+48 609 483 054 prawielalka@o2.pl http://www.izabelaleska.com/
I see the narration as crucial and necessary attribute of our existence into which every element of the reality is clothed - from a nail to a city. Hence my works are equipped with a plot, often very personal one. I am inspired by stories, because I firmly believe in a text. I run both some private shamanic practices and diversionary activities in the city. I deal with a magical dimension of our existence, the simultaneity of the world, AndrÊ Breton’s objective chance and subtleties of the reality. One of the strong clue for me is the surrealists’ concept so I often use work methods specific for artists of that formation. I am intrigued by the notion of linearity and the resulting consequences. One of the key means of expression for me is perseveration as a stubborn return to a certain content. This last category derives in particular from contact with graphic arts which was a subject of my studies and pedagogical practice, and which attribute is the repetitiveness of the image and the schizophrenic division of perception. I understand art as dealing with a thought process. A multitude of these themes abounds often with complex projects, responding to bothering me questions through various media which I often have to learn completely anew.
born in 1989, Polish visual artist, PhD student at the Faculty of Art at the Pedagogical University of Cracov. Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland (diploma with honors in 2013). She studied as well at the École Supérieure d’Art de Clermont Metropole (Clermont-Ferrand, France). She has participated in many projects and exhibitions in the country and abroad (imMoblized, Paris / Jeune Création Européenne, Paris). Resident at Institut für Alles Mögliche in Berlin and Centre Culturel Le Beffroi in Paris. Creates graphics, objects and texts. She is interested in the narration, repeatability, SapirWhorf’s language hypothesis (the law of linguistic relativism) and André Breton’s objective chance. Lives in Warsaw, Poland.
solo exhibitions 2019 At the end of a gaze (with Mikołaj Szpaczyński) / The Zachęta Project Room / Warsaw / PL 2018 The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan / City Art Gallery / Kalisz / PL 2017 Vice-versa or the story of Hércules Florence / Pawilon Sztuki / Warsaw / PL 2015 Subjective walks / Wozownia / Torun / PL 2015 Zofia / Rondo Sztuki / Katowice / PL 2014 Subjective walks / Niederlassung / Berlin / DE 2013 The importance of the rose / Gallery Pojedyncza / Katowice / PL selected group exhibitions 2019 Wroclaw Drawing Triennal Weltschmerz / BWA / Wroclaw / PL 2018 The Heart of an Island / BWA / Olsztyn / PL 2018 Podziemny strumień. O emocjach w muzyce / Rondo Sztuki / Katowice / PL 2018 Rozmawiam tu z Tobą, ale nie jestem sama / Klub Studio / Cracov / PL 2018 Immobilized / Fondation Hippocrène / Paris / FR 2018 Trail 3 / City Art Gallery / Kalisz / PL 2018 Zaklocenia - Umwelt / Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Solvay / Cracov / PL 2017 Jeune Création Européenne / Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum / Amarante / PT 2017 Connect / Rondo Sztuki / Katowice / PL 2017 Biednale 2017 / Fundacja Bęc Zmiana / Warsaw / PL 2017 Jeune Création Européenne / Museu de l’Empordà / Figueres / ES 2016 Connect / Hornsey Town Hall / London / UK 2016 Still life / Gallery Propaganda / Warsaw / PL 2016 Osten Biennale of Drawing / Museum of Drawing / Skopje / MK 2016 Jeune Création Européenne / Brūzis / Cēsis / LT 2016 Leaven / Gallery Szara / Katowice / PL 2016 Bienniale of Neglected Life Form / Das KloHäuschen / Munich / DE 2016 Jeune Création Européenne / Hala Stulecia / Wroclaw / PL 2016 Visions of Nature / Oxford House / London / UK 2016 Peculiar input / Gallery Aula / Poznan / PL 2016 Jeune Création Européenne / Kunstbygningen / Vrå / DK 2015 Jeune Création Européenne / Centre Culturel Le Beffroi / Paris / FR 2014 Nocturnal activities / BWA / Katowice / PL 2014 Usb Shuffle Show / Berlin / DE 2013 Passion For Freedom / Embassy Tea Gallery / London / UK 2013 Space as a Tool / Zamek Sielecki / Sosnowiec / PL 2012 Hunt in an Enclosed Garden / Clermont-Ferrand / FR awards / distinctions semifinalist of YES scholarship program / Slodownia Stary Browar / Poznań / PL 2017 Award in an International Contest „Trial 3” / City Art Gallery / Kalisz / PL 2015 shortlisted for Jeune Création Européenne 2015-2017 / FR 2013 a finalist of Hestia’s Artistic Journey / PL 2013 nominated for Trójka Talents in the category of Visual Arts / PL
