Exhibition opening: 29th October, 7 PM

The APOGEUM New Expression 1987 Project presents 65 works of the 28 most distinguished artists of the New Expression. The works are extraordinary and classical to this trend, but also significant to the individual development of the artists. This is a temporary Museum of New Expression – subjected to a trial of time and vitality.

The phenomenon named New Expression developed in Poland from the beginning of the 1980s, in the time of the birth of “Solidarność” (1980-81) and the martial law (1981-83), but it reached its peak around 1986-87 and by 1989 it burned out. Formally it was an equal and simultaneously faction of the trans-anant-agarde ( in Italy called Arte cifra or La Transavanguardia, in Germany Neue Wilde, in France Figuration libre, in the US New Image Painting), which celebrated in the 80s its artistic and commercial success. The Polish “wild” painters, however, could not function internationally, because of the country’s isolation during martial law. Furthermore, as a result of their voluntary boycott of the state-owned exhibition halls, they separated themselves from the wider audiences. They showed their works more openly only in the middle of the decade, hence the frequent accusations of being secondary from the party-member columnists.

The summer of 1986 witnessed the first manifestation of New Expression in Polish art, in the state gallery BWA, in the seaside Sopot. That was a type of a summary of the artists’ activity in the first half of the 80s. It was semi-official, really, because it was far from the major artistic centers of the country. Not until a year later, in 1987, did the most significant exhibitions concerning the trend take place – mainly in Warsaw. In the independent area of the old Norblin Works the exhibition “What’s up?” took place initiated by a private marchand [?], Andrzej Bonarski, and it was followed by a series of individual exhibitions of New Expression artists in other rented venues.

By the end of 1987 the National Museum opened the “Radical Realism. Concrete Abstraction” exhibition, which was a kind of a summary and an elevation of the entire trend. That same year witnessed New Art Biennale in Zielona Góra, which was dominated by New Expression, The 2nd  National Youth Biennale in the churches of Wrocław, won by Ryszard Woźniak. The Polish “wild” made their presence known on the international scene as well – Warsaw’s Gruppa participated in the Künstlergruppen zeigen Gruppenkunstwerke, a part of Documenta 8 in Kassel.

Aside of historical works that were most often being created in 1987, Toruń’s Center of Contemporary Art shows a few earlier works (the oldest are the paintings by Jarosław Modzelewski from 1980 that come from the collection of CoCA Toruń), and a piece created especially for APOGEUM  – an installation by Jacek Staniszewski, which is a stylistic allusion to an important work from 1987, Dead Objects, presented in Gallery d BWA in Sopot and at the Radical Realism. Concrete Abstraction exhibition.

APOGEUM will be accompanied by works of video art and a separate cinematic program. The vernissage will be honored by a concert of Jacek Staniszewski’s punk band. The program accompanying APOGEUM will also feature an exclusive avant-garde theater performance by the Cinema Theater from Michałowice, which is under the supervision of one of New Expression’s masters, Zbigniew Szumski.  The APOGEUM project intends to publish a broad catalogue with critical texts.