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Dobrawa Deczkowska, nomination for the prize
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One For Art And One For Design. Annual Competition For The Most Talented Graduates

Agnieszka Cecylia Maćkowiak

Agnieszka Cecylia Maćkowiak

This year’s edition of the Maria Dokowicz Competition is organised for the 37th time by the University of the Arts Poznan. This exciting and sought-after event is followed by an art exhibition of the submitted works. The annual competition is a great place to discover emerging talent on the rise and a great chance for the recent graduates to fast-forward their artistic careers. The winner of the previous edition was a painter Mateusz Piestrak and an architect Anna Pilawska. Piestrak’s multidimensional, fragmentary, foggy paintings have been already recognised by an international audience with two solo shows in art galleries in New York and London.

It is worth mentioning, the story behind the founder of the scholarship. Maria Dokowicz graduated from the Poznań school in 1932. In her will, she bequeathed USD 10,000 for an annual international scholarship for the most talented graduate. Her scholarship has been granted since 1980 (with one exception, of 1981). Heads of Departments at the University, nominate students to take part in the Competition. In this way, each Department may show the best graduation work. The Senate of the University of Arts in Poznan then chooses two laureates awarded the scholarship from among the 30 graduates: one for art and one for design. Their names are read out during the opening of the exhibition that follows the competition.

In addition to the cash awards, since 2016 the achievements of both laureates are presented at individual exhibitions at the ‘Arsenał’ Municipal Gallery of the University of the Arts Poznan. This year’s theme of the post-contest exhibition is ‘Utility of Art’ (Użyteczność sztuki). The theme is linked to the two core activities developed by the University of the Arts Poznan – fine arts and design. ‘Utility of Art’ encourages a discussion about the creative practice in the duty of the society.

The opening of the exhibition linked to the 37th edition of the Maria Dokowicz Competition is on 10 November at 18:00, at the International Art Fair in Poznań (MTP) Pavilion 1. The exhibition runs until 16 November.

Nominees for the Maria Dokowicz Competition 2017 are: Andrzejczak Maciej, Bartczak Zuzanna, Bilska Paula, Borkowicz Kuba, Chrzanowska Magdalena, Ciszak Emilia, Daszkowski Krystian, Dąbrowska Aneta, Deczkowska Dobrawa, Garstecki Mikołaj, Grudzińska Izabela, Jugo Magdalena, Kryshtofik Aliona, Krzysiek Kaja, Kucharzyk Kinga, Kulpa Maria, Latanowicz Aleksandra, Maćkowiak Agnieszka Cecylia, Marciniak Magdalena, Martyniuk Joanna, Muszyńska Joanna, Nowicka Sonia Małgorzata, Polerowicz Aleksandra, Popiela Kinga, Radawski Maksymilian, Rybska Aleksandra, Rzepińska Marta, Sitarska Izabela, Strzelczyk Ada, Szyda Joanna, Waszak Mateusz, Wąsowska Katarzyna, Weiss Wojciech, Wera Weronika, Wojciechowska Karolina, Zakrzewska Natalia.

Contemporary Lynx is a proud media patron of the Competition.


See the video from the previous edition of the Competition.

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About The Author

Sylwia
Krasoń

Sylwia Krasoń CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Lynx, an international online magazine founded in 2013. Since 2024, she has been the sole owner of Contemporary Lynx, an arts organization she co-founded. Under her leadership, the organization transitioned from simultaneous online and print editions (2015–2023) to fully embracing the digital era with an online magazine. Beyond publishing weekly articles, Contemporary Lynx offers a rich educational and artistic program, including Lynx Academy, panel discussions, events, and art prizes, in collaboration with partners across Europe and beyond. She also serves as President of the Contemporary Lynx Foundation in Warsaw, which she co-founded in 2017. Sylwia holds an MA in Arts Policy & Management (specializing in curating contemporary art) from Birkbeck, University of London (2012) and an MA in History of Art from Jagiellonian University in Kraków (2008). With 15 years of experience in the art field, she has held roles at Philips de Pury, Saatchi Gallery, Barbican Art Gallery, and Zderzak Gallery. She also co-founded a pop-up art gallery in London (2012). She is the author of workshop programs “Storytelling for Creatives” and “How to Make a Magazine”, supported by Arts Council England. A seasoned conference speaker, workshop facilitator, and jury panel member, Sylwia writes on art and culture. She is currently based in Paris.

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