Opening Hours
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Gallery
Art Agenda Nova
Batorego 2, Krakow
Artist
Joanna Karpowicz
ABOUT EXHIBITION
“Room 666. Painting”
The Krakow Nova gallery begins a series of presentations by young generation artists under the slogan: “New Polish painting”. As part of the inauguration of this cycle, Nova presents the original exhibition of Joanna Karpowicz’s painting entitled “Room 666”.
Karpowicz graduated from the Faculty of Painting, the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, and graduated in 2001 with a diploma with distinction, in the studio of prof. Leszek Misiak.
“Room 666” is the first exhibition of artist’s paintings. Joanna Karpowicz does “plot painting” – each picture is a fragment of a separate story, the beginning and end of which the viewer can only guess. “Room 666” is a painting story about a hotel – about people and situations connected with it.
The paintings are dominated by disturbing, oneiric atmosphere and the language of conventional metaphors – “Room 666” conceals a mysterious mystery. Each picture is a separate story, a hero; individual mood and color. “Room 666” is a challenge to interpretation addressed to the recipient’s imagination.
The exhibition of Joanna Karpowicz’s paintings will be available from March 8 to April 7, 2003, at Galeria Nova, at 22 Józefa Street (entrance from Nowej Street)
speeches by the author:
Where did the controversial title come from – ‘Room 666’? “Room 666” is the title of one of the paintings presented at the exhibition. The picture shows the hotel’s door to a room with this number. The door is closed – we can only guess what is behind it … In each hotel there is a “Room 666”. It’s a secret that is not publicly spoken about – although rumors and speculations about it are circulating.
“Room 666” is a series of paintings that combines the theme – why the hotel?
The hotel is a fascinating place with an “organic structure” and internal hierarchy –
in his environment there is a real food chain in which human passions take place. “Room 666” presents a fraction of this world – only a few frames from its entire history. This hotel does not really exist – it is conventional and arose in my head; however, I modeled on two real places whose names I can not reveal unfortunately. 🙂
What is plot painting? These are stories in pictures. Each picture is a “frame” – shows a fragment of the story. Its continuation and beginning depends on the interpretation of the viewer. The plot painting I make is “realistic”, but it has a conventionality that allows the viewer to focus on the general mood, not the detail itself.
The exhibition “Room 666” is far from the reality that surrounds us and rather does not comment on it … I’m not interested in a “painting reporter” – a sociological commentary resulting from the need of the moment. Everything I do has a strong relationship with the reality that surrounds us – it results from observation and personal experience. I often work based on sketches from nature – but my paintings are an interpretation of what I see. I am interested in creating a “universal” world that evokes the impression of a “deja vu” in the recipient. And – of course; attracts attention and attention.
What links the stories contained in the paintings from the series “Room 666”? Anxiety.
What to hide – we like to listen to horrible stories, we also like to watch them … The best – from the safe position of the viewer. Who of us has not experienced the feeling of anxiety, passing a dark corridor … Darkness changes reality and we are afraid of the unknown. At the same time, the mystery fascinates us. Images presented at the exhibition are dark – despite the intensity of color. Seemingly everything is fine – maids, waiters, the elevator manager, few residents – hotel life is on its way. But when we look closely, we see boredom, emptiness and the mood of waiting – as if time stood still. And that’s causing anxiety. In addition, we are tormented by the “secret of a closed door”.
The exhibition “Room 666” is an artistic debut? Yes – it’s the first author’s exhibition, and Galeria Nova is the first place, in which I decided to show my paintings. Małgorzata and Marcin Gołębiewscy – the owners of the gallery are professionals and represent a very open approach to the presentation and sale of young art – I do not hide that they have just captured that.
What technique are paintings painted? I use acrylic paints – it is obviously a technique that is considered less “noble” than oil technique – but it has its advantages. It allows you to obtain an intense and transparent color, as well as to work at a fast pace – and I like it the most.