The polish culture voice august 2013 - the polish culture
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
the
polish
culture
voice
august
2013
eht
hsilop
erutluc
e c i ov
the Polish Culture voice
from the publisher
Polish
Culture
Thriving
W hile it would be an exaggeration to say that
money makes the world of culture go ro-
und, public funds create special opportunities for
policy of the Polish government. He also discus-
ses the results of this policy, those already attained
and those expected to materialize in the future.
individuals and social groups to express themse- One of the examples of the government’s policy
lves. Of course, culture would also exist without on culture is the annual Culture Minister’s Award,
government support, but certain things would which is given out to artists and leading figures in
simply be impossible. the cultural life of the nation in recognition of the-
Ministries receive funds from the government ir lifetime achievements or outstanding achieve-
and use them to support various projects on the ment in a specific year. Briefly put, the award aims
basis of specific criteria. The distribution of this to single out and honor those who drive Polish
money is without a doubt is a political decision be- culture forward.
cause choosing goals and assigning public funds This year the minister has handed out 11 awards.
for them is the very quintessence of politics. We portray all the award winners in a special hall-
In a special interview in this section of the Vo- of-fame section to give readers a chance to find
ice, Bogdan Zdrojewski, the culture and national out more about those who make Polish culture
heritage minister, outlines and justifies the cultural thrive.
Published by WV Marketing Sp. z o. o.
Publisher: Andrzej Jonas
Editor in Charge: Witold Żygulski
Layout: Magdalena Jonas-Poławska
Address: Warsaw Voice S.A.
64 Księcia Janusza Street, 01-452 Warsaw, Poland
tel. (+48 22) 33 59 700
A publication co-financed by
ministry of culture and national heritage
www.warsawvoice.pl
voice@warsawvoice.pl All Rights Reserved ®
2
special guest
Nurturing
Culture
Bogdan Zdrojewski,
the minister of culture
and national heritage,
talks to Andrzej Jonas
and Witold Żygulski.
3
special guest
W
hat is the role of the the arts thought at the time that it percent of elementary schools are
government in shap- would be enough to abolish cen- in state hands, so the government
ing culture? sorship and political control to im- can and should ensure a good,
mediately create a cultural golden well-prepared and well-educated
In totalitarian systems, cul- era here. They thought that Polish audience for what culture has to
ture is designed to serve those culture in all its manifestations offer.
in power; its role is to sanction would fare well under free market A third factor is attention to how
and strengthen the authorities. conditions. But they overlooked the artistic community is educat-
Therefore, culture is treated as a one very important thing—that ed. In Poland, the government is
means to an end. Even when a the power of culture depends not responsible for virtually 100 per-
semblance of freedom is created, only on the talent of artists, but cent of such education at all levels,
it must serve those in power. In also on the education of the pub- from first- and second-level music
a democracy, those in power, if lic. The greatest losses we suffered schools to secondary schools for
they are wise, take advantage of in culture in the first two decades
culture and its resources, includ- of freedom resulted from ignor-
ing historical resources, and of ing the need for constant and all-
the talents of artists. In this way, round cultural education.
culture can strengthen the state
and the citizens. Polish history So what are the most impor-
shows just how important cul- tant tasks of the state when it
ture was for regaining statehood, comes to culture?
which we lost several times. Cul-
ture was of great importance to It needs to be strongly empha-
the strength of the state. sized that, in Poland, no one can
In Poland we have an economic replace the government in pro-
policy, a fiscal policy, a history tecting national heritage. Essen-
policy... the list goes on. However, tially all the national heritage is in
the word “policy” is not really well state hands. Public institutions—
suited to culture. Pursuing a policy including those run by the central
conjures up the idea of imposing government, local government
your own values on others, while or the church—are the owners.
we, politicians, use the values in- This makes us different from many
herent in culture. We do not build Western countries, where castles visual arts to fine arts academies.
