Rotating Gallery: We Are Here

The Rotating Gallery is a space in which we present contemporary Jewish art. From 28 September until 3 November, we invite you to an exhibition of nine artists whose works were on display individually at POLIN Museum in the previous months. Using the language of contemporary art—visual and sound installations, photographs, recordings of performances, interdisciplinary projects—the artists interpret tradition and refer it to the present-day. In the Rotating Gallery, we give the floor to: Zofia Janina Borysiewicz, Kamila Czosnyk, Majk Hercberg, Maria Ka, Dominika Laster, Alex Roth, Gabi von Seltmann, Hana Umeda, Julie Weitz.

Zielone koła wypełnione czarnymi liniami, w środku kwadrat z napisem Jesteśmy tutaj. Galeria Rotacyjna, 11.07-4.11.2024.
il. Zofia Janina Borysiewicz
Zofia Janina Borysiewicz na tle swojej pracy "Reprint".
Zofia Janina Borysiewicz. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Kamila Czosnyk stoi bokiem do ściany z napisami jesteśmy tutaj, we are here.
Kamila Czosnyk. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Majk Hercberg stoi przy białych drzwiach, za nim wyświetla się zdjęcie z jego prac w warsztacie.
Majk Hercberg. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Maria Ka stoi obok swojego zdjęcia w Galerii Rotacyjnej.
Maria Ka. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Dominika Laster trzyma misę w dłoniach.
Dominika Laster. Fot. D. Matloch
Alex Roth na tle motywu kół wypełnionych liniami towarzyszącego Galerii Rotacyjnej.
Alex Roth. fot. D. Matloch / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Gabi von Seltmann na tle projekcji Wielkiej Synagogi.
Gabi von Seltmann. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Hana Umeda stoi w otoczeniu innych kobiet.
Hana Umeda, Olga Mysłowska, Martyna Miller. fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Na tle napisu jesteśmy tutaj, we are here: Julie Weitz, Magdalena Przybysz, Magda Niedzielska, Michał Przybyła, Katarzyna Żeglicka.
Julie Weitz, Magdalena Przybysz, Magda Niedzielska, Michał Przybyła, Katarzyna Żeglicka. fot. D. Matloch / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
  • 28 September–3 November, during the Museum opening hours, in the last gallery of the Core Exhibition
  • Even though the Museum will be closed on 4 November, the Rotating Gallery will be open for viewing until 2PM. Should you wish to visit the Gallery on that day, please contact the exhibition producer Alicja Kaczmarek-Poławska at: [email protected]

In 2024, POLIN Museum celebrates its 10th birthday. With the fluid and open character of the gallery in mind, we have decided to launch a rotating, vibrant, polyphonic space for presenting the voices of contemporary artists who identify as Polish Jews. "We are here", the words spoken by Marian Turski on behalf of the Jews living in Poland today, serve to reflect this idea. Not only is this phrase a reminder of the shared history, but it also draws attention to the intercultural "here and now" that Polish Jews also create and experience.

The artworks presented in the Rotating Gallery combine the past with the present – some draw from the archives of Jewish art, others creatively touch upon the "difficult heritage" in museum collections, others still restore for the present the Yiddish language or visual signs of the shared Polish-Jewish history. The present-day has an impact on some works, too – the rise of antisemitism and tensions caused by the dramatic Israel-Hamas war create a new context and provoke questions that are often difficult to answer. Themes of anxiety and confusion, of observed and experienced violence appear, along with questions about the possibility of healing traumas and building inclusive communities.

The Rotating Gallery has operated in two stages. From 11 July until 25 September, we presented individual works by nine artists. By presenting a group exposition of all nine works between 28 September and 4 November, we create a space for a collective artistic statement that comprises multiple voices.

Rotating Gallery: We Are Here

Artists (in alphabetical order):

  • Zofia Janina Borysiewicz
  • Kamila Czosnyk
  • Majk Hercberg
  • Maria Ka
  • Dominika Laster
  • Alex Roth
  • Gabi von Seltmann
  • Hana Umeda
  • Julie Weitz.

Curators:

  • Ewa Chomicka
  • Joanna Fikus.

Producers:

  • Alicja Kaczmarek-Poławska
  • Agata Szynkielewska.

Key visual:

  • Zofia Janina Borysiewicz.

Content cooperation:

  • Aleksandra Janus
  • Magdalena Rubenfeld
  • Tamara Sztyma.

Promotion:

  • Katarzyna Krauze.

We extend heartfelt thanks to the POLIN Museum team for their cooperation in the implementation of this project.

 

Partners:

FestvALT    Fundacja Zapomniane

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – project: "Rotating Gallery as part of POLIN Museum’s 10th birthday celebration (developing a network of Jewish artists)."

Logo of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The exhibition is co-financed by the EU funds, part of the CERV—Citizens, Rights and Values—program within a framework of the "MultiMemo. Multidirectional Memory: Remembering for Social Justice" project.

Co-funded by European Union

Rotating Gallery: We Are Here

11.07.2024 - 01.12.2024