Yes or No and Vice Versa | Jarosław Kozłowski

Jarosław Kozłowski’s new exhibition – Yes or No and Vice Versa – provides a continuation of his long-running, subversive play with the very concept of art. As early as in the 1970s, in his Art as Art manifesto, Kozłowski put forth fundamental questions about what art is and what it is not. In his view, art cannot be identified strictly with the notions of beauty and aesthetics. Instead, what is most important is the idea, even if it does not take material form. The artist’s intention and the awareness of participation in the language it creates are also significant. For Kozłowski, art can be a reflection on the idea of art: its language, form, and function. This is why the artist’s actions often take the shape of texts, installations, instructions, or documentation. Therefore – according to Kozłowski – that which does not carry reflection nor participates in artistic discourse – is not art. Thus, it is not an objective category, but rather an open expanse of meaning in which intentions, contexts, and communication play a key role. What we recognise as art need not be visually pleasing or permanent – it is sufficient that it provokes one to reflect. The artist points out that: “Art is fully realized in its contact with the viewer, whom I invite to join a conversation, a potential exchange of ideas. I therefore make an effort to be fairly transparent in my "statements" and to encourage discussions or debates.” curator: Marek Wasilewski