Special Mention in the OPEN CALL category awarded by the Contemporary Lynx Editorial Team went to Weronika Nowacka and Ewelina Duffy, whose work resonated deeply with the jury represented by Anna Nowok.
In October, Kinomural returned to Przedmieście Odrzańskie in Wroclaw, transforming six large walls into projection spaces, including a piece curated by AI and another by New York-based artist Peter Burr. The Contemporary Lynx Award was presented to Weronika Nowacka and Ewelina Duffy. Their winning piece entitled Exhaust explores the timely theme of humanity’s essence about technology and artificial intelligence. Using a blend of media—film, painting, animation, and sound—the artists create a layered, immersive narrative that engages viewers visually and intellectually, prompting reflection on complex themes. We speak with the artists about their award-winning animation, their sources of inspiration, and what lies ahead in their artistic journey.
Monika Juskowiak: Congratulations on the award! How does this win feel for you? Was it something you anticipated?
Weronika: Thank you so much! We’re incredibly grateful and truly surprised by this recognition. We had moments of doubt, wondering whether such an analog work, with its nonlinear narrative, could reach a contemporary audience. As painters and animators working in traditional media, we often face discouraging opinions suggesting that no one is interested in this kind of work anymore. While we don’t take those opinions to heart, young artists are also pressured to win awards and achieve conventionally defined “success” just to be taken seriously. These two external pressures weighed on us for a long time, and we slowly started to feel their effect. This award came at a challenging moment, reassuring us that this is our time and we are heading in the right direction.
I learned about our win from Ewelina’s call; she was representing us at Kinomural. I was at another event, Film Spring Open, and started shouting quite enthusiastically — which made for a priceless memory, as I was surrounded by an astonished crowd. Afterward, a sense of calm and pride in our work settled in, along with the joy that this film came to life. That’s really the most important thing — that we made the film, expressed something we’d held within us for some time, and resonated with others.
MJ: Could you share more about your work and what it represents?
Ewelina: Exhaust is a traditional animation, created with a mix of different media, such as acrylic paint, watercolor, and charcoal. The hand-drawn and hand-painted animation was enriched by Siema Ziemia’s modern jazz piece Get Exhausted With Me, creating a strong audiovisual experience for the viewers. The animation portrays the symbiotic relationship between man and the machine, which has been a particularly significant topic in our lives recently. With the emergence of new tools and the development of artificial intelligence, the art world has been left distraught. Many creatives are fearing for their future, believing a computer could replace them. Exhaust expresses our stance on this issue. In the past, inventions such as photography in the 19th century or computer graphics in the 90s have also been a source of fear and at first weren’t recognized as a legitimate art form. Artificial intelligence has sparked a similar outrage in the past decade, but we believe it is just another tool that can help expand human possibilities and further our creativity. Just like a paintbrush is an extension of a human arm, a camera is an extension of a human eye, so technology, such as AI, can be an extension of the human mind. With Exhaust, our goal was to juxtapose the mechanical and organic and show how these two worlds are intertwined.
In the past, inventions such as photography in the 19th century or computer graphics in the 90s have also been a source of fear and at first weren’t recognized as a legitimate art form. Artificial intelligence has sparked a similar outrage in the past decade, but we believe it is just another tool that can help expand human possibilities and further our creativity.
MJ: Did a particular story, theme, or trend influence this piece?
Weronika: The idea for the film emerged from our shared conversations. We’ve known each other for a few years, and for the past few months, we’ve been living together, constantly shaping each other by bouncing ideas off one another over breakfast and coffee. Exhaust grew out of posthumanist thought, which resonates with both of us for various reasons. It was born from an inner need to contribute our voices to the artistic discourse. Creating this film together was a pleasure; it is, in fact, a dialogue between us. We went through the entire creative process working side by side. You could say that our relationship also became an inspiration. I can’t help but mention the music, which created a rhythm — it enriched what was already there.
MJ: As young artists, what drives your creativity and inspires you to make art?
Ewelina: I believe we make art primarily to communicate with each other. In a way, I think what drives me to create art is to connect with others. I find it easier to express complex feelings through a visual narrative rather than using words. Nowadays, this communication has been made even more convenient. Art has never been this accessible. Thanks to the Internet and social media there is constant exposure to new art forms and different approaches. As a young artist, everything you experience molds your identity and the way you create. Each time I see a painting or a film I like, it gives me the urge to try and recreate what I love about it. I think it’s important to keep exposing yourself to different things and take what you can from other artists you admire.
Weronika: I’m inspired by silence — not necessarily the literal kind. I struggle with a constant flood of thoughts, and in moments when my mind finally quiets, I can actually hear ideas. It’s not that they come to life only then; they’re forming every second, influenced by everything I see, feel, or hear. These things marinate and mix in my head, like strange dreams, but I’m only able to notice them when I calm down and find stillness. I’ve read many quotes from my favorite artists (more than one, which says it’s true!) who say that inspiration is like fishing. That’s exactly what it’s like. Each of us has a pond in our mind, full of weird fishes constantly growing, and you just have to sit patiently with a fishing rod to catch them.
MJ: As an emerging creative duo, what are your future ambitions? Do you have any artistic plans on the horizon?
Ewelina: As we both are in the final year of MA animation studies, we are currently working separately on our final projects. Weronika is also working on her film debut. We share a lot of similarities, both creatively and outside of it. I like to think we grew together as artists, we worked on numerous projects together and both feel most confident in traditional techniques when it comes to animation. With a matching artistic vision and work ethic, it is a pleasure to work together and I can see us doing more exciting things in the future as soon as we are done with our individual work. As for our current artistic endeavors, now that we have come to terms with the idea of using technology in the workflow, the next challenge would be to incorporate these tools in future projects. I cannot disclose too much information, but you can expect great things from us.
Thank you!
