selfie

one more postcard from Abyssinia

postcard from Abyssinia

delayed postcard from Ethiopia

dinard, fr
2013

postcard from Brittany

postcard from Mt. St. Michel

don't mess with texas

Series "Don't mess with Texas" by two Polish photographers Michał Jędrzejowski and Tomasz Liboska touches almost unknown and almost forgotten part of Polish history, well, specificly Silesian history, showing to the daylight descendads of Silesian emigrants living today in Texas in cities with Polish names, like Panna Maria (Virgin Mary). 

We set off to Texas in 2009, 155 years after the first wave of the Silesian exile. We came to the Panna Maria – the first Polish parish on the American mainland. We visited homes, schools, churches and bars. We were looking for Moczygęba, Labus, and Janysk. We found Texans: jeans, cowboy boots, Republican views and the all-pervasive “Don’t Mess with Texas”. We learned their stories, and heard tales ancient and modern of the homeland. Each one is a multigenerational saga interwoven with sorrow, but also a sense of joy and fulfillment. Among our heroes there are farmers, businessmen, clergymen, musicians, and writers. Who are the descendants of the Silesian pioneers today? We couldn’t find an answer. We don’t need one.

Michał Jędrzejowski, Tomasz Liboska

Michał Jędrzejowski & Tomasz Liboska – both professionally linked with photography, working together since 2008. Many times awarded: project "Warriors" received Ist award at Grand Press Photo 2008. "Don't mess with Texas" series reached final at GPP 2010. 

"Don't mess with Texas" since tomorrow will be presented in Old Wire Factory in Gliwice (PL)

in the car with R.

Rafał Milach, photo from the book "In the car with R."

It’s freezing outside for several days in Poland, -15C at the moment, few days ago there was -35C…cold. It seems most inappropriate time for taking to hands book about Island. Just the first view into the book makes it sure – unsaturated, slightly overexposed photos prove that Island is land of cold. The text between the pictures doesn’t improve the reception – it illustrates coldly relation between two, at first view bit casual travellers crossing Island together – the photographer (Rafał Milach) and the writer (Huldar Breiðfjörð).

Rafał Milach, photo from the book "In the car with R."

But, this book warmed my heart – don’t remember when I had so well thought, edited and printed book in my hands. It almost like hand made notebook with very original covers, all joint together with two red rubber bands – delightful form in total. What’s inside the book, warms me even more – great and greatly selected photos of R. mixed with rough, excellent texts with observations of H. Those two great artists, from different countries, with different backgrounds and representing different branches of art met to register and show us Island today. We receive bit chaotic story about this severe land and its people, but also about pain of art creation and pain of human relations start-up, H. and R. relation. The story seems chaotic, but those puzzles create coherent global image.

Both of the artists are frank with us and with themselves, they don’t want to please us, show the things as they are at the moment. We may feel the irritation, boredom, lack of patience, lack of understanding, but finally also fascination…

Rafał Milach, photo from the book "In the car with R."

This book is in a way continuation, o rather supplement to book IS(not) published by Sputnik Photos. Material created during preparatory of former book, in case of relation of R. and H. allowed to prepare new project. Photos of this project were awarded by the Jury of New York Photo Awards 2011 and the project of the book received Blurb award.

Finally, what makes me really happy, the book found editor in Gliwice – birth-place of Rafał Milach, in Czytelnia Sztuki.

The project manager and curator of exhibition associated to promotion of the book was one of F-ers – Maga Sokalska.

Rafał Milach, born in Gliwice in 1978 photographer, studied at Fine Art Academy in Katowice and ITF in Opava. Author of several important esseys about Central and Eastern Europe transformation. His works were awarded many times in most prestigious contests, let me just mention World Press Photo or Picture of the Year International.

Huldar Breiðfjörð is born 1972 and lives in Reykjavík. He studied literature at University of Iceland and film at New York University. He has published three books: Góðir Íslendingar (1998), Múrinn í Kína (2004) and Færeyskur dansur (2004). Huldar has also written for the screen and sometimes makes documentaries.

Balcerek project

tomorrow, 16.01.2011 in Czytelnia Sztuki in Gliwice will take place a meeting summarizing documental project "Balcerek" organized by Gliwice House of Photography with help of Museum in Gliwice and Faculty of Sociology of University of Silesia in Gliwice. 

During year 2011 group of photographers (Maga Sokalska, Bartek Spyra and me) documented atmosphere of perhaps last months of existence of Balcerek bazaar, one of the last one of such in Poland.  

At the same time group of scientist and students of sociology under supervision of dr. Agata Zygmunt and Andrzej Górny performed sociological research.
Both groups were supported by Museum in Gliwice.

Bazaars like Balcerek were created in early 1990s when economical plan of prof. Leszek Balcerowicz was implemented - plan of transformation of Polish economy from real-socialistic central planned economy into free-market reality. 

Balcerek bazaars were created suddenly, almost from day to another, also in scale of few days in our cities started to appear products and goods we knew only from legends of those who travelled abroad (to the West of course).

We can openly say that thanks to those hundreds of brave and practical people who often decided to quite their jobs, change their lives and became sellers in Balcereks, Poland radically moved in other direction and made civilization leap.

Today, after 20 years Polish reality is completely different, full of fancy shopping malls, boutiques and restaurants.
Balcereks placed in very hearts of the cities, on most expensive area for urban development, with built ad hoc 20 years ago temporary, today half-destroyed structures are not fitting to this new reality.
Municipal and regional authorities tend to close and re-qualify those areas. It meets usually protests of Balcerek's workers and customers who are used to make shopping there for last 20 years.

Gliwice's Balcerek is one of the last ones, due to regional planning of building Inter-Silesian express road and plans of revitalization of this part of the city, the market supposed to be closed very soon.
Social protests delayed already this fact for few years, but it seems, we witness last months.

Balcerek project finished with the book shows the history and today's reality of the bazaar, shows the fates of people, their opinions, relations between them, their fears and hopes connected with unknown yet future of their place of work.

Czytelnia Sztuki, 16.01.2012 at 18.00h


Willa Caro
ul. Dolnych Wałów 8a
44-100 Gliwice, Poland
czytelnia@czytelniasztuki.pl
www.czytelniasztuki.pl

postcard from Kyoto

Fados das Sextas in Porto

Vernissage  on 7.05.11 at 21:30h
Associação Cultural "A Cadeira de Van Gogh"

Rua do Morgado de Mateus, 41 - Junto à FBAUP - Metro Campo 24 de Agosto

Porto, Portugal

Fado das Sextas

exhibition in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. F.8 Atelier. 19.03.2011 at 16.00h

there will be no winter

at least in our hearts :)

Chega de Saudade

happy B-Day Jeanne