projects / workshops 2018 Sejsmograf 3 / Bunkier Sztuki / Cracov / PL 2017 G.E.N / Teatr Rozmaitości / Warsaw / PL 2016 Error in Graphic Arts / Gallery Engram / Katowice / PL 2016 TU pasuję / Urząd Marszałkowski / Katowice / PL 2012 Curator Libera / BWA / Wroclaw / PL residencies / scholarships 2018 Polish Culture Worldwide / Adam Mickiewicz Institute / PL 2017 Fundusz Popierania Twórczości / Stowarzyszenie Autorów ZAiKS / PL 2016 Artist-in-residence and Crédit Agricole scholarship / Montrouge / Paryż / FR 2015 Polish Culture Worldwide / Adam Mickiewicz Institute / PL 2014 Artist-in-residence / Institut für Alles Mögliche / Berlin / DE art auctions 2016 1 Aukcja Sztuki Współczesnej / Gallery Szara / Katowice / PL 2016 À la Flamande 1 - Still life / Gallery Propaganda / Warsaw / PL works in collections 2018 City Art Gallery / Kalisz / PL 2017 Hotel Europejski / Warsaw / PL 2016 Centre Culturel Le Beffroi / Paryż / FR 2016 Museum of Drawing / Skopje / MK ublications p 2019 Magazyn Zachęta / ISBN 978-83-64714-74-0 / PL 2019 Wolność / exhibition catalogue / ISBN 978-83-951009-4-9 / PL 2019 Słowo w słowo / ISBN 978-83-934171-3-1 / PL 2018 The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan / ISBN 978-83-947437-6-5 / PL 2018 BWA / City Art Gallery in Kalisz / ISBN 978-83-947437-3-4 / PL 2018 Przekrój / ISSN 0033-2488 / PL Trial 3 / exhibition catalogue / ISBN 978-83-947437 -0-3 / PL Zaklocenia / Umwelt / exhibition catalogue / ISBN 978-83-8084-092-8 / PL 2017 Spacerownik artystyczny nr 26 / online / PL 2016 Error in Graphic Arts / ISBN 978-83-61822-12-7 / PL 2016 Transformations / exhibition catalogue / PL 2016 Bienniale of Neglected Life Form / Das KloHäuschen /exhibition catalogue / DE 2015 Opportunity knocks only once / exhibition catalogue / FR 2014 Nocturnal activities / ISBN 978-83-88254-80-2 / exhibition catalogue / PL 2013 Space as a tool / exhibition catalogue / PL
at the end of the gaze 2019
The multi-level project deals with issues related to bodily movement and physical presence. Wandering is a state that allows one to disappear momentarily, to blend in with the surroundings, On the other hand, it is conducting to observe certain phenomena, which remain invisible in other conditions. The exhibition, playing with the ways of exhibiting works, is a multi-layered game with the body and senses of the viewer, at the same time becoming fully understandable only after passing through the whole distance in the landscape of the Zachęta Project Room. In this case, the journey begins with an attempt at a meeting of artists, continues in a commentary on their common impressions of functioning in the world of art, drawing on such notions as the visibility coefficient, and closes with reflections on the overlooked aspects of the artistic work. Physical aspects of both the artist’s and the viewer’s eyeball appear, as well as wider perceptual mechanisms within cultural institutions and the field of art. Not without significance for the project is also the context of the season, because snow can blind, make things unreal, but also highlight certain phenomena, just as happened to Hans Castorp in the famous snowstorm scene in Thomas Mann’s „The Magic Mountain”. That is also where the motif of borrowing a pencil comes from. The theme can be explained as crossing the barrier of otherness in contact with another person, which allows one to slightly melt together with that person, stretching the artist’s state of focus between presence and absence. curator: Magda Kardasz cooperation: Julia Harasimowicz project was created for invitation of Zachęta Project Room in Warsaw
Haze and Vitrous Floaters, photo mural and mist generator, 300 x 300 cm view of the exhibition in Zachęta Project Room in Warsaw photos: Ignacy Śmigielski, Weronika Wysocka
Haze and Vitrous Floaters, photo mural and mist generator, 300 x 300 cm
Floaters, installation on the floor of the gallery, painted dental plaster casts, 300 x 150 cm, 150 x 150 cm
Vitreous Floaters, installation of transparent plexiglass elements on the wall and an interactive headlight, 200 x 300 c
cm
Gorgonowa’s portrait 2019
