An unusual art fair in Stockholm has just ended up. At the local cultural center Kulturhuset, on 15 – 17 February, once again took place Supermarket, the Stockholm Independent Art Fair (the first edition was in 2007). Its difference lies in the fact that it is a non-commercial fair run by artists for artist-run galleries. The aim is to showcase the work of artists from different countries, to exchange the experiences and the opportunity to establish contacts including networking in international art scene.
Supermarket 2013, Stockholm © Szara Gallery
There were 88 galleries and art institutions from 32 countries accepted to participate in the fair. At the invitation of the organisers, Poland was represented this year by two art galleries: Szara from Cieszyn and Zona Sztuki Aktualnej from Szczecin.
Szara is a non-profit gallery, operates in the framework of Fundacja Kultury Audiowizualnej “Strefa Szarej” (Audiovisual Culture Foundation “Strefa Szarej”). Located in the border city, it directs its program on issues of connection and collaboration between artists and institutions from neighboring countries, i.e. Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. This character had also this year’s exhibition – the gallery prepared the exhibition “Salt.” The invited artists presented their attitude and emotions towards the surrounding reality, the world (including the world of art), family, and also human relationships.
Supermarket 2013, Stockholm © Szara Gallery
Supermarket 2013, Stockholm © Szara Gallery
From Szczecin, another border city, but located on the other part of Poland, came second of the exhibiting galleries. In contrast to Szara, it is an initiative of the recently established Academy of Arts, and, to be precise, it is an original author’s gallery of Kamil Kuskowski, artist and professor at that university, and it aims to create a platform for artistic exchange, helping young artists as well as contact with visual and multimedia art. The gallery organises lectures and meetings. For the fair it has prepared a special exhibition “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, presenting artists such as: Leszek Knaflewski, Agata Michowska, Aleksandra Ska, Łukasz Skąpski, Małgorzata Szymankiewicz, Waldemar Wojciechowski, Agata Zbylut. In their works, they analyse the different emotions in their extreme states and in the moment of transition – from sadness to happiness, from fear to contentment.
Supermarket 2013, Stockholm © Zona Sztuki Aktualnej
It is worth mentioning that in previous editions participated a total of seven categories from Poland: Galeria Biała (White Gallery) from Lublin, f.a.i.t. from Krakow, Fundacja Salony (Lounge Foundation) from Zielona Góra, lokal_30 from Warsaw, Shu Shu from Warsaw, Galeria Wschodnia (East Gallery) from Lodz and Wyspa (Isle) from Gdansk.
words: Dobromila Blaszczyk
translation: Urszula Płoch-Syhłowyj
