April 25 – August 24
Artists, works from the British Council Collection: Larry Achiampong, John Akomfrah, Lea Andrews, Christine Borland, Angus Boulton, John Davies, Mona Hatoum, Lubaina Himid, Damien Hirst, Samson Kambalu, Rob Kesseler, Tania Kovats, Hew Locke, Bruce McLean, Rachel Maclean, Goshka Macuga, Jenny Matthews, Simon Norfolk, Cornelia Parker, Gryason Perry, Mark Wallinger, Rachel Whiteread, Yinka Shonibare.
How do we react and adapt to a changing world?
How do we deal with the sense of impermanence? How do we adjust to personal, social and political changes?
Can we still find inspiration and joy in them, despite the fear?
These are just some of the questions at the root of a project conducted jointly by two galleries: Plymouth’s The Box and ŁAŹNIA Centre for Contemporary Art in Gdańsk.
The early 2020s have redefined our way of thinking about the world. The invisible virus, the war in Ukraine, the wave of populism and the increasingly palpable effects of climate change have undoubtedly shaken the image of European progress and stability. Reality is tearing at the seams. The status quo demands redefinition. But have things ever really been different?
To convey the essence of the exhibition, let me introduce the term ha-ha: in art history, this refers to the boundary at the edge of a landscaped park or garden, a kind of border that separates and protects the cultivated vegetation overseen by humans from wild, unbridled nature. If we assume that the garden represents nature subjugated to human will, reflecting our vision of reality, then its boundary may symbolise the end of an illusion – an awakening from the dream of controlling the ever-changing world around us. In this context, ha-ha also resembles an exclamation of astonishment at the realisation that the idyllic order is not eternal. It marks a moment of transition between the familiar and the uncertain – between safety and the unsettling mystery beyond it. It is a sigh of disappointment, when, overwhelmed by emotion, we grasp a truth we may not have wanted to see.
Can our contemporary times be likened to people strolling through a garden, contemplating its order, only to reach its borders? Are we approaching a moment of ‘social ha-ha’ – a turning point where we must redefine our vision of peace, security and prosperity, and embrace the unknown?
The themes of Changes took shape through discussions between Polish and British curators, centring on how we experience historical and contemporary traumas, what lessons we have drawn from them and how we might regain lost stability.
The exhibition at ŁAŹNIA CCA aims to juxtapose works by artists based in the UK and Poland, reflecting societal transformations: those related to war and the climate crisis, those addressing themes of evil or trauma, and those diagnosing subtle shifts in everyday narratives.
The title of the Gdańsk exhibition was inspired by a line from David Bowie’s song Changes: ‘Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange’.
Are we ready to face the unknown?
Are we afraid of change?
Or can we recognise the potential it holds?
The Gdańsk exhibition will take the form of a visual essay – a dialogue built around several key questions. How do we react and adapt to a changing world? How do we adjust to personal, social and political changes? Can we still find inspiration and joy in them, despite the fear?
While the exhibition at ŁAŹNIA CCA focuses on the present, the one at The Box will explore historical contexts, including the British perspective, where Poland is still predominantly associated with the fall of communism. The two interwoven exhibitions will address themes of instability and fragility in contemporary society, offering an experience that bridges two nations and two cities – Gdańsk and Plymouth – situated on opposite sides of Europe. What emotions do we share in the face of climate change, migration crises and pressing questions about freedom and liberty?
“Changes” and “The Art of Resistance” exhibitions will be presented as part of the UK/Poland Season 2025 project organized by the British Council, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish Cultural Institute in London.
