Agnieszka Kołodyńska: The artworks which are held in the collection of the Lower Silesia Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts are purchased by a special commission that has criteria of their own which do not always overlap with those of art curators. So how to create a coherent exhibition?
Michał Grzegorzek, one of the "Exist/Nonexist" exhibition curators: "This is quite unique, also for me, because I'm not an experienced curator and it was challenging, too, since we've been working with a fixed list of the artists provided by the Lower Silesia Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. However, this limited space can showcase only some of the works purchased for the collection. We've made our curator's choices together with Przemek Pintal and Iwona Kałuża. Our initial ideal was to focus on the theme of collections and collecting and to show it through purchased works so as not to force any meaning on the artists' works and their activity. However, as we continued to work on the project, its idea gained in shape, and it also dawned on us that, in a sense, all of these works touch upon failure or disappointment, as it were."
"Exist/Nonexist" exhibition
Exhibition
From 27 November 2015 6 pm to 4 January 2016 11:59 pm 
Wroclaw Contemporary Museum
Has the exhibition space, which is located in a bunker, informed the choice of works to be presented in the project?
"We could only use part of the space for the exhibition. Our initial idea was to create to contrasting narratives based on the theme of collecting. However, as we continued our work and started creating descriptions, we arrived at the message we are going to present at the preview."
Has the title of the exhibition "Exist/Nonexist" anything to do with it?
"Our goal is to enter a linguistic game with the viewer. We are drawing on "Hourglass" by Stanisław Dróżdż ("Was, Is, Will Be"). We are encouraging our viewers to play hide and seek with the exhibition, hence the sentence devoid of a subject. We are not going to tell you what exists, and what doesn't. It's down to our viewers to decide. The artworks we are going to present, at least in our interpretation, are well embedded in the sense of loss. They speak about disappointment or embarrassment, not personal, but with technologies and mechanisms of power. Instead of sheer loss, we can discuss or contemplate a work that can serve as a commentary or a substitute for loss."
When were these works purchased by the society?
"They were purchased in 2014 and 2015. The Lower Silesia Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts bought quite a lot of works, and we were at a loss which to choose. Some works cannot be presented in the space we are using, they won't be reverberating with their surroundings or will be stifled by it. We don't want to flood our viewers with too many works, as we might be running the risk that some of the works will pass unnoticed or misinterpreted. We don't want to inflict any harm on either our viewers or artists. This is just an encouragement to delve deeper in the collection of the society."
Which artists are featured in the exhibition? How do you find the works purchased by the society?
"In a sense, the society's decisions to purchase particular works are very much in line with curators. The latter are often asked to explain their choices and give reasons for preparing this exhibition and not the other. I think that one of the key tools we are using when we choose works for the exhibition is intuition and our familiarity with current market trends. That being said, our choices are also personal, we choose what we like or attracts out interest. Our exhibition celebrates works by recognised contemporary artists such as Janek Simon. We will be able to his ironic "Sticks". Tom Swoboda, whose works were presented at the BWA Awangarda Gallery, is also featured in our selection. We will see his "Draw Me God". Other artists will also be there, including Wojtek Doroszuk, Anna Kutera, Katarzyna Kmita, who is joining us with her "Old Wroclaw Cinemas", Leszek Knaflewski, Wojciech Pukocz, Paweł Sokołowski and Urszula Wilk. The artists pursue different forms and techniques ranging from those of their own through video art and mobile objects to photography and watercolours. By choosing these works we are having our say in a discussion on art."
