowska, with the leading part played by Monika Niemczyk.

Curator: Józef Chrobak
Co-ordinator: Katarzyna Wincenciak


Popes
27.6–14.9.2014

The exhibition analyses the phenomenon of fascination with Pope John Paul II, his image and the material traces of his presence. This analysis has been carried out by mainly Polish artists, although international artists, including Andy Warhol and Volker Hildebrandt, have also been interested in this theme. The presented works represent just a small portion of the critical look at the increasing exaltation of society. This is not a critique of the Pope or his teachings but merely of some of the characteristics of his cult.

Artists: Małgorzata Blamowska, Rafał Bujnowski, Oskar Dawicki, Peter Fuss, Volker Hildebrandt, Igor Omulecki, Zofia Rydet, Andy Warhol

Curator: Katarzyna Wincenciak