The Avant Art Foundation and the Polish Institute in Berlin organized the Polish Art Week, an event meant to showcase contemporary Polish avant-garde art in the German capital. However, the week-long festival, co-financed by Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, drew controversy after one artist’s performance was widely criticized as obscene. Social media users expressed disbelief, questioning whether such displays are truly representative of Poland abroad.
Controversial Performance
Polish Art Week in Berlin took place from June 16 to 23, featuring concerts, exhibitions, debates, and – as highlighted by the Ministry of Culture – “performative actions.” One of these so-called actions quickly caught the attention of online audiences.
The source of the outrage was a performance by Krzysztof Leon Dziemaszkiewicz, staged during the opening of the exhibition “Our Touch is a Feminists’ Touch” curated by Marta Smolińska.
The exhibition itself showcased works by Ewa Partum and Mehtap Baydu, and, according to official event materials, aimed to explore themes of memory, heritage, and the future.
What raised eyebrows among critics was the nature of the performance and the fact that the entire event was partially funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture, using resources from the Cultural Promotion Fund. Polish Art Week is also listed among the official events marking Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Ministry Presence
The festival opened with the Congress CULTURE – CHANGE – EUROPE, held at the Polish Embassy in Berlin and attended by Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Hanna Wróblewska.
“Culture, understood as the entirety of what builds the symbolic capital of free societies, is particularly important in overcoming conflicts between national communities – especially between the nations of Poland and Germany,” said Minister Wróblewska in her opening remarks.
She stressed that “history has taught us much, but culture gives us tools to build a shared future without forgetting the past. Culture is the glue that allows us to process difficult experiences, understand one another, and foster relationships based on trust.”
According to the Ministry’s official summary, the central theme of the Congress was the pivotal role of culture in building international relationships, particularly between Poland and other European nations, with an emphasis on Polish-German relations. The event included discussions on how art and cultural activity can be leveraged to strengthen international dialogue and cooperation, especially in the context of increased migration, armed conflicts, and transformations within the cultural sector.
The Congress featured two discussion panels: “Artists Across Borders – Cultural Sector Transformation in the Face of Migration (Institutional Perspective)” and “Artists Across Borders – Cultural Sector Transformation in the Face of Migration (Artistic Perspective).”
The event concluded with the opening of the contemporary Polish art exhibition “ELIXIR” at the NADAN Gallery in Berlin.