Collection II was launched in 1990, as the hopes accompanying the political transition intertwined with uncertainty about the fate of cultural institutions and their financial stability. It may not have been the easiest time, but it was certainly a defining moment that inspired change. At that time, Arsenal Gallery in Białystok also went through something of a transformation. We reevaluated our previous strategies and ways of working and, perhaps for the first time ever, asked ourselves about our purpose and mission. What kind of art do we want to show? How do we want to engage with it?
The decision about the development of Collection II did not come immediately – it was a consequence of two suppositions. The first was related to the need to preserve those great art pieces we displayed at exhibitions. The second stemmed from a certainty that it is not feasible to create a coherent collection by simply incorporating newer acquisitions to BWA’s existing collection, amassed over a number of years.
Collection II grew and evolved together with the gallery, in symbiosis with its exhibition programme, collecting excellent artworks by the most progressive and interesting artists. Simultaneously, it presented a representation of the evolving Polish society and attempting to confront this portrayal with examples from other Central and Eastern European countries.
Even before the launch of the ministerial cultural programme, “Signs of the Times” (2005-2008), aimed at supporting the creation of regional collections of contemporary art, we have already had assembled a range of artworks that could serve as the basis for the creation of narrations pertaining to contemporary Polish art and its most remarkable manifestations. In reviews, critics pointed out the collection’s individual character and how it broadly represented not only of current trends in art, but also the work of individual artists. At that point, ours was one of the relatively few art collections in Poland established post-1990. The mobilization of public funds for the purchase of new pieces allowed us to accelerate its continued growth. Works of art that were previously beyond our reach became attainable, and our collection of artworks by artists from Eastern Europe expanded. The shape of Collection II was also profoundly affected by the fact that it was repeatedly “put to the test” at challenging concept-based exhibitions at home and abroad. Each of these presentations revealed its limitations and provided an impetus for further acquisitions, but simultaneously made us appreciative of its potential and the multiplicity of narratives it can provide. The collection includes works of art that recount the unfolding of the aftermath of systemic changes, assess the legacy of communism and reflect on the attitudes of Polish society. Some focus on ecological themes and the anthropology of things – a critical examination of the world of objects and our relationship to them. Others are examples of critical and self-reflective art, and reflect on the status of the artist and artistic work on the one hand, and the limits of art criticism and challenges associated with censorship on the other.
As we are working on future exhibitions, we become increasingly aware of new connections between the works of art and new theoretical approaches. And, what seems most beneficial, we now realize the extent to which much art can help us in making sense of surrounding reality. We can employ it to talk about the world, ourselves, and the challenges that we face which, not unlike the works of art in our collection, remain relevant despite the passage of time.
Monika Szewczyk, curator of Collection II
participants: Hubert Czerepok, Veaceslav Druta, Zhanna Kadyrova, Diana Lelonek, Zbigniew Libera, Lada Nakonechna, Marina Naprushkina, Agnieszka Polska, Mykola Ridnyi, Monika Sosnowska, Piotr Uklański
curator: Monika Szewczyk
visual material: Bez tytułu (Solidarność), Piotr Uklański, 2007
