The end of the year is a time for the summaries, making plans and expectations for the coming year. For us it was incredibly intensive year – the year of the expansion and implementation of the new projects. We listened to and implemented the guidance from the people cooperating with us and of course from YOU – our readers. The fact, that our audience is growing every month gives us tremendous joy and justifies our work. Thank you!
So YOU are our obvious number one of the passing year! – Contemporary Lynx’s readers from 130 countries on 6 continents. WOW! We are proud, that we write for you.
The Occurence of Contemporary Lynx
We cannot complain about the lack of subjects to our articles. The year 2014 was full of the exhibitions, festivals, discussion panels, film screenings and art fairs with the participation of Polish artists. But this time we do not want to select the specific events as we did a year ago. We decided to look a bit wider on the work of the artists in the passing year. Therefore we dedicate our remaining nine TOP positions to the artists. They are listed in alphabetical order. We do not want to rank them according to their importance or “merit”. We believe, that the activity of each of them is equally priceless.
Mirosław Bałka.
Extremely active and present everywhere: Arnhem, Basel, Berlin, London, Miami, Moscow, New York, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Warsaw. Despite of so many exhibitions and opportunities to experiment, his art remained faithful to the chosen direction. The raw material, the minimalistic form and the specific range of discussed subjects, which are never “wordy” and closed, provides us a space for self-perception of art. Each his project compels us to reflect and does not allow to pass it by indifferently.
Mirosław Bałka, 186x10x10, 2000, soap and stainless steel, 186 cm, unique, photo Contemporary Lynx
Wojciech Fangor.
A doyen of the Polish art classics. All the time creatively active despite of his 94 years. For the wide group of viewers known mainly as a painter of the abstractions from the 60s. and 70s., as well as the painting-icon “Figures” from 1950. However he also created a spatial/ kinetic objects, the designed buildings’ facades and recently a project for Warsaw metro station. What is very interesting, in 2014 he designed an amazing stained glass to the newly establishing Museum of Polish Art in Germany. It will be possible to admire it soon… Moreover, in London in the end of 2014 we were impressed once again by his hypnotizing paintings from the 60s. and 70s. In spite of using of similar rules in his each subsequent work, the play of colours, the light and the space bewitches us with the emanating energy and individual approach to abstraction and op-art.
Wojciech Fangor, “Colour-Light-Space”, 3 Grafton Street London
Edward Krasiński.
According to our observations, he is a “quiet” star of this year. Wanted by the museums, that would like to purchase his works to their collections. Desired by the collectors and the gallerists. This is not surprising. His interventions full of distance to himself and to the problem of “the work of art” captivate with a simplicity of approach, a directness of communication and a wide palette of poetic metaphors and allusions. All his works wink to the viewer and invite to play and to go deeper into the labyrinth, which is an art. We look forward to the next year…
Edward Krasiński, Labyrinth, 1987, acrylic, fibreboard, wood, metal and bleu Scotch tape, dimensions variable, courtesy Starmach Gallery
Goshka Macuga.
She has been constantly engaging herself in a dialogue with history, art history, archives, politics and social change. As far as the methods of action are concerned, she is like a scientist. However if we look on her bold juxtapositions and statements which reveal imperceptible so far nuances, contents and connections, we see, that she is an artist. Her every work is a work with the material. Every project is a total work – doesn’t matter whether shown on the street of New York (in 2014), in Stockholm or Viennese Museum, at the London-based gallery or at the art fairs’ booth.
Agata Madejska.
This artist-photographer less known and present in Poland, achieves increasingly success abroad. Using in her works the elements from our environment, she refers inter alia to the problem of forgetting and the memory. We put her on our list because we believe, that she is worth paying attention in the coming year. And there will be many occasions and places to see her works like Tate Modern in London.
Agata Madejska, kosmos #2, 2006, Lightjet C-type print on dibond aluminium, black aluminium tray frame, 41,8 x 51,1 x 4 cm, courtesy the artist and Parrotta Contemporary Art
Slavs and Tatars.
This international collective of artists is united under the common subject of Eurasia, referring to themselves as “archaeologists of everyday life”. Their artistic activity encompasses a wide range of spheres including politics, sociology, and linguistics. This year their works were purchased by the next significant international collections, like the Tate Modern.
Slavs and Tatars, Raster Gallery at Frieze London, October 2014, photo Contemporary Lynx
Monika Sosnowska.
The language used by this artist is very distinctive. However, even small changes in this rigorous and well-defined set of rules build completely new constellations. It is the same story told from a different point of view. And despite the fact, that it seems to us, that we know it, every time she draws our attention again and again, to our surprise. Her works electrify with the severity of forms and the beauty of impermanent material, which is deformed and distorted like the memories of things from the past. The veracity of objects finds constantly the new followers, like Mr S.C. Rower (The President of Alexander Calder Foundation) who gave an interview on Sosnowska’s works specially for Contemporary Lynx in 2014 (here).
Monika Sosnowska, Gate, 2014, Steel, paint, 75cm x 75cm x 82cm © Monika Sosnowska, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
Konrad Smoleński.
After last year’s (2013) outbreak which took place at the Venice Biennial, his sun shines more and more. He presents his works almost everywhere. Every month he shows his projects and musical performances. He is the musical anarchist who undermines the boundaries and limits posed by the different fields of art. He is the voice of the young generation walking towards the designated purpose and expressing their thoughts without complexes and inhibitions.
Konrad Smoleński: BNNT Sound Bombing, Performance, Katowice, 2013, Photo: Dagny Nowak
Piotr Uklański.
Uklański’s artistic work is undermining the existing trends in the art history, the customs, the way of thinking about the image and is checking the extensibility of the limits and present rules. He plays with the icons of pop culture, media and consumer habits. By shocking or rather driving the pins in the sensitive points he tells us to stop and to look with a critical eye at the mass media and clichés in our consciousness. Gagosian, Massimo de Carlo, Dallas Contemporary are just some of the places where you could be convinced of this by yourself.
Piotr Uklanski installation views at Dallas Contemporary, 2014
Courtesy: the artist and Dallas Contemporary. Photo: Kevin Todora
This is our TOP 10.
We are aware, that many more artists deserve to be mentioned and to be highlighted like Paweł Althamer or Walerian Borowczyk, who drew a great attention of the Londoners this year. However a ranking is a ranking and one has to impose oneself a rigid framework.
We are also curious about your opinions about our types!
Or perhaps, please send us your own types!
We look forward to hearing from you !
Happy New Year!