culture by means of policy. or palaces are often owned by It is important to teach children
After the fall of communism in private people or foundations. In and young people to not only play
Poland and after the country re- our history, during wars, partitions an instrument, but also be part of
gained full sovereignty in 1989, [when Poland was under foreign teams or groups, which means
Polish culture collided with the control] and [Nazi] occupation teaching them teamwork. For the
culture of the Western world. To be [during World War II], we suffered last two years we have been grad-
able to compete effectively with tremendous losses in the field of ually introducing a system that
the West, whose culture had been culture and national heritage, so requires music school students to
largely shaped under free-market its careful protection is especially play with other students in vari-
conditions, other qualities had to important today. ous micro-bands for a few hours
be looked for. As Polish playwright Another very important task— a week. After three years, the sys-
Janusz Głowacki once said, “We’ve one that has been the most ne- tem is designed to cover all music
gained freedom, but we’ve lost glected in recent decades—is schools nationwide.
our appeal.” A large number of the effort to educate the public The last major responsibility of
people involved in culture and regarding culture. More than 90 the government in the field of cul-
4
special guest
ture is taking care of cultural facili- Over my five years as minister
ties. After 1945, practically no new I have been able to double the
facilities—theater buildings, opera expenditure on culture in Poland.
houses, concert halls and so on— Today I have a budget of around
were built in Poland. We merely zl.3.5 billion plus zl.1.2 billion for
adapted existing buildings, which specific projects.
were in various conditions, for this Of course, the most important
purpose; we rebuilt some of them thing is working with local au-
from ruin. So we had an enormous thorities, who spend considerable
amount of work to do after 1989. amounts of money on projects in
the culture sector in their regions.
What is the state of Poland’s In this team-up I carefully calculate
cultural facilities today? the money involved—in the case
It’s fair to say that no other European
country has made such a big leap
in terms of cultural facilities in the last 30-40 years.
Next year, I will be able to say that of each construction project the
Poland has joined the top five Euro- point is to have a clear picture of
pean countries in the field of cultur- how much the facility will cost to
al facilities. Poland will join the elite, operate once it is built. The rule is
especially in terms of music and that a local government needs to
museum facilities. Theater facilities provide a detailed cost estimate
have also improved. The only area in order to get the go-ahead for a
in which we are still behind other specific project. I want to avoid a
countries is visual arts. It’s fair to say situation in which financing allo-
that no other European country has cated for projects will not enable
made such a big leap in cultural fa- the facility to operate in the long
cilities in the last 30-40 years. term, for example, guaranteeing
enough money to pay musicians—
All this takes money. How the thing is to not only provide a
much does the government venue for them to perform, but
spend on culture? also pay them for their work.
5
special guest
When I took over as culture Do you have any preferences We also have the Culture Pro-
minister in 2008, I had to give up in your cultural policy, areas motion Fund, whose functioning
several large projects in the cul- about whose development you has undergone deep strategic
ture sector because they did not are particularly concerned? changes in recent years. For years,
have the proper economic justifi- the main audience for Polish cul-
cation. Over the last several years, I am fully aware that if I wanted ture internationally were Poles
we have built the Podlasie Opera to go down in history and be re- living abroad, and the most im-
in [the eastern city of ] Białystok, membered as a minister, a focus on portant “export product” of Polish
for example, but this is where we a specific area would help me with culture were folk [song and dance]
must draw a line—I cannot con- this. People would then say years ensembles. Today we are promot-
sent to two more operas. One later “oh that’s the one who helped ing culture according to new,
academy of performing and fine writers” or “the one who supported modern standards. The first event
arts in [the northwestern city of ] visual arts.” However, my intuition
Szczecin is enough; there is no and my belief is that I am not al-
money for more, because univer- lowed to make any such choices,
sities cannot be any poorer. Nor or show any such preferences in
am I allowing new college-level my work. I’m supposed to ensure
music schools to be established, fairness, which, of course, in the
because we have a very well- realm of art is doubly difficult. I’m
balanced situation today in terms concerned about making sure that
of the job market for graduates of the right conditions are in place for
such universities. Instead, despite talent to blossom in all areas of cul-
the demographic low, I have con- ture in Poland. The situation in the
sented to the establishment of visual arts is unsatisfactory, which
40 new first-level music schools. is why one of my priorities is to
Many parents are interested in create a Museum of Modern Art in
providing an education for their Warsaw as soon as possible. I think
children in this area, which is rare this is the most important cultural
in Europe. This, however, can be project in the country today.
