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“Art is Everything” – about the legendary Grupp: Paweł Kowalewski and Aleksander Hudzik
October 29, 2024, 5:30 PM

Luna House Publishing and Krupa Art Foundation invite you to an event around the book by Paweł Kowalewski and Aleksander Hudzik titled “Art is Everything”, which will take place at the Krupa Art Foundation gallery (Rynek 27/28, Wrocław) on Tuesday, October 29, at 5:30 PM.

October 29, 2024, 5:30 PM
Krupa Art Foundation | Rynek 27/28, Wrocław
Free admission

Paweł Kowalewski is one of the founders of the legendary Grupp, and the creator of works such as “Mon Cheri Bolscheviq” and “Simulator of Totalitarianism.” His works have been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world. In the book “Art is Everything”, the artist talks to journalist Aleksander Hudzik about his artistic beginnings, difficult life choices, and the search for his own place in the art world.

This book is also an attempt to look more broadly at the Polish art market and its various transformations. According to Kowalewski, art and the world around it are never separate entities but rather interconnected vessels that directly influence each other. This is why he firmly believes that art can change the world.

“Art is Everything” is not just a conversation but also a visual journey.

About the Authors

Paweł Kowalewski – Artist, retired professor of the Academy of Fine Arts, founder of the legendary Grupp, an icon of Polish art in the 1980s. Creator of famous works such as “Mon Chéri Bolscheviq,” “Simulator of Totalitarianism,” “Power and Beauty,” “Pop Art,” and the famous cycle “Psalms.” Kowalewski’s works have been exhibited at NS-DOK in Munich, Castello di Rivoli in Turin, Artists’ House in Tel Aviv, Isa Brachot Gallery in Brussels, and are part of major collections in Poland, including the National Museum in Warsaw, the National Museum in Krakow, Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Jerke Museum, as well as the ING Polish Art Foundation and the Starak Family Foundation.

Aleksander Hudzik – Editor-in-chief of Mint Magazine, cultural journalist, and host of the podcast “And That’s the Month in Culture”, aired on Newonce radio. Over the years, he has been affiliated with Newsweek Polska, Vogue Polska, Notes na 6 Tygodni, Forbes Women, Dwutygodnik, K Mag, Przekrój, Esquire, and Aktivist. Co-author of texts in books like My Art Guide, Polski Street Art, and the guide About Polska. He was nominated for the Mariusz Walter Award in 2024 in the “Young Voices of Journalism” category.

About the Book

Paweł Kowalewski, one of the most recognizable Polish artists, in the book “Art is Everything”, not only reflects on his artistic and life choices but also ponders the state of Polish art and what it means to be an artist today. However, this book is not just about words, but also images.

Paweł Kowalewski is one of the founders of the legendary Grupp, an icon of Polish art in the 1980s, and the creator of works such as “Mon Cheri Bolscheviq” and “Simulator of Totalitarianism.” His works have been exhibited in the most important museums and galleries worldwide, and he was a longtime lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In “Art is Everything,” Kowalewski tells Aleksander Hudzik about his artistic beginnings, personal successes and failures, but the book also offers a broader view of the Polish art market and its ongoing transformations. According to Kowalewski, art and the world around it are never separate entities but rather interconnected vessels that influence each other. That’s why he firmly believes that art can change the world.

What about the artists themselves? Kowalewski witnessed great careers that rose suddenly and just as quickly faded, but he also accompanied personalities from the art world who refused to be sidelined over the years. What determines this? Kowalewski believes that talent and luck are not enough. It also requires intelligence and the ability to navigate one’s career. “I made a series of postcards featuring Anda Rottenberg and Achille Bonito Oliva, among others. These 3D-printed postcards wink at us because they know that art is the most important thing, but it’s also a game where you have to exist, manage your career, and sometimes make tough or even bad decisions.”

“Art is Everything” is not just a conversation but also a showcase of Paweł Kowalewski’s most important works, beautifully displayed to take the reader on a journey into the extraordinary world of the artist. Thanks to augmented reality (AR), we can experience the works in the book in an additional dimension. Each book contains a bookmark with a QR code. By pointing your phone camera at the code, you’ll be directed to an app that allows you to “try on” selected works on the walls of your own home.

So far, augmented reality (AR) has not been used in any Polish publication. Thanks to this book, art can truly take over – both literally and figuratively. All in the spirit of the idea that “art is everything.” During the event, the book will be available for purchase with author signatures. Each copy includes a special bookmark with QR codes that allow you to virtually hang Paweł Kowalewski’s works in your home!

So far, augmented reality (AR) has not been used in any Polish publication. Thanks to this book, art can truly take over – both literally and figuratively.