The project was created after a visit to Lviv and intertwines my family story with the loudest interwar period trial - Gorgonowa’s affair. Rita Gorgonowa, a foreigner, nursemaid, concubine was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Lusia Zarembianka on the night of 30 to 31 December 1931 in a villa in Brzuchowice district. For this reason Lviv falls into a psychotic state at that time, but the trial is assessed as circumstantial and the investigation as cursory. More trials follow, Gorgonowa even gives birth to a daughter in the prison. The project consists of a story publication that investigates the tangles of Gorgonowa’s affair and the famous trial with my family history two generations back. I build the story with scraps of information that can disappear quickly, like the footprints of a murderer in heavy snowfall. The narrative takes shape in a vacuum. I inquire authenticity of my Grandma’s words, who tended to color the reality, she was not afraid to play with the words and to promise the impossible. I am looking for analogies between the pink pearls inherited from her and the color of the walls in the victim’s room. I go to Brzuchowice, where years before my juvenile grandfather-uncle was playing in the ruins of a villa that witnessed the murder. Nearby, I also see Gorgonowa’s face in the foliage of a tree. Her exhausted spirit still floats over this place. Certain contexts are not without significance. In the year of creating the project, I am about to become 30 years old, the same age as Gorgonowa when she was accused of the murder. Also the project has its premiere during the winter in the Schoen Palace in Sosnowiec, which also brings to mind the villa in Brzuchowice that hides forever a secret of a certain murder. curator: Ilona Gajda project of the book: Katarzyna Ewa Legendź
Gorgonowa’s portrait, mat print on pcv plate selectively lit, 300 x 200 cm photos: Paweł Więcławek, Katarzyna Ewa Legendź
Gorgonowa’s portrait, mat print on pcv plate selectively lit, 300 x 200 cm, Word in word, publication in hard cover, 18 x 13 cm, 108 pages, https://www.izabelaleska.com/portretgorgonowe Words, 3 videos, 15:00 min, https://www.youtube.com/
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Word in word, publication in hard cover, 18 x 13 cm, 108 pages
Word in word, pictures from the publication, 18 x 13 cm
the turn of winding lines of an already executed plan 2018
An artistic project takes place in the space of the gallery. It feels comfortable there and treats the space as a place of research, a laboratory of thoughts. The exhibition is watching the viewer. The viewer is watching the exhibition. The space where they are being together for a while is both the physical space and the scenery in which the spectacle of art takes place. This exhibition is a series of artistic objects that talk about the gaze. Observations are a result of active participation in artistic life and its commentary. We perceive reality through the prism of language. The mad record is meant to help remember if it was not to last, but it also has creative potential. It can help bend the observed patterns according to your vision, help look sideways to notice an alternative. It is an opportunity to settle, to look honestly. Extensive realisation draws from an episode of insomnia and collective amnesia from Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel “One hundred years of solitude”, using the snail’s metaphor to describe artist’s complex situation in his professional environment. The project on the whole plays on the notions of visibility and invisibility, forcing the viewer into some kind of choreography in the gallery space. curator: Michał Suchora, BWA Warsaw / PL the work was shown in 2018 during an individual exhibition “The turn of the winding lines of an already executed plan” in City Art Gallery in Kalisz / PL as a prize in a International Competition for Experiment in Visual Arts “Trial 3”
The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan, drawing situation with snails, 500 x 500 cm x 500 cm view of the exhibition in City Art Gallery in Kalisz photos: Jakub Seydak
The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan, drawing situation with snails, details, 500 x 500 cm x 500 cm
drawing situation with snails, details, 500 x 500 cm x 500 cm
installation, 800 paper labels with words from art world, 400 cm x 700 cm x 300 cm
The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan, installation, 800 paper labels with words from art world, details, 400 cm x 700 cm x 300 cm
The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan, passe-partout objects, 50 x 70 cm each
13 objects wrapped with wool, 120 x 230 x 60 cm, view of the exhibition
The turn of winding lines of an already execut
ted plan, 13 objects wrapped with wool, respectfully 5 x 8 cm, 20 x 20 cm, 20 x 30 cm, 0,5 x 5 cm, 4 x 10 cm, 30 x 40 cm