explained by looking at the results
of surveys conducted among We’ve talked about money,
Polish teachers; they show that projects, facilities... what other where this new strategy was used
those who work in arts and mu- means of stimulating culture was the Year of Polish Culture in
sic schools tend to more strongly does your ministry have at its Israel. We sent some very young
believe in their students and their disposal? people there with a contempo-
talent, and have a much better rary repertoire. Even the classic
opinion of their students. The range is very wide. First, opera Madame Butterfly, directed
Financing culture also means there are various kinds of scholar- by Mariusz Treliński, was staged in
enlisting private donors, espe- ship programs for artists. As part of a completely new, non-traditional
cially for projects such as exhibi- such scholarships, we can support way. The audience appreciated
tions, concerts and films. Private the work of a young writer or poet that.
investors are also very helpful in who is writing at home. We can, Another such event showcased
recovering artwork abroad, for for example, buy a bow for Agata in Europe was the Year of Chopin,
example by buying works of art Szymczewska [a 28-year-old vio- designed along completely differ-
at auctions across Europe. For linist who won the top prize of the ent lines than before.
example, a collection related to Wieniawski competition in 2006],
Frederic Chopin has returned to so that she can make better use of Effective promotion of Polish
Poland in this way. her Stradivarius. culture helps the country and
6
special guest
its artists as well as all of soci- You also have special Culture
ety, giving it a cause of pride Minister’s Programs. What are
and satisfaction... these for?
Of course, we can be proud of The Minister’s Programs are
Polish artists. Sometimes I joke a way of dividing money from
that composers and conductors the Promotion Fund, around
such as Krzysztof Penderecki, An- zl.300 million a year, according
toni Wit, Wojciech Kilar or the late to certain priorities. All subsi-
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Wi- dies are awarded on the basis
told Lutosławski will never play of competitions announced by
as badly as the Polish national the ministry.
Sometimes I joke that composers and conductors such as
Krzysztof Penderecki, Antoni Wit, Wojciech Kilar or the late
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Witold Lutosławski will never play as
badly as the Polish national soccer team.
soccer team. If we ask people in One-third of this amount is for
Poland if they are proud of their historical monuments: of which
artists, they will certainly say yes. half is for religious monuments,
But when we ask a young Pole places of worship of all religions,
today of whom he is the most and the other half for the remain-
proud, he will much sooner ing sites—castles, palaces etc. The
name Robert Lewandowski [the money goes mainly for roofs, with
Polish soccer player who plays for foundations as the number two
Germany’s Borussia Dortmund priority. Above all we must save fa-
club] than Frederic Chopin. In my cilities threatened by destruction.
opinion, this is, first, the result of In recent years, we have recon-
a flawed education system, and structed more than 600 historic
second—of poor promotion of roofs for this money.
the greatest artists, especially in The next one-third of the total
the public media, even though pool, or about zl.100 million, goes
this should be their duty and part for cultural and artistic education
of their mission statement. in the broad sense—facilities,
7
special guest
supporting children’s creativ- when I took over [as culture min- choices are important indica-
ity, purchase of instruments, ister] I decided to do away with tors of what is happening in the
theaters for children, etc. The this strict division into categories. realm of culture, what trends are
remaining funds are distributed At the moment, the awards jury particularly valuable.
to help smaller programs such proposes two to three names for
as Polish heritage abroad or to each category. Then we sit down So in what state is the world
support reading—of magazines, at the table at the ministry with of Polish arts and culture
books and translations from Pol- other reviewers and choose from today?
ish into foreign languages. We among the candidates the top
also finance an unprecedented personalities behind the success Being the culture minister in
program which is being devel- of Polish culture the year before. Poland today is an honor. As for
oped at the moment, thanks to
which children under 16 years
of age will be able to enter most
museums across Poland for a to-
ken one zloty. Studies show that
if parents wanted to show their
children all the most important
museums for their education—
such as [Cracow’s] Wawel [Cas-
tle], the Wieliczka [Salt Mine], [the
castle of the Teutonic Knights] in
Malbork, Auschwitz-Birkenau [the
former Nazi death camp] and the
Panorama Racławicka [painting
by Jan Matejko depicting the
Battle of Racławice fought dur-
ing a Polish uprising against Rus-
sia in 1794]—they would have to
spend amounts posing a major
burden on their household bud- The nominees are not disclosed the external, international re-
gets, especially for large families. to the public; we only disclose sponse, this is particularly posi-
the names of the winners. Each tive in relation to the world of
Your annual Culture Minister’s receives a statuette and zl.40,000 music, especially classical music.
