Between being and non-being
Opolno-Zdrój is a village located in the so-called Turoszów Panhandle, whose history has long been tied both to its healing waters and to the extractive industry. Once a renowned spa resort known as the “Saxon Cieplice,” in the 20th century it was overshadowed by the Turów mine and power plant. Over the decades, the town gradually lost its spa character, and today more homes, farms, and fragments of infrastructure face the risk of displacement and destruction. Residents live in a state of suspension caught between awaiting decisions from authorities and the mining company, and the desire to preserve the heritage of their place. This condition of “permanent temporariness” shapes everyday life and affects the experience of generations.
The project Between being and non-being grows out of this atmosphere of uncertainty and focuses on the local youth. Analog photography workshops became a tool for seeing their surroundings anew, capturing fragments of reality and personal points of reference. Armed with simple point-and-shoot cameras, participants documented what matters to them: landscapes, meeting places, details of nature, and everyday situations. Their frames reflect an intuitive, fresh perspective on a village threatened with gradual disappearance.
The exhibition juxtaposes these photographs with works created by artists using anthotype – a fragile technique based on photosensitive plant extracts collected from the abandoned grounds of Opolno. Since the images made with this process cannot be preserved, they become a metaphor for the fragility and uncertainty of the village’s fate. Together, the works form a portrait of Opolno as a space balancing between endurance and vanishing – a place where daily relationships and the memory of its residents are the only form of resistance against an impending transformation.
KWKO – an artistic duo founded by Alicja Kochanowicz and Maciej Kwietnicki. Their practice lies at the intersection of art, ecology, and social engagement, focusing on relationships with marginalized places such as wetlands, wastelands, and degraded areas. Rather than permanent objects, they propose processes, encounters, and ephemeral gestures that invite attentiveness, dialogue, and the discovery of new ways of coexistence.
Photographers:
Bartek Jadwisinczak, Filip Kwapiszewski, Lilia Kiślak, Maja Ligęza, Marianna Skwarczyńska, Hania Kalinowska, Bartek Białek
Anthotype and concept:
Alicja Kochanowicz, Maciej Kwietnicki
Opening:
27.09.2025 | 19:00
Opening hours:
Sunday–Thursday | 10:00–19:00
Friday–Saturday | 10:00–21:00
Velvet artcafe