Thursday,
25 April
Karol Radziszewski – “Ryszard Cieślak”(2015)
Ryszard Cieślak is one of the world’s most famous citizens from Kalisz. He is known worldwide, but is he really known at all in his hometown? He was an actor who collaborated with the legendary theatre director – Jerzy Grotowski, visited all the continents, electrified the audience with his performances and was acclaimed as unequaled “prince of the profession”. Did he actually have the sex appeal of a real icon of mass culture? Could he ever become a symbol recognized outside the closed circle of the theatre community? Does he still have this possibility? In Poland? In Kalisz?
Karol Radziszewski makes an attempt to iconize Ryszard Cieślak by recalling his image and filtering it through the pop aesthetics of Andy Warhol. This image reproduced as a single element within Radziszewski’s work, is part of a bigger cycle of wok circulating around the figure of Cieślak. The legendary actor is also the main character of Radziszewski’s movie “The Prince” (2014).
Karol Radziszewski (b. 1980) lives and works in Warsaw (Poland) where he received his MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2004. He works with film, photography, installations and creates interdisciplinary projects. His practice extends to magazines, artist books, fashion as well as curatorial concept projects. Publisher and editor-in-chief of DIK Fagazine. His work has been exhibited at institutions including The National Museum in Warsaw, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Zacheta – National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Kunsthalle Wien, Wroclaw Contemporary Museum, Museum Of Contemporary Art Vojvodina in Novi Sad, Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, New Museum in New York, Cobra Museum in Amsterdam, The National Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu, Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst in Leipzig, CCA Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw, Göteborg Biennale, PERFORMA 13, Prague Biennale, WRO Media Art Biennale, New York Photo Festival.
www.karolradziszewski.com
For the entire year on the bus stops in the center of the town we will present artworks. The majority of them will be site-specific. To the meeting with the inhabitants of Kalisz we invited both artists who are experienced at presenting their art in public spaces and those who would like to challenge it. Altogether we will listen to the voice of the public – uncensored and uncontrolled by the institution.
Curator: Małgorzata Kaźmierczak