Awards for artists and those in prize money. We have philharmonic orches-
shaping Polish culture aim I try to make sure that all fields tras of European stature today, of
to recognize outstanding of culture and art without ex- which we can be proud. We have
achievement. What exactly ception are represented. It has world-renowned opera soloists
are your criteria for giving happened, for example, that the such as Aleksandra Kurzak, Ewa
out these awards and what award was given to an architect, Podleś and Mariusz Kwiecień as
results have they produced? Stefan Kuryłowicz [killed in an well as Piotr Beczała, one of the
air crash in June 2011], whose award winners this year. Once
Originally, the awards were di- projects literally dominated the we could only dream of seeing
vided into categories. But obvi- year. This year, one of the awards so many Poles performing at the
ously there are years when three went to Anna Bedyńska, the first world’s top venues such as Mi-
phenomenal films are produced photographer to win. lan’s La Scala or the Metropolitan
and not a single prominent the- Choosing the winners is not Opera. Now it’s all come true—
ater production, or vice versa. So an easy process. However, these Polish soloists are employed
8
special guest
there on a regular basis and are Jarzyna and Krzysztof Warlikow-
very highly rated there. And an ski, who are in their fifties; as well
increasing number of world- as young, beginning artists. In
class musicians, both soloists music, we have Krzysztof Pen-
and ensembles, are coming to derecki, but we also have Paweł
Poland. Mykietyn, who is in his forties.
When we look at Polish the- In film, we have Andrzej Wajda
ater, it’s enough to take a glance as well as Wojciech Smarzowski,
at the most important European who is in his 50s, and Jan Ko-
festivals such as those in Avi- masa, in his 30s. Ten years ago
gnon and Edinburgh to see that we made a dozen or so films a
Polish productions are the most year; now more than 60 are pro-
important and most highly rated duced. When it comes to pro-
there year after year. ductions of our own, we are now
Polish film, after some lean number four or five in Europe.
years, has emerged from a crisis. In fact, Poland has become the
We may not yet have an Oscar, only European country where lo-
the most important film award cally produced films attract more
in the world, but we have already viewers than American movies.
had some nominations. It’s very Polish film festivals are also very
important that we have people highly rated.
from all generations in all areas Polish artists such as sculptor
of culture today. In theater, we and performance artist Mirosław
keep recalling the work of Tade- Bałka exhibit their work in the
usz Kantor and Jerzy Grotowski, world’s largest galleries such as
neither of whom is with us any- the Tate Modern in London and
more. We also have a generation the Museum of Modern Art in
in their seventies—Krystian Lupa New York.
and Maciej Englert; Grzegorz ■
9
Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Patron of the Arts
Jan Kulczyk
“I
want to protect culture from the banality of everyday life,
from people lacking imagination, from politicians who
perceive it only as relevant to the here and now. I always
try to think in terms of future generations, to recognize
that what we do has a significance beyond the present
day. I always dreamed of becoming a pianist, but that didn’t work out.
Instead, I’m very interested in architecture, which is like the shaping
of space, the shaping of the future. It is the most amazing thing that
a person can do.
Supporting culture does not require business plans, loans, or sur-
rounding oneself with lawyers. It is something unique in that its results
are immediate and unimaginable. I think that in the globalized world
within which we find ourselves, there can be nothing more national.
Polish culture, which is known around the world, should be our objec-
tive and concern. Dealing with it is not just a pleasant obligation, but an
obligatory pleasure.”
Patron
● Kulczyk, 63, has been Poland’s wealthiest businessman for more than a decade. He is the owner of the
Kulczyk Holding company and of the Kulczyk Investments international investment group. In 2013, the U.S.
business magazine Forbes ranked Kulczyk 384th among the world’s wealthiest people, estimating his fortune
at $3.5 billion.
Kulczyk is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and of the Depart-
ment of Foreign Trade at the Poznań University of Economics. He has a doctorate in international law.
Kulczyk’s business today is primarily in energy, oil and gas as well as in real estate and infrastructure invest-
ment projects. Kulczyk is the only Polish business tycoon with global operations. He invests in companies ac-
tive in the extraction of oil, gas and mineral resources in 27 countries on four continents.
Kulczyk is the co-founder and two-time president of a business association called the Polish Business Round-
table (Polska Rada Biznesu).
