The Pracownia Portretu Studio is located in Księży Młyn, which is a distinctly Lodz district and a monument to early capitalism, as well as a place where many generations of textile workers lived. Currently, dynamic gentrification processes are taking place here, and the red brick buildings are inhabited not only by those who remember the times of the former Scheibler complex, but also by wealthy owners of exclusive lofts, near which there are fancy wine bars and venison restaurants.
In this landscape, where can art, and especially painting, be placed? Are the paintings presented in one of the Księży Młyn buildings equally accessible to everyone? Buying paintings is an elite activity these days, and the motivation behind it is increasingly not admiration, but rather the desire to secure melting money. The presentation of contemporary art itself is considered elitist, with a high entry threshold for the so-called average viewer.
As part of the "Portrait of the Artist" exhibition, Klaudia Prabucka will be creating paintings on the gallery wall for several days, and this process can be observed live - inside the Studio or from the outside through its huge windows. Art will become more accessible, and viewers will decide whether they want to watch the creation of the work from a slight distance or participate up close and talk to the author.
Prabucka will create her variation on the theme of "portrait of the artist," emphasizing threads related to career, money, and the art world. However, it won't be a completely serious and sad story, and during the exhibition, interesting gestures can be expected, as the author is a lover of good food and unconventional humor. After the exhibition, the painting will disappear, and the wall will need to be painted over...
Marcin Polak - curator
Klaudia Prabucka (1997) - a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Szczecin, specializing in Media Art and Animation (2022). In her works, she analyzes and reinterprets social conflicts. She loves to play with language and its flexibility through various media such as painting, animation, video, or object. Her works have been shown in galleries such as BWA Bielsko Biała, BWA Gorzów Wielkopolski, as well as at festivals such as "Film Polska" in Berlin, "New Horizons" in Wrocław, or "Short Waves" in Poznań. In 2022, she opened a solo exhibition at Trafo in Szczecin.
The project "Five Exhibitions for the Tenth Anniversary of the Portrait Studio" is being implemented thanks to funding from the budget of the City of Łódź.