It’s been over twenty years since the Berlin Wall crumbled; much subsequent commentary has focussed on the trials and tribulations of Central Europe’s political, economic and social development. But what of the arts? Are artists reacting to the new, wider European context, or do they remain trapped in a Communist-style provincialism? And are the public, museums and the government keeping pace with change?
Certainly the importance travel has had for Polish artists since the end of the Communist era is not going to diminish any time soon – to get themselves recognized Polish artists often go to Germany or Britain to ‘make it’ before being celebrated in Poland.
Part of the reason is that the Polish art scene is massively underfunded. You can count the number of major museums and gallery spaces on one hand. Often lecturers in art colleges were appointed before socialism fell and remain relatively conservative in their artistic outlook. Furthermore, there is a seemingly low level of public and media interest. Reviews of the arts are uncommon, with modern art exhibitions primarily for the artists themselves as opposed to the viewer.
For all these reasons, it is only recently that Polish art has started to gain greater prominence. ‘Polska! Year’ is an initiative developed by Polish and British partners of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which has recently showcased works by Polish artists to the British public. The media buzz over Miroslaw Balka’s installation of what looks like a giant shipping container in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall has also gone some way in raising the profile of modern Polish art.
Almost inevitably, the war, the Holocaust and forty years of communist oppression have cast long shadows over Polish culture; its visual arts is scene no exception. Works are often provocative, stark and striking. Balka’s ‘How It Is’ (pictured) at the Tate is understated but profoundly resonant. Arguably one of the best commissions for the Turbine Hall to date, we can only hope that it comes to be a turning point for contemporary Polish art.
