Przemysław Kwiek

Born in Warsaw, 1945; studied (1963–1970) at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw under Prof Ludwika Nitchowa, Prof Oskar Hansen and Prof Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz. In 1971–1987 he formed an artistic duo with Zofia Kulik called KwieKulik – together they established the so-called “documented material-spatial-vital Activities in specified conditions (PK since 1967). The artist has been working on his own since 1988; he continues to develop both formal and conceptual pursuits of KwieKulik and earlier activities. He still regards all the “life events” as material for the “Art of Action”. He was the first to use the term “appearance” as a new art genre for a wide variety of visual performative and object arts. He himself records his own appearances with the use of different media, including photography. He is also one of the founders of Performance (since 1970) and a world famous performer. In the 1980s and 1990s he decided to include traditional elements and techniques to his means of artistic expression – these were “Bars” and easel painting which he used in an unconventional way as an element of subversion and “commitment” to express pessimism. In 1988 he led to the establishment of the Association of Artists Pursuing Different Arts (SASI), which gathers seventy or so most eminent Polish artists. In 1994 and 2001 he organized the Appearance Festival which was held in Warsaw’s National Museum. Together with Jan Rylk and Jan Piekarczyk he founded the Performance Club which organized numerous shows in Galeria Krytyków Pokaz, Kordegarda (Gallery) and XX1 (Gallery). Multiple winner of scholarship from the Minister of Culture; winner of Mayor’s Award at the 37th Painting Biennial “Bielska Jesień 2005” organized by Galeria Bielska BWA in Bielsko-Biała; participated in 12. Documenta in Kassel; also participated in the 6th Koln and Essen Festival called Meister und Stars der internationale Performance-Szene 2008. In 2010 he received a medal for his achievements for Piotrków Trybunalski.