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The turn of winding lines of an already executed plan, 13 objects wrapped with wool, respectfully 25 x 30 cm, 2 x 12 cm
if art is to happen, it will happen 2017 Collaboration with Adam Żółtowski began from idea to copy one another’s piece which was directly inspired by the philosophic notion of Theseus’ paradox (a thought experiment that raises the question whether an object with carefully replaced components remains in the end the same object). Adam spoke about his walk around family crypt when he retourned his father’s ashes. I picked up on his use of the phrase going round in circles as it means to discuss or to do something without making any progress. From this came the idea of sending circles to each other. The mail-art collaboration consists of 55 drawings. Each circle is made as a response to the previous one and provokes the next one. I am using extracted pieces of our email correspondence. Only through a process of deleting, I created a short continious text that in my opinion, describes well all ups and downs of our collaboration along with its funny moments. The idea develops slowly and at the end we are left with almost anything or with something really valuable. Are we still the same boat? Black characters are presented on the gallery’s floor and so a will to get to know their story forces a sort of choreography on the viewer. One goes round in circles just like we did. You can feel really dizzy! this work was made during a collaboration with Adam Żółtowski and is a part of polish-english project called Connect, which was shown in PLY Gallery in London / UK and Rondo Sztuki in Katowice / PL
If art is to happen, it will happen, adhesive paper letters on the floor, 200 x 200 cm view of the exhibition in Rondo Sztuki in Katowice photos: Michał Jędrzejewski, Tomasz Biały
If art is to happen, it will happen, adhesive paper letters on the floor, 200 x 200 cm
hello Adam I am an artist from Katowice we could create something together thanks Izabela great to hear from you talk soon hello again an attempt to describe a walk is always futility encapsulates the desire to make art I have returned from Poland where I interred my fathers ashes feels like the right thing to do hello Adam your name comes somewhere beetwen a story in a story in a story parallel lines that go hand by hand but in the end they never meet let me know what you think sure of making something really simple language is important line has just the longitude hi Izabela one dimension like time maybe time line any idea where this collaboration is going we should continue as we are looking forward to hear from you loss of my Polish family history hi Adam I read about the ship of Theseus that had been restored by replacing every single wooden part remained the same ship? hi Izabela I like the way it looks at identity I am thinking about where my Polishness lies walking round the house after the funeral talk soon simple has an undoubtful strenght it stroke me go around in circles to discuss something without making any progress just gone like that about life horizontal fortuitousness draw circles by hand a perfect is impossible Izabela you gave me a lot to think you draw a circle send it to me I use it as a guide we repeat it’s a great collaboration hello Adam did you send me one of your circles? no did you send me one? my circle is an approximation of approximation of an idea of a circle and so it goes round best wishes! hi Izabela it always has a beginning and an end this moment when the two meet correction this would be circle number shall we increase our output of circles? maybe I’m lost hi Adam were opened but now they started to close we will be able to meet at least you are obliged to visit Katowice I just discovered I must visit you hope you’re fine come to Katowice on the 8th leaving 11th flight details below can’t wait! hi Iza thank you for looking after me last week a memorable time it makes things easier when people meet going nowhere? maybe we are already doing the final thing? our idea is very beautiful let’s keep drawing they are the truth dynamic between us is quite powerful hesitating to take a further step there is something universal happening here they were doing a live human calipers the core holding a kid while was the arm of the caliper funny hm? hi Izabella hi Adam we stopped making drawings to be honest not go along as artists I’m never giving up to show a text an ongowing story as you said if art is to happen it will happen a great title by the way gallery we exhibit in is a roundabout! love our circles they are special to me we are each an island we encoutered a dead spot any thoughts? found a line made of salt hole in bag leaving a trace speaking of motherland are welcomed with salt and bread your position in Poland this could be a welcome the identity when is the moment when our circles mutate into something else we are far beyond art we are in life all good this is what it’s all about
