COURAGE

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The collection of Art on the Streets in Poland 1962-2015 is a unique collection of photos documenting various manifestations of creative activities in public space from the last few decades. The creator of the collection, Tomasz Sikorski has accumulated an extensive photographic collection, which also includes photographs made available by other artists. The concept of "art on the streets" allows you to juxtapose self-employed graffiti and happenings, performances and installations created in the public space by avant-garde and neo-avant-garde since the 1960s.

The collection is about the activities of the Dziekanka Students' Art Center and Dziekanka Workshop (Pracownia Dziekanka) in the years 1976-1987. Under these two names was the same place, an extraordinary interdisciplinary artistic and educational laboratory, combining the debuting students of Warsaw's art academies and outstanding artists from Poland and abroad. Around the studio, a unique milieu was created, combining post-Fluxus artists interested in new media and avant-garde theatre ventures, but also painters and sculptors of new expression or punk music bands. The years 1976-1987 is the most intense, though the heterogeneous period in the history of Dziekanka, filled with exhibitions, performances, shows, discussions and social life. During this time Tomasz Sikorski was an active participant in events at Dziekanka, and from 1979 he was the co-director of the institution. Owing to his constant presence and managerial function, Sikorski gathered an extensive collection of photos and other materials documenting the functioning of the initiative, going beyond the definitions of independent galleries.

The photo collection on graffiti in Poland has been gathered by Tomasz Sikorski since about 1970. The great part of the approximately 1 500 photos was made in years 1970-1990. Sikorski has been up-to-date documenting the paintings occurring on the walls of Polish cities, both artistic and dominated by the political message, created by professionals as well as people without artistic background. On his photographies, one can see works by, among others, Włodzimierz Fruczek, Faustyn Chełmecki, „Major” Waldemar Fydrych”, Jacek „Ponton” Jankowski, Alexander Sikora, Krzysztof Skarbek and Sikorski himself.