For many years, Kulczyk has donated considerable amounts of money to Polish scientific, environmental and
arts projects. For example, he was one of the biggest donors for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in
Warsaw and other leading cultural establishments in the Polish capital, including the Wielki Theater/National
Opera and the Polski Theater.
10Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jan Kobuszewski
“I
would like to thank everyone for bearing with me during
my 56 years on the stage. Today, many actors write books or
work as directors. I am among those who work exclusively
on the stage—I am what they call a performer. Neverthe-
less, I would like to dedicate my award to all my colleagues,
living as well as those passed away, as well as those who are yet to come.
Culture is something that actors like me pass on to others.”
Lifetime
● Born in 1934, Kobuszewski is a theater and film actor as well as a singer and a comedian. A graduate of the
National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw, he worked as an actor at theaters in Warsaw including the Młoda
Warszawa (Young Warsaw) Theater (1956-1957), Klasyczny (1957-1958), Polski (1958-1964 and 1969-1975),
Wielki (1964-1969), as well as the Nowy Theater in Łódź (1975-1976) and the Kwadrat Theater in Warsaw (from
1976). Linked with popular comedy acts Dudek and Kabaret Olgi Lipińskiej (Olga Lipińska’s Cabaret). From
1963, co-host of Wielokropek (Ellipsis), Poland’s first series of satirical television shows.
Narrator for the Bajka dla Dorosłych (Fairy Tale for Adults) series of humorous television programs popular in
the 1970s and ‘80s.
Co-host of the Macie co chcecie (Got What You Want) entertainment show, broadcast in 1997-2002 by private
television broadcaster Polsat.
11Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
music
Piotr Beczała
“In
my profession, being a celebrity is very danger-
ous because, regardless of whether we want it or
not, we are hard-working singers. It is very diffi-
cult to predict what will happen with your voice
or personality in five or six years. I am very care-
ful. My career is developing very slowly, but I am in control. In my profes-
sion, it’s great that I can suddenly receive a phone call and learn that I’m
going to Milan or that I may be suddenly offered a contract. More often
than not, however, there are no surprises. Contracts are already signed
and lying in a drawer somewhere—but that’s life.”
music
● Polish lyric opera tenor, born in 1966. Beczała graduated from the Academy of Music in Katowice under Prof.
Jan Ballarin. After graduation, he left for Linz, Austria, where at the local Landestheater he took his first steps
on the professional opera stage and honed his vocal technique. Since 1997 he has been linked with the opera
in Zurich, where he lives.
He has performed at venues including the Metropolitan Opera in New York (making a debut in Giuseppe
Verdi’s opera Rigoletto Dec. 19, 2006), the Covent Garden Theatre, the San Francisco Opera, as well as in operas
in cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich and Milan’s La Scala.
Beczała has performed in many operatic roles, including as Alfred Germont (La Traviata), Duke of Mantua
(Rigoletto), Rudolph (La Boheme), Werther (Werther), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Vaudémont (Iolanta), Jenik (The
Bartered Bride), Shepherd (King Roger), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Belmonte (The Abduction from the Seraglio),
Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Orombello (Beatrice di Tenda), Italian singer (Der Rosenkavalier), and Camille de
Rosillon (The Merry Widow).
12Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Photography
Anna Bedyńska
photography
“I’m
a very direct person and I love people—
they can sense that. Besides this, people
eagerly tell their stories, you just have
to stop and listen. I get a lot from my
heroes. When I was photographing the
cancer ward of a children’s hospital... there were times when I didn’t
even have the nerve to take out my camera.”
● For 10 years a photojournalist with Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza daily. A graduate of English studies at the Uni-
versity of Warsaw and of photography at the Łódź Film School and at the school of reportage at Warsaw’s pri-
vate Collegium Civitas university. She has many prestigious awards to her name, including the top prize in the
Grand Press Photo 2005 press photography competition and an award from National Geographic magazine.
She teaches photography at the Department of Press Photography at the University of Warsaw. She specializes
in photography dealing with socially sensitive and taboo subjects. For example, she has used her camera to
zoom in on gays, nightlife, brothels, strippers and male prostitutes.
She has also photographed women at childbirth and dying people. She is known for her series of photographs
called Rodzić po ludzku (Giving Birth with Dignity), Umierać po ludzku (Dying with Dignity) and Dzieciaki do
domu (Homes for Kids). These photographs, part of public awareness campaigns launched by Gazeta Wybor-
cza, initiated debates and broke taboos with regard to subjects such as death and childbirth. People and their
lives have always been at the center of Bedyńska’s interest and she approaches the human being with great
care and respect, arguing that everyone is good story material, it’s just that a photographer needs to pause for
a while to discover it.
