Support for arts and culture allows artists to develop and promote their work worldwide. An example of this is Ceramika Paradyż, a manufacturer of ceramic tiles and quartz sinters, which has a long-standing passion for cultural activities. The company is involved in the promotion of artistic creativity and supports initiatives that benefit both established artists and young artists from around the world. One of the key areas in which Ceramika Paradyż is successful is its exhibition patronage activities – from co-organising prestigious exhibitions, such as this year’s Polish Pavilion at the 2024 Art Biennale in Venice, to supporting local art projects, the brand successfully invests in promoting art on many levels.
In today’s world, where support for culture often remains in the background, the involvement of companies such as Ceramika Paradyż proves invaluable. The Polish Pavilion in Venice is a special place on the map of promoting our art and architecture. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of Ceramika Paradyż, the art shown in Venice will become more accessible and visible to everyone, regardless of their background or social status. The company’s contribution to this year’s exhibition, carries not only a financial aspect, but also a symbolic one. Supporting initiatives such as the Ukrainian collective Open Group’s performance “Repeat After Me II” in the Polish Pavilion confirms not only the company’s social sensitivity, but also the importance of art as an integral part of our lives. By being a Partner of the exhibition, the brand opens the doors of culture in Italy to a wide spectrum of audiences, inspiring them to have a deeper understanding of the reality around us.
The artists from the Open Group collective, invited by curator Marta Czyż, will direct their work to a Western European audience, engaging in a conversation about the experience of war with those who watch the struggles of our neighbours every day through their TV or computer screens. Now viewers will have the chance to take on the role of the film’s protagonists to better understand their perspective and experiences.
About the Biennale
The Biennale di Venezia, or international art exhibition, has been held in Venice since the late 19th century. The first exhibition in which Poland participated took place in 1932, when the Polish Pavilion was opened. Since then, we have been continuously present at this one of the most important events in the art world, and since 1991 also at the International Architecture Exhibition. The motto of this year’s biennial is “Foreigners Everywhere / Foreigners are everywhere”, so it was a natural response for Marta Czyż, curator of the exhibition, to invite Ukrainian artists to collaborate with a project involving refugees from Ukraine.
Open Group is a Ukrainian artist collective founded in 2012. The group focuses on interdisciplinary projects, combining video art, performance, installation and other artistic forms in their work. Their works often contain elements of social and political criticism and analysis of contemporary realities of life. The collective has gained recognition both in Ukraine and abroad for their original, often provocative works. The video installation ‘Repeat After Me II’ will provide an image of witnessing the still ongoing war in Ukraine. The works on display, created in 2022 and 2024, will show a group of civilian war refugees sharing their memories of the conflict, based mainly on the sounds of weapons. Then, they will invite the audience to repeat these sounds, using an unusual karaoke formula. Unlike the classic hits, the accompaniment here will be gunshots, cannonades and other sounds associated with war. This will be the soundtrack of the conflict in Venice, which the artists will attempt to recreate by illustrating the experiences and traumas of the witnesses.
Having Ceramika Paradyż among the partners of the ‘Repeat After Me II’ exhibition is undoubtedly an inspiring example for other brands of how corporate responsibility can transcend the boundaries of office walls. By acting as a patron of the arts, the brand not only promotes culture, but most importantly builds lasting relationships with international communities and artists. In this way, both parties benefit from the interaction with each other, while creating a more aware and sensitive society to the reality around us.
The International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will be open from 20 April to 24 November 2024.
For more information: www.paradyz.com
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