Constellations, Events, and Meteors: Art in Poland in the 1970s

In 2026, the Arton Foundation is going to publish a book entitled Constellations, Events, and Meteors: Art in Poland in the 1970s by Dr. Marika Kuźmicz. This comprehensive publication is planned as a discussion of various attitudes, events, and artistic situations that took place on the Polish art scene during the decade of the 70s. Of particular importance to the author are the activities of artists working in the field of so-called new media: photography, experimental and avant-garde film, video, and performance art.

A separate chapter of the book will be devoted to official and unofficial venues such as galleries and other types of ephemeral or long-lasting spaces that were most important on the Polish art map during this period, as well as events that changed its course. The author considers it particularly important to present the biographies, attitudes, and works that have been overlooked or marginalized in earlier literature on the subject.

The book will summarize 16 years of activity by the Arton Foundation and the research conducted by this organization in the private archival collections of artists active in the 1970s. Most of the visual material presented in the publication is the result of this research, and the text of the book is largely based on interviews conducted by the author with the artists between 2010 and 2026. The publication will be available in Polish and English.

Author: Dr. Marika Kuźmicz
Collaboration: Adam Parol
Editing, proofreading: Anastazja Oleśkiewicz
Translation: Karol Waniek
Proofreading: Barry Keane