For several years Bedyńska has been paying special attention to the situation of women in the modern world,
hence her projects Z dzieckiem pod biurkiem (Bring Your Baby to Work)—about women returning to work after
maternity leave, Tata w akcji (Dads in Action)—about fathers who stay at home with their children while their
wives climb the career ladder, Matkopolko (Polish Mother)—focusing on women trying to juggle careers with
home and family to become an ideal “Polish mother,” meaning a woman able to reconcile her private and pro-
fessional lives while waiting hand and foot on her husband and children.
13Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Film
Marcin Dorociński
“I
always trust my intuition. You never know when a light bulb
will go off in your head and you’ll start identifying with the
character you’re portraying. I think I’m quite flexible, but I
need to know the story behind the role I’m supposed to
play. I don’t need to be told the whole story because I like
short instructions, but I need to know the overall direction in which
I’m heading.”
film
● A popular, critically acclaimed 40-year-old theater, film and television actor. Debuted in 1996. From 1997 to
2011 he performed at the Dramatyczny Theater in Warsaw. In 2011, he began working at the Ateneum Theater
in Warsaw. Member of the Polish Film Academy. Known to Polish audiences primarily for his roles in films such
as Wojciech Smarzowski’s Róża (Rose), Maciej Wojtyszko’s Ogród Luizy (Louise’s Garden), Marcin Kryszałowicz’s
Obława (Manhunt) and in the television series Pitbull by Patryk Vega, about a contemporary Polish criminal
police unit.
Dorociński has been nominated for an Eagle, the most prestigious Polish film award, for his role as Corporal
Wydra in Obława, a specialist in executing Germans and Poles collaborating with them on behalf of the Polish
underground movement during World War II.
Dorociński also plays Colonel Ryszard Kukliński—a Polish army officer who spied for the Americans under com-
munism, serving as one of the CIA’s most important spies behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War—in Jack
Strong, a film by director Władysław Pasikowski to be released in 2014.
14Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Literature
Andrzej Franaszek
“The
work of a biographer can be com-
pared to the work of a detective.
It is the specific act of tugging at
the past so that it doesn’t become
a forgotten memory. I am very
literature
pleased that I will receive assistance with my next book about the poet
Zbigniew Herbert. I promise that it won’t take me 10 years to write it.”
● Born in 1971, literary critic, author of Miłosz. Biografia (Miłosz: A Biography), about Czesław Miłosz, the Pol-
ish poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980. Franaszek collected material for the book for over 10
years—in Poland and Lithuania, France and the United States, where Miłosz lived and worked for years. Fra-
naszek got in touch with just about everyone who had something important to say about Miłosz. For example,
he explored the archives of Yale University’s Beinecke Library and visited the Paris suburb of Maisons-Laffitte,
the headquarters of Paryska Kultura (Parisian Culture), a leading Polish émigré monthly with which Miłosz was
associated for several decades. Franaszek also sifted through the poet’s copious correspondence. He put the
material he collected to good use, penning a captivating portrait of Miłosz without overburdening the reader
with too much information. He has been nominated for the Nike, a major Polish literary award, for the book.
Franaszek is a graduate of Polish studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. He has a Ph.D. in the hu-
manities. Apart from Miłosz, he specializes in the work of other contemporary Polish poets, including Zbigniew
Herbert.
15Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Folk arts
Jan Gaca
“M
usic must be lively and energetic. Music should
be going all night at weddings. Despite playing
at more weddings than I can count, I was never
beaten up. In rural areas they say this is a miracle.
Music comes to me as if a friendly ghost put the
songs in my head. I’m self-taught and learned everything by ear. I am
very thankful that my music reached the minister’s ears. Thank you for
the recognition.”
folk arts
● The oldest of the Polish Culture Minister’s Award winners, Gaca, aged 80, is a talented wedding musician
hailing from the village of Przystałowice Małe in the central Mazovia province. A self-taught fiddle player, Gaca
is one of a handful of authentic violinists in the Radom area, some 100 kilometers south of Warsaw. Gaca’s mu-
sic is dynamic and lively. He has been playing the violin since the age of 16, learning music from members of
his immediate family—who make up Kapela Gaców (The Gaca Combo), with whom he has performed.
