Its official unveiling will take place on 22 May. The colourful sculpture, designed by Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, will stand on the Old Market Square in Poznań for almost a year. The ornament was created on the initiative of the Voelkel Foundation, which wants to celebrate its 25th anniversary in this way.
Behind this work is Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, an artist whose works have found a place in leading art collections around the world. His works have been presented at international exhibitions in Asia, America and in many European countries, including such prestigious events as the Venice Biennale.
The sculpture is distinguished by its monumental form, reminiscent of a totem. The abstract shapes and minimalist symbols, characteristic of Jakub Julian Ziółkowski’s work, refer to spiritual issues and show the deep connection between the world of ideas and the sphere of organic sensations. The author seems to remind us of what we forget – we are all connected. The human world and the natural world intermingle within a web that has been woven for centuries. We are responsible for the world we live in and, on the other hand, this deep connection brings benefits, it feeds us.
The vertical shape symbolically connects the top to the bottom, making us think of a pillar, an axis, a tree. The cosmic tree, on which heaven, the human world and the subterranean afterlife span, is again a basic category of numerous religions and mythologies. Ziółkowski’s tree does not have a crown, nor even branches; rather, it has protuberances, budding oval forms, perhaps windows, panels or mirrors; something that is already climbing upwards, but is ready to grow sideways,’ Olga Drenda writes in the text accompanying the exhibition. – ‘It’s like a log that has become a house, a great neighbourhood, and by looking into the individual protrusions or hollows we can see its variety.
Ziolkowski’s sculpture appears as a story, a non-linear fresco or a monument to universal kinship and neighbourhood. In this complex structure, like in the complicated ecosystem of a big city, chance plays an important role, making it possible for anyone who is open to its symbolism to find its guardian. – ‘ My painting is wiser than myself,’ concludes Jakub Julian Ziolkowski.
The sculpture will be placed on ul Jana B. Quadro already on 22 May and will be displayed there for almost a year. The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m., and at 7 p.m. Jakub Julian Ziolkowski and Waclaw Zimpl will perform, presenting a unique combination of shamanistic hoop drumming and electronic sounds. The artists, whose friendship was born on the occasion of the creation of the sculpture for Poznań, will present the effects of their collaboration for the first time during the unveiling at the Old Market Square. Admission to both events is free.
Jakub Julian Ziółkowski is one of the most intriguing creators of contemporary Polish art. Soon after graduating, his works began to be presented on the international art scene, gaining recognition from both critics and the public. The artist has exhibited at renowned institutions such as Hauser & Wirth (London, Zurich, New York), the Parasol Unit and the White Cube in London or the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva. His work has also been part of major art events, including the Venice Biennale, the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea and the exhibition ‘The Generational: Younger Than Jesus’ at The New Museum in New York.
source: press materials
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