If art is to happen, it will happen, text in the spiral, next page: 55 drawings of evolving circle form, different tools
If art is to happen, it will happen, a booklet with 55 drawings, different tools
vice-versa or the story of Hércules Florence 2016
In 1833 Hércules Florence, long before Daguerre in France, discovers the photography. The so-called isolated case of the discovery of photography in Brazil, remains a fact little known until today, which shows the cruel selectivity of adopted vision of the world, but also its parallelism. Hércules Florence himself is a fascinating character - he is the author of sixth architectural order, a concept of synoptic dictionary, a notion of typo-syllables, a pulvography or inimitable paper for money print and zoofonia - a system of recording birdsongs. I lean on concepts such as parallelism, clarity, visibility. I’m working with photo paper to create objects of uncertain status between drawing, graphic art and photography. I create objects that are perseverative meaning that they contain repetitions of gestures, words, sounds, information. I also create notations, which to some extent are following the writing, but not always allow quick and unambiguous reading.
work was created during three months residency in Le Centre Culturel Beffroi in Paris as a consequence of participating in Biennale Jeune Création Européenne which was shown in France, Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Italy, Spain and Portugal
Voyage from Tiete to Amazon, installation of 13 images created in the darkroom, 110 x 270 cm view of exposition in Pawilon Sztuki in Warsaw photos: Piotr Litwic
Voyage from Tiete to Amazon, installation of 13 images, 24 x 18 cm each
Parallel lines never meet, object made of paper stripes, 200 x 150 cm
RIEN REAL NOIR, installation made of painted frames, 70 x 85 cm
Perseverative object, object emitting sound 5 x 7 x 7 cm Sugar head, object made with glued sugar particles thread 22 x 8 x 8 cm
subjective walks 2014
I go out into the city. I savor the act of walking itself and I record the exact course of each walk. It results in a linear image, which becomes a form of an urban drawing. The city becomes a source of decisions. I appeal to the surrealistic concept of an objective coincidence. The decision on pursuing for something, even very elusive gives vent to the inner impulses that coexist with the reality. I trace the magie circonstancielle – circumstantial magic and I collect objets trouvé (found objects).
the work was created during a residency in Institut für Alles Mögliche in Berlin / DE
A4 prints registration of walks and wire objects, view of the exhibition photos: Krzysztof Biały
A4 prints registration of walks
A4 prints registration of walks, drawings and texts
a point that took a walk 2014
Paul Klee once said that the line is a point that went for a walk. I take the part of this point, I’m going through the city and behind me I leave stretched cotton thread, which I develop from my coat pocket. This thread follows the steps of my wandering and tells the story of my presence. I walk like a lunatic where the intuition leads me. The night space seems to be different, but thanks to the threads tied to the starting point, you can always come back safely. The pedestrians do not notice the thread which runs behind them, blocks their movements, engages with zippers, unpleasantly brushes the surface of their skin. I come back compulsively to the same places to rebuild the structure which is still being destroyed.
the action was part of a project Nocturnal Activities in the Gallery of Modern Art in Katowice / PL the work received City Art Gallery of Kalisz Award in International Contest for Experiment in Visual Arts „Attempt 3” for „innovative use of new technologies in order to rethink our presence in public urban space”
photographic documentation of the action in the city, cotton thread, Katowice, Poland photos: Barbara Kubska
photographic documentation of the action in the city
photographic documentation of the urban intervention