2024-01-03 11:00:37
The Polish pavilion at the Venice Biennale – just a stone’s throw away from that of Austria – was the favorite of many visitors and critics at the last edition of the art event in 2022: the Roma artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas had, with clever ones References to a Renaissance palace in Ferrara and its processing in a novel by the author Ali Smith, a total work of art was created and impressive tapestries were created in collaboration. An artist – Ignacy Czwartos – had now been selected for the 2024 Biennale – and then uninvited. As the Art Newspaper reports, it now senses “censorship” and blames the change in government for it.
Czwartos wanted to deal with Poland’s position in the 20th century – between Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union – under the title “Polish Practice in Tragedy. Between Germany and Russia”, it was said. However, those responsible at Warsaw’s Zachęta National Gallery thought the program was too close to the agenda of the voted-out right-wing government under the Law and Justice (PiS) party, reports the Art Newspaper.
“For us, the decision to appoint Ignacy Czwartos was like a tragic endgame following eight years of right-wing government,” some members of the jury told the specialist publication. “After the open, transnational art of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, people moved to the most narrow-minded, ideologically paranoid and embarrassing position possible.”
Cwartos counters that he was selected in a correct process and that the jury should stand by its decision.
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#Political #wrangling #Polands #Biennale #pavilion