The exhibition ‘Tears of Happiness’ is on at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art. This is a strong point on the cultural map of Warsaw. This is because it is the largest presentation of the Zachęta collection to date. The event is invited by the Tubądzin Group, which is a partner of the exhibition.
The Tubądzin Group is continuing the Tubądzin Meets Art project, which supports artists and the democratisation of art to make it more accessible and open to all. This project was inaugurated in 2023 and the Tears of Happiness exhibition is its next instalment.
The exhibition is aimed at a wide audience. The collected works allow us to explore the emotions evoked by art over the decades, and are intended to enable us to find answers to the questions – what feelings did art evoke in the past? What feelings does it evoke today? “Tears of Happiness” is also a story about the identity of Zachęta itself and its changing role. The curatorial team consisting of Maria Brewińska, Michał Jachuła, Katarzyna Kołodziej-Podsiadło and Joanna Kordjak addresses the issue of the role of works and cultural institutions in the contemporary world. Who are museums and galleries for? For whom are exhibitions organised? Whose stories do they tell and who feels excluded in these spaces?
The exhibition is the largest presentation of Zachęta’s collection to date, bringing together works that are key to Polish art history and the history of the gallery itself, including those that have caused controversy and scandals over the years. It includes works from various periods – from the 1960s to the present day. Among the works on display are those created by artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Zbigniew Libera, Katarzyna Kozyra, Alina Szapocznikow and Paweł Sakowicz. Their works not only present a diverse range of artistic forms – installations, sculptures, video works, paintings and prints – but also reflect changing social sensibilities over the decades.
A key element of the exhibition is the way it is organised. Audience participation and a performative programme play an equally important role as the works on display. Invited male and female artists enter into a dialogue with the works on display, offering alternative ways of visiting the gallery. The performative programme and the choreography of the exhibition take into account the different ways of functioning in the world and the sensibilities of the audience, encouraging a bodily experience of art. The performance I Am Myself by the aforementioned Katarzyna Kozyra, among others, is worth noting here. For the duration of the exhibition, the artist inhabits the space of the Matejko Hall, surrounded by works from the Zachęta collection. The artist has been connected with Zacheta for years and has treated the art institution as her second home.
The Tears of Happiness exhibition, supported by the Tubądzin Group, links the past with the present, showing how art responds to changing social contexts and emotions. The Tubądzin Group’s partnership is a reminder of the need to democratise art and support artists, while emphasising the important role of cultural institutions in contemporary society.
Activities:
7.06-11.06, 27.06-15.09 Jana Shostak, Studio in the exhibition space, performance
JUNE
11.07 Elwira Sztetner and Katarzyna Lewandowska with guest artists, Tears of Misery. About the animal pyramid, performative reading and intervention
19.07, 5-8 pm Liliana Zeic and Filip Kijowski, Fertility, exercises for anger, movement workshops, talking, exercises for mindfulness
20.07, 14-18 pm Liliana Zeic and Filip Kijowski, Mire, anger exercises, movement workshop, talking, mindfulness exercises
JULY
11.07 Elwira Sztetner and Katarzyna Lewandowska, Tears of unhappiness, performative lecture
19.07, 5-8 pm Liliana Zeic and Filip Kijowski, Fertility, anger exercises, movement workshop, talking, mindfulness exercises
20.07, 14-18 pm Liliana Zeic and Filip Kijowski, Mire, anger exercises, movement workshop, talking, mindfulness exercises
AUGUST
2-4.08 Katarzyna Zeglicka, The Body of Spring, performative laboratory culminating in a show open to the public (for people aged 16 and over, regardless of ability level)
24-25.08 Taras Gembik, Sunday with ГALAS
SEPTEMBER
4.09, at 7 pm Liliana Zeic, discussion around the film Dear Madam
12.09 Ania Nowicka, performance; Edka Jarząb, performance
13.09 Joanna Pawlik, performance
14.09 Ania Nowicka, performance; Theatre 21, performance
15.09 Ania Nowicka, performance; Jana Shostak, performance
source: Tubądzin(https://www.tubadzin.pl)
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