Gaca’s repertoire includes many old folk dances, especially obereks, mazurkas and polkas. He teaches the
fiddle to people fascinated by folk music and linked to the Dom Tańca (House of Dance) association. In 2012,
Gaca released an album entitled Muzyka odnaleziona (Music Rediscovered). A participant at various folk music
festivals and overviews. A multiple award winner at the Festival of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz Dolny,
southeast of Warsaw, in Lublin province. Winner of the Oskar Kolberg Award given out by Poland’s Association
of Folk Artists and named after a 19th-century Polish ethnographer.
16Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Promotion of culture
Marek Gaszyński
“I
love jazz. I have spent my whole professional life with jazz
music. When Poland was under communism, I dreamed that
American jazz, in its free form, would one day reach Poland.
This is what ultimately happened. Today, my goal is to open
a jazz museum in Warsaw. This would be a mecca for fans, a
great Warsaw landmark.
Promotion
Maybe music journalists in Paris or London lead more interesting lives,
but I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t take back a single day that I
spent in Poland.”
● Born in 1939 in Warsaw, Gaszyński is a popular Polish journalist and music presenter, author of lyrics for over
150 songs and of books about music. An expert on the history of Polish popular music, he graduated from the
Faculty of Philology at the University of Warsaw.
He started working as a journalist in 1958. In 1962, he became a music journalist for public radio broadcaster
Polskie Radio. He hosted music programs for the radio and wrote articles for daily newspapers and music
magazines.
In 1964, he began writing lyrics for popular music performers. The first song he wrote was “Czy wiesz” (Do You
Know?) for music by top Polish singer Czesław Niemen. Over the past few decades, songs with Gaszyński’s
lyrics have been performed by popular Polish music bands and singers, such as Breakout, Budka Suflera, Czer-
wone Gitary, Halina Frąckowiak, Helena Majdaniec, Bogusław Mec, Wojciech Gąssowski, and Niebiesko-Czarni,
as well as Niemen. Tracks with Gaszyński’s best lyrics have been released on the albums Marek Gaszyński przed-
stawia swoje przeboje (Marek Gaszyński Presents His Hits) and 40 lat z Polskim Radiem i piosenką (40 Years with
Polish Radio and Song).
In 2006-2007 Gaszyński was CEO of private Warsaw radio station Radio dla Ciebie (Radio for You).
17Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Theater
Maja Kleczewska
“I
don’t like boring, safe and predictable plots in theater. The-
ater is precious because living people speak to other living
people in a single space. After the theater, one should feel
moved and spurred towards reflection, or at least conflicted
with the authors or oneself. To consider a theater piece seri-
ously, the audience must be considered as a partner.
I am very pleased because this award encourages anyone who is in-
clined towards taking a risk with theater. I’m happy that we still believe
that theater is not merely a product and that culture should not be mea-
sured by box-office revenue.”
● Kleczewska, 40, is a Polish theater director, a University of Warsaw psychology graduate and a graduate of
theater
the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Cracow, where she studied to be a director.
She made her debut as a theater director in 2000 with Jordan by Anna Reynolds and Moira Buffini, staging
the production at the Juliusz Słowacki Theater in Cracow to considerable critical acclaim. Her work staged
in theaters across the country also met with a positive response. This included Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest at the Szaniawski Theater in Wałbrzych, Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull at the Norwid Theater in
Jelenia Góra, Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Jan Kochanowski Theater in Opole, and Sarah Kane’s Blasted at the
Stary Theater in Cracow.
In 2006 Kleczewska was among the winners of the Paszport award from the Polityka weekly magazine, one of
the most important awards for young artists in Poland.
In February last year, Kleczewska directed Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Polski Theater in Bydgoszcz at the
end of the 16th Shakespeare Festival in that north-central Polish city.
18Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Visual arts
Goshka Macuga
“I
have been in London for 20 years but my career only began
in 2005. My exhibitions and projects were created in the last
eight years. I think that innovation and creativity are closely
related with feelings of insecurity. Everything is subject to
visual arts
change so we should be constantly experimenting and trying
to fight against our own selves, as it were. Through this, we rediscover our-
selves, as if we are leaving and returning with a different message and a
different perspective. We must always be searching for something more.”
