The post-symposium exhibition of the 60th anniversary International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium was arranged in the corridor of the Bolesławiecki Ośrodek Kultury – Międzynarodowe Centrum Ceramiki. There was no room in the galleries, which had been occupied by an exhibition of new designs by ceramic artists from Bolesławiec.
It thus turned out that the prestige of ceramic sculpture and Bolesławiec’s oldest artistic event exists only in the declarations and speeches of dignitaries—in reality, 60 years of tradition is treated like shattered shards.
A corridor is a rather unprestigious and completely unattractive place for exhibiting works from such a venerable event. It is also very difficult to arrange. Cold light from outside enters through the bluish windows and contrasts with the warm interior lighting. As a result, the sculptures were inadequately displayed and lost some of their quality.
In the makeshift corridor space, only the large, powerful forms—that is, works by Janina Bany-Kozłowska, Emilia Krankowska-Niemiec, Máté Kovács and Michał Dziekan—just about managed to hold their own. They were placed on tall plinths and were simply visible.
The excellent and sizeable form by Aleksandra Białoń fared worse. In the overlit interior, on a low plinth, its contrasting texture and subtle coloring simply dissolved.
Other works were completely ignored. They were either placed too low, which prevented them from being properly displayed, or hung on a wall of an indifferent color, stripping them of all their qualities. This happened to the excellent works by Barbara Bednarowicz, hung on a wall the color of a rare turd.
The artist whose work was supposed to be the star of the 60th symposium was simply punished. “Fluidity” by Carla Chukwudum Onwordi from England, who in 2023 received the title Fresh talent at the British ceramics biennale, the largest event of its kind in the United Kingdom, was placed on the floor in a corner of the corridor, so that it could only be noticed once someone stepped on it.
Janina Bany-Kozłowska bids farewell to the Symposium
Janina Bany-Kozłowska, awarded the silver Gloria Artis medal in 2015 and one of the most significant figures in Bolesławiec’s artistic ceramics, successfully led the International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium for five years. From 2025 onward, the subsequent symposiums will be led by Michał Gdak (1980), an architect and sculptor.
“I never imagined that I would lead the International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium for five years,” said Janina Bany-Kozłowska at the exhibition opening. “I was full of doubts about whether I would manage. Especially since many outstanding artists had led it before me, such as my colleague Krystyna Gay-Kutchenreiter, whom I could never match,” the artist added.
Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter led the symposium for many years during its greatest period of prominence. She is an honorary citizen of the city of ceramics and was awarded the bronze Zasłużona Kulturze Gloria Artis medal.
The history of the Bolesławiec Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium
The tradition of organizing International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposiums in Bolesławiec has a long history dating back to 1963, when sculptor Jerzy Boroń initiated the Lower Silesian Symposiums. These gave rise to the culture of artistic gatherings in this part of Poland. The artists themselves, mainly sculptors who later actively participated in and helped shape them, worked on the programs of the first symposiums. Until 1967, Bolesławiec, Chocianów, Ziębice and Oleśnica were the most important centers hosting artists from across the country.
The symposiums always had a rich accompanying program. Exhibitions were organized alongside lectures and meetings with artists, as well as numerous discussions stimulating the exchange of ideas and inspiration. At the beginning of the 1970s, changes took place: conferences in Wrocław and special sessions in Bolesławiec were added, and the circle of invited guests was expanded. They included not only visual artists, but also sociologists, such as Prof. Władysław Misiak, writers, including Janusz Styczeń, distinguished art critics, including Jerzy Ludwiński and Antoni Dzieduszycki, and actors wishing to become involved in artistic activities in Bolesławiec’s public spaces.
There were also unusual events, such as sculptural happenings. The most memorable included “Inside” (2000), “Preserving Traces” (2002) and “Happy Tower” (2003). Over time, as ceramic artists took over the leadership, the symposiums transformed from national events into international ones, and artists began arriving in Bolesławiec from distant parts of the world, including Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Hungary, Germany, the United States, France and England.
Thanks to its consistent commitment to building artistic openness, Bolesławiec hosted more than 300 artists, significantly enriching the city’s heritage and prestige. The exceptional organizational standard and the symposiums’ influence on the development of modern ceramics were recognized in 2004 with the Lower Silesian Key to Success award.
Over the years, fewer and fewer artists have been invited to subsequent symposiums. It is clear that the event is being treated as a poor relation, while the city is stingy with funds for its development. Added to this is the organizer’s complete lack of competence in preparing important exhibitions—the organizer of the Symposium being the Bolesławiecki Ośrodek Kultury – Międzynarodowe Centrum Ceramiki.