The beauty in matter matters. Review of Mariusz Kruk's newest exhibition at the MOLSKI gallery & collection in Poznań.

On the 27th of October, the MOLSKI gallery & collection exhibition halls were filled with smiles, curious gazes, and excitement. All inspired by a great dose of light, colourful and gripping works created by prominent local artist, Mariusz Kruk. The vernissage entitled ’There are two kinds of beauty, beauty a) and beauty b)’, took place in the newly opened MOLSKI gallery & collection in Poznań, and presented Kruk’s collection of works, including assemblages, objects, and drawings, which the artist had created over the last five years. 

Four exhibitions linked by one theme

For the first time, four cumulative exhibitions of Kruk’s work are showcased in one gallery. The first, and most substantial collection of work, is “Pion” (City Gallery Arsenał, Poznań 2017). It is the leading exhibition since, as reiterated by curator Krzysztofa Kornacka, it sets the tone and rhythm for the artist, providing him with the direction for the present series of exhibitions. The other ones include:  “The Symbiosis of Opposites” (MAK Gallery, Poznań 2020), the “Consonance of events” (Galeria Miejska Arsenał, Poznań 2020), and “/ arI sz kRU” (Gallery Biała, Lublin 2022). In addition, the exhibition includes works made for the MOLSKI gallery & collection in October of this year. 

‘I focus on the existence of form and matter and wonder where the understanding is between them that makes up the whole’. – Mariusz Kruk.

The theme linking the exhibitions is the intertwined relationship between objects, facts and mutually exclusive ideas; good and evil, black and white, beauty and ugliness. Also, this exhibition shows how far the viewer has to go to let go of the limitations when in contact with an object. Ultimately, to see beauty in simplicity and seemingly meaninglessness.

A tangible culmination of poetic and biographical connections 

Mariusz Kruk was born in Poznań in 1952 and studied painting at the State College of Fine Arts therein. He paints, draws, as well as creates objects and installations, with a talent and passion for literature, he also writes short poetic forms, fairy tales and stories. His latest exhibition in Poznań, while having poetic and metaphysical roots, strikes the viewer with the tangible power of tangible form. Using non-artistic objects, a bit mocking, the Kruk emphasises the paradox of the subjectivity of reception. 

The first exhibition and entry point for Kruk’s work commenced with ‘Pion.’ In Polish, Pion means ‘’vertical’ (pionowo)’ as such, it comes as no surprise that the exhibit contains various vertical accents. At first glance, they may be perceived as banal, meaningless objects, but with closer examination and reflection, can be perceived as extraordinary, unusual, with a poetic foundation, and ultimately encouraging the viewers to consider the objects in a different light of significance and meaning. Arguably the most pivotal work for the artist is the violin composition presented below, as Kruk sees and interprets it as an autobiographical work. By creating work from material substance, the process brings the artist closer to answering the question of what constitutes matter, how to define and understand it, and how it is formed. In addition, it gives viewers dozens of conceptual connections and possibilities for interpretations.

An contradictive symbiosis which drives connections

Mariusz Kruk’s works do not present normalisation nor hierarchy. As Krzysztofa Kornacka explains, the artist believes that he reflects his artistic sensitivity in working with the material form and in the process of making it an artistic matter (that triggers the ’symbiosis of opposites’). In the exhibition, two gripping works, among others, show and exemplify the mentioned symbiosis.  

The first work, presented below, is a manifestation of black and white form that symbolizes evil and good, with pink elements that embodies sexual excitement. According to the artist, he used this pink reference as it represents the only moment in life when we do not know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. The second one shows energy and maturation of colours on the verticals, referring to various states of human emotions; red means energy, black and white for evil and good. The flower, on the other hand, symbolises artificiality. The objects’ simplicity presented in the exhibition shows the dichotomy resulting from the juxtaposition of material forms. The exhibits’ include light, delicate and sensual items, such as feathers, hair, and flowers, and also, contrarily, heavy, hard and cold items, such as steel, wood, knives. Through this heightened contrast, Kruk draws attention to the multidimensionality of the matter that creates reality. 

A beautiful harmony 

In conclusion, with the exhibition “There are two kinds of beauty: beauty a) and beauty b)”, Kruk deconstructs commonly known and understood norms, opening up the viewer to a multitude of possible meanings, interpretations, and perspectives. It should come as no surprise then that the exhibitions were met with a joyful reception and an exciting hustle and bustle of interpretations flooding Poznań on October 27th.

The exhibition is on view through 30 November.