The works in the MOCAK Collection presented in the exhibition have been inspired by the works of other artists. Using earlier artistic achievements as a starting point for one’s own art has a centuries-old tradition. In the Middle Ages and Baroque, many paintings were customised from graphic templates. In turn, artists of the Renaissance and Classicism periods were fascinated by antiquity. A characteristic feature of the 19^th century was the emergence of neo-styles that aimed to recreate the past aesthetics. Postmodernism drew on all trends in art and celebrated the strategies of quotation and pastiche.

In contemporary art, artists enthusiastically use ready-made iconographic schemes and compositional solutions, they create collages or found footage films. Appropriation takes place at both the conceptual and formal levels.

The works presented at the exhibition are most often based on painting and sculpture, but also on literature and film. The artists draw on old art and the work of their contemporaries. They choose meaningful works and enter into a dialogue with them – whether critical, affirmative, or, occasionally, humorous. They reinterpret literary and film works. They give a topical slant to established iconographic patterns, such as the adoration of the Magi or crucifixion. They create their own variants of well-known masterpieces.

The selected works provide an insight into specific moments in art history. At the same time, thanks to the creative use of other artists’ works, they liven it up, providing a pretext for reflection on cultural heritage and the role of art as a tool for interpreting and understanding reality.

In 2021 MOCAK is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its opening. For the occasion, we have prepared exhibitions based on the Collection. One of the Museum’s principal goals is to demonstrate to audiences the merit of contemporary art; the Collection is a key vehicle for achieving this. We want the public to have the opportunity to learn more about our collections and the issues they represent, and to see works never exhibited previously, including the new acquisitions. The jubilee exhibitions will show the media and thematic diversity of our ever-expanding Collection.