The
ŻAK | BRANICKA Foundation, based in Krakow, and its Berlin gallery, ŻAK
| BRANICKA, are dedicated to the integration of primarily Polish and
other Eastern European art into the international art context. As the
focus of the art world continues to shift eastwards, ŻAK | BRANICKA
stands at the helm of an exciting exploration investigating contemporary
Eastern European art. The gallery’s position in Berlin, a city that has
always been the axis point between East and West, places it in the
optimal position to undertake its goals. ŻAK | BRANICKA is led by Monika
Branicka, a critic and historian, and Asia Żak, an artist, and is
located on Lindenstr. 34-35 in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.
ŻAK | BRANICKA is committed to the promotion of those artists maintaining the
traditions of the Eastern European avant-garde in the art of the
present. Józef Robakowski (12th Sao Paolo Biennial 1973, Documenta VI
1977) and Zofia Kulik (Venice Biennale 1997, Documenta XII 2007) are two
of the most prominent figures in the Polish avant-garde movement of the
1970’s. Katarzyna Kozyra (Venice Biennale 1999 – Honorable Mention for
Men’s Bathhouse), a well-known Polish video and performance artist, is
representative of a groundbreaking shift out of this movement as a generation of Eastern European artists began to delve into critical and
political art. Paweł Książek (Art Basel Statements 2009), Agnieszka
Polska (Art Cologne 2012), and Yane Calovski (Manifesta 2008) are part
of the generation of emerging artists, employing varying art forms,
techniques and practices, who recall the history, tradition and language
of the Eastern European avant-garde.
The ŻAK | BRANICKA Foundation hopes to decisively increase the visibility of Eastern European art in Europe´s
capital of contemporary art, Berlin. The gallery’s activities have
helped the ŻAK | BRANICKA Foundation to build a network between Eastern
European artists and international cultural institutions: including
museums, galleries and art fairs. In addition, the ŻAK | BRANICKA
Foundation is engaged in raising funds to provide grants and
scholarships for artists, as well as coordinating book projects with
international publishing houses. The foundation´s
dialogue with curators, art historians and institutions will further
advance research and stimulate intercultural exchange.
To create a lasting impression in an increasingly globalized world, ŻAK | BRANICKA
deems it necessary to highlight the important role of contemporary
Eastern European art through dedicated work in publications and
journals.
