Ziemia przeklęta. Trzy wystawy w Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Kronika w Bytomiu jako przykład strategii instytucjonalnej

Abstract

The cursed land. Three exhibitions at the Center for Contemporary Art Kronika [Chronicle] in Bytom as an example of institutional strategy

Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Kronika [Center for Contemporary Art Chronicle] in Bytom is one of the most recognizable exposition institutions of Upper Silesia. The article concerns three exhibits, that simultaneously took place in the gallery at the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017: Dominik Stanisławski and Piotr Bujak’s Horstus conclusus, Polonia Bytom of Anna Okrasko and Łukasz Skąpski’s Perfumy [Perfums]. They marked the culmination and closure of a certain period – Stanisław Ruksza’s directorship in Kronika (2008–2016). As the author suggests, the three exhibitions could be regarded in a common frame as treating land as an investment. All the projects describe the economic and visual changes in Polish cities: Krakow (Hortus conclusus), Bytom (Polonia Bytom) and Szczecin (Perfumy). The displays coincided with the publishing of two books: Polonia Bytom (authors: Justyna Bębenek, Justyna Chmielewska and Anna Okrasko) and Perfumy (edited by Mikołaj Iwański). These events and displays suit Ruksza’s strategy of leading the institution. He wanted to select a politically and socially involved project and had been trying to create a network of visual artists who were concerned with such themes. As Łukasz Białkowski claimed, Kronika dealt especially with the ‘social costs of transformation’ and that is why its strategy turned out to be both successful and visible against the background of other galleries located in smaller towns.