–The new world, which might not yet exist, is already present within human thoughts – it’s leaning out in the dreams, reflexes and thought structures, which already adjust to the wings to come. The new painterly works by Paweł Baśnik are set within the anxieties of late anthropocene, fear of the end of one living and visual forms and beginning of others.
Digital revolution has undermined the classic “western” dichotomous division into nature and culture. It has created a fear of – not yet fully defined but already expected – digital world, and a new kind of “digital” visuals. Paweł Baśnik is reaching for antique tropes of metamorphosis and liquid transition of natural and human space, to form loose analogies with the posthuman topic of his works. He’s interested in the hybrid, mixed realities and the transgression. On the painterly level the artist is confronting the two visual traditions – the classic, painterly tradition and the new, emerging digital/virtual esthetics.
Baśnik’s paintings speak of the future at the feeling and imagination level. The artist is not attempting to use artistic tools to create a speculative prediction of a scientific ambition. He is rather working with the cultural codes and visual vocabulary.
curator: Antoni Burzyński
Pawel Baśnik (b.1992)
Wroclaw-based painter, whose works circulate around vanitatuve themes and historiosophical motifs. In the most recent series, the artist is referring to ancient motifs of transformation, discussing the dying biosphere transforming into new technicized life forms. The visuality of his paintings stretches between the pre-modern way of thinking about painting and the contemporary digital iconosphere.
Winner of many contemporary art awards, such as ,,Warto” plebiscite of Gazeta Wyborcza, the 3rd prize and the prize of Magazyn Szum at the 44th Biennial of Painting Bielska Jesień, and ”Emocje” prize awarded by Radio Wroclaw Kultura.
In addition to his individual artistic work, Paweł Baśnik is associated with numerous artistic projects. He is a co-founder of the painting collective Bezimienny (ig: @bezimiennyart) and the art group The Nihilist Church (ig: @thenihilistchurch).
pawelbasnik.pl
Selected solo exhibitions:
2022 SWAB Art Fairs, Pabellon Italia, Barcelona.
2022 Last People, Krupa Gallery, Wroclaw, Poland.
2019 Emerging Lines, Kunstraum Potsdamer, Berlin
Selected group exhibitions:
2023 Hyperspace, Stefan Gierowski Foundation, Warsaw.
2022 The Discomfort of Evening, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw.
2022 Tricking Time, Holden Garage, Berlin
2022 The Power of Imagination, Rondo Sztuki, Katowice.
2022 Deep into Painting II, National Museum Wroclaw.
2021 Bielska Jesień Painting Biennale, BWA Bielsko Biała
2021 Psychopomp, Ossolineum Wrocław
2021 The Night will Drive a Heart, Contemporary Museum Wroclaw
2021 Ken’s Aunt, Local 30, Warsaw
2020 Battlefield, BWA Bielsko-Biala
2020 Wiosna na osiedlu Bema, Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
2020 XIII Geppert Competition, BWA Wrocław Główny, Wrocław
2019 Young Polish Painting, National Museum in Gdansk.