What is Art for? is a project that asks about the meaning of art. Perhaps this topic may seem quite self-evident, but it touches upon the basic essence of artistic endeavours and their impact on the daily life of individual people. So far, we have turned for answers to groups of students, artists and writers. During a year-long seminar, we talked with the students of the Academy of Fine Arts about the meaning of art both in its social, educational and individual aspect. As a result, the young artists created works that will be presented throughout the Museum and Zabłocie. The following participated in the seminar: Ania Askaldowicz, Karolina Jabłońska,  Michał Kastory, Ola Krawczyk, Tomek Kręcicki, Kamil Kuitkowski, Cyryl Polaczek, Filip Rybkowski, Mateusz Szczypiński, Radek Szlęzak, Kinga Zmysłowska.

Since October 2012, you can watch in Zabłocie the works of three graduates of Krakow’s Academy of Fine Arts: Antonina Dylik, Anna Pietrzak and Karolina Spyrka. It is the first presentation of the effects of the year-long seminar organised by MOCAK in co-operation with the Academy of Fine Arts. The young artists’ exhibition is composed of nine quotations regarding art, located in the following places:

• 1, 2, 3 MOCAK building
• 4.  Bal Club
• 5.  Foundation For Visual Arts
• 6.  16 Kącik Street
• 7.  7 Traugutta Street
• 8.  9 Lipowa Street
• 9.  corner of Romanowicza and Lipowa Streets

Let’s start the hunt!

Authors:

Antonina Dylik (born 1987) – graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, diploma at the Faculty of Scuplture in Professor Karol Badyna’s studio.

Anna Pietrzak (born 1986) – graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, diploma at the Faculty of Painting in Professor Leszek Misiak’s studio.

Karolina Spyrka (born 1987) – graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, diploma at the Faculty of Painting in Professor Grzegorz Szwiertnia and Professor Zbigniew Sałaj studio.
Project co-ordinator: Katarzyna Wąs

The What is Art for? project is carried out in many dimensions. We also asked artists to reflect upon the essence of art, inviting them to co-operate with us to create a visual issue of ‘MOCAK Forum’, a magazine published by the Museum. Visual essays were created by: Agata Bogacka, Tomek Baran, Marta Deskur, Pola Dwurnik, Ada Karczmarczyk, Jerzy Lewczyński, Róża Litwa, NeSpoon, Łukasz Skąpski, Artur Żmijewski.

The second item produced within the framework of the project is the first part of the book What is Art for? Conversations with writers, edited by Tadeusz Nyczek. It is a selection of nine interviews with well-known Polish writers and poets: Janusz Anderman, Janusz Głowacki, Jan Gondowicz, Ryszard Krynicki, Marek Nowakowski, Jerzy Pilch, Olga Tokarczuk, Krzysztofa Varga, Adam Zagajewski. The publication of the second part, edited by Grzegorz Jankowicz, is planned for 2013.