It is no secret that when the word 'Galicia' is whispered in your ear, mixed feelings arise.

BWA SOKOL Gallery of Contemporary Art

Galicia, mon amour
Folly, Fantasy and Phantasm
16 June–29 July 2012

Opening: 15 June, 7:30pm

BWA SOKOL Gallery of Contemporary Art
34 Kosciuszki St.
33-300 Nowy Sacz, Poland

www.galicja.bwasokol.pl

Artists
Rimma Arslanov, Anna Artaker, Benni Efrat, Hadassa Goldvicht, Lilla Khoor, Nikifor Krynicki, Little Warsaw (András Gálik and Bálint Havas), Christian Mayer, Uri Nir, Boris Oicherman, Gábor Roskó, Julião Sarmento, Josef Sprinzak, Rona Fon Stern, Bálint Szombathy, Jan Tichy, Arkadiusz Tomalka, Gil Yefman

Curator: Danna Heller

The exhibition is the 4th part of the Project GALICIA. TOPOGRAPHIES OF MYTH.

It is no secret that when the word 'Galicia' is whispered in your ear, mixed feelings arise. On the one hand Galicia embodies the sense of open multi-culturalism and non-nationalism during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It spurs a sense of longing for a naive, imaginary space that no longer exists. On the other hand it recalls the traumatic period of WWII and its disastrous aftermath for the Jews and other communities. Irony, absurdity, humor, and folly evoke a mental reflex that may have the capacity to 'deal' with the myth of Galicia in a new direction. This approach may seem in opposition to the severe historical context of the region and the catastrophes that took place in the early 20th century. This is not to annihilate the significant devastation of the historical context, but rather a trial to shift the discourse regarding Poles, Jews, and minorities of Gypsies, Ruthenians, and others that inhabited the region. In the context of myself being a Jewish-Israeli curator, the exhibition may be understood as a variation on the standard western readings of the Polish-Jewish cultural exchange, and a provocation into new ironic channels of thought, twisting the mythical Galicia into a sort of theatrical platform for contemporary exchanges.
–Danna Heller

During the opening
8pm Josef Sprinzak's text-sound Performance Franz Josef Readings (20 min.)
9:30pm Boris Oicherman's outdoor live video installation Shadow Feedback v. 4


About the project
The project GALICIA. TOPOGRAPHIES OF MYTH aims at presenting in Nowy Sacz contemporary art in its most current and international dimensions. Its theme refers to the context of the place, as well as the identity of the town and the region. Under the project, Nowy Sacz hosts five international exhibitions on the premises of the BWA SOKOL Gallery of Contemporary Art as well as within its urban space. The curators of these events are Adam Budak, Michal Koleček, Barnabás Bencisk, Danna Heller, and Anda Rottenberg. The exhibitions take place in the period from May 2011 until September 2012. Galicia, mon amour constitutes the fourth exhibition of the series.


*Image above:
Visualization of Gil Yefman's Eyes And Teeth. Courtesy of the artist.