● Goshka Macuga is a Polish-born visual artist living and working in London. She was born in 1967 in Warsaw
as Małgorzata Macuga. She studied at Central Saint Martins School of Art and at Goldsmiths College in London.
In 2008, she was among the four nominees for Britain’s prestigious Turner Prize. She has exhibited her work in
venues including Whitechapel and Tate Britain in London as well as Kunsthalle Basel in Basel, Switzerland. In
April 2011, Macuga opened a solo exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also
slated to take part in the next Documenta exhibition of modern and contemporary art, which takes place every
five years in Kassel, Germany. Winner of the 2011 Arnold Bode Prize at Documenta in Kassel. The prize is named
after the founder of the exhibition and is awarded every two years to artists for outstanding work in contem-
porary art by the Kassel-based Arnold Bode Foundation.
In her work, Macuga combines the roles of an artist, curator, collector, researcher, and exhibition designer. She
creates complex projects based on archival, historical and scientific material as well as on films, photographs,
objects and sculptures, installations, architecture, history of art, tapestries, her own works and those of other
artists. She puts all these into new contexts, combining past facts with contemporary reality and problems,
highlighting similarities and relationships, revealing what is hidden or repressed. She belongs to a group of
contemporary artists who refer to the formal traditions of modernism. Her exhibitions are often sparing in form
and made up of many layers of meaning that are not easy to identify but open a wide field of interpretation
for the viewer.
19Polish Culture Minister’s Award: The Winners
Preservation of cultural heritage
The Archeology
of Photography
Foundation
Karolina Ziębińska-Lewandowska:
“T
foundation
he work of the Archeology of Photography Foundation is
mainly based on sifting through photography archives.
It isn’t just about organizing everything, but about
uncovering the hidden gems of Polish photography. “
● The Archeology of Photography Foundation is the first institution of its kind in Poland. It was founded in August
2008, in response to a need to protect and bring to light archives left behind by leading Polish photographers.
The objectives of the foundation are:
• To make the heritage left behind by photographers accessible;
• To initiate art and research projects on the basis of these archives;
• To convert the work of photographers into digital form and make them accessible via online databases;
• To archive and preserve negatives, positives and documents;
• To develop archiving standards for photographs.
The foundation is conducting research into the photographs and documents of Zbigniew Dłubak, a key fig-
ure in the postwar history of photography in Poland. It is also setting out to explore archives of work by Zofia
Chomętowska, Maria Chrząszczowa, Janusz Bąkowski, Wojciech Zamecznik and Tadeusz Sumiński.
Over the past five years the foundation has built a major center for collecting and protecting photographs,
positives, negatives and documents as well as for spreading the word about the legacy of leading Polish pho-
tographers and making these available to the public in an affordable and engaging way. One of the founda-
tion’s strengths is that it has a creative and innovative approach to photographic archives and makes these
available in a way attractive to contemporary audiences. The foundation’s work and projects contribute to
educating people about the Polish tradition of photography, finding new contexts for it and so becoming part
of the ongoing academic and cultural discourse.
20Polish Culture Minister’s Award
History
of the
Award
The
Annual Award of the Polish Culture Minister has been
granted since 1997 to artists and leading figures in the
cultural life of the nation in recognition of their lifetime
achievements or outstanding achievement in a specific
field in a specific year. This prestigious award allows the Culture and National
Heritage Minister to highlight the most important trends and developments in
Polish culture by honoring those who represent them and drive them forward.
The award is presented by the minister. He may decide to name the winner him-
self or on the basis of suggestions from artistic communities, associations, cultur-
al institutions, universities, school superintendents, government administration
bodies, local government authorities, research institutes linked with the Ministry
of Culture and National Heritage or the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Award winners to date have included leading Polish writers, musicians and
artists such as novelist Tadeusz Konwicki, poet Julia Hartwig, jazz trumpeter
Tomasz Stańko, sculptor Mirosław Bałka, actress Magdalena Cielecka, Stanisław
Barańczak—a translator of English literature, and singer Ewa Demarczyk. As of
2012, the awards ceremony is held each year in the Kubicki Arcades area of the
Royal Castle in Warsaw and is broadcast live by specialty public television chan-
nel TVP Kultura, which focuses on culture.
21Polish Culture Minister’s Award: 22
The Winners 2013
23You can also read
