For the week before the „Zdzisław Beksiński. Beyond the Dream” exhibition ends, the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz planned a series of events for fans of the artist’s work. We start on Friday, January 22nd, at 6pm, with a lecture by art historian Piotr Wąsowski on the art of Zdzisław Beksiński, with special emphasis on the works presented at the exhibition. A day later, at 5pm, we’ll meet Magdalena Grzebałkowska – the author of the best-selling biography „Beksińscy. Portret podwójny” („Beksińscy. A Double Portrait”). This is a real opportunity for the fans of Beksiński to learn more about the artist’s life, what kind of a man he was and what kind of relations linked him with his son Tomasz and wife Zofia. On Sunday, January 23rd, at 5pm, we’ll present the exhibition in an unusual way. Directed by the curators of the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz, we’ll deeply analyse selected sets of works by Zdzisław Beksiński, and then take part in a monotype workshop (it’s a technique Beksiński used). Admission is free for all three events.
Photo from the archive of the archives of the Historical Museum in Sanok

Friday, 22.01.2016, 6pm
Lecture on the art of Zdzisław Beksiński.
The lecture accompanied by a multimedia presentation will be devoted to the art of Zdzisław Beksiński, with special emphasis on the works presented at the exhibition. The speaker will be Piotr Wąsowski from the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz. The lecture will touch upon various fields of Beksiński’s artistic activity: from drawing and photography, to painting, sculpture and computer graphics. Particular attention will be paid to mature and late works of the artist, such as the fantastic period, represented in the exhibition by the largest set of works.

Piotr Wąsowski – art historian. Graduate of the University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń (History of Art) and Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz (Protection of Cultural Goods, specialised in historical monuments). He completed postgraduate studies in Culture Management within the European Union structures, at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Participated in the Academy of Perfect Project workshops carried out by the Office of the Creative Europe Desk Poland program. Works at the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz Curator of exhibitions, editor of art catalogues. Author of scientific publications and exhibition reviews. Teaches Computer Art Design at the University of Computer Sciences and Skills in Łódź (branch in Bydgoszcz). Member of the Jury of the National Festival of Joyful Hearts – a review of the artistic work of children and young people from care centres, organised by the Nowe Pokolenie foundation. .

Saturday, January 23rd, 2016, 5pm
Meeting with Magdalena Grzebałkowska, the author of „Beksińscy. Portret podwójny” (Beksińscy. A Double Portrait).
Magdalena Grzebałkowska – a journalist, writer, specialises in documentaries and biographies, lives in Sopot. The author of such books as: „Ksiądz Paradoks. Biografia Jana Twardowskiego” (Father Paradox. Biography of Jan Twardowski), „1945. Wojna i pokój” (1945. War and Peace). Winner of, among others, Grand Press for specialised journalism w (2009), Śląski Wawrzyn Literacki 2014 for „Beksińscy. Portret podwójny” („Beksińscy. A Double Portrait”).
„It’s not a book about a fashionable painter who used to paint weird, scary images. It’s not a book about his dark son, who was fascinated by death and tried to commit suicide for so long that he actually succeeded. Neither is it a book about obsessions, compulsions, phobias and artistic frenzies. Nor about career, money, exhibitions and critics. It’s not a book about strange emotional relationships, fascination with music and movies and new technologies. It’s not even a book about the people who used to write a lot of letters. It’s a book about love – the search for it, the inability to express it. And also about loneliness – loneliness so great that it becomes a wall no one is able to break through. That we sometimes really really want something, but it doesn’t work out. That sometimes life resembles death, and vice versa.”
Mariusz Szczygieł about the book: „Something wonderful happened to the mysterious Beksińscy after their death. Magdalena Grzebałkowska wrote a great, deep and daring journalistic book about them. Gold ore found a fantastic miner. Imagination and novels have nothing on this.”

Sunday, 24.01.2016, 5pm
Analysis of selected works of Zdzisław Beksiński and monotype workshops.
The Gallery curators will present the world of the Beksińscy, and together with the participants will analyse selected sets of works presented at the exhibition. The works of the masters will be discussed in terms of artistic technique and historical and biographical conditions so you can look at them from a completely different perspective. Next, the audience will be transformed into artists during a short monotype workshop. During the workshop, each participant will be able to create their own work modelled on Beksiński’s art.
Note: the number of places is limited, please register your participation by sending an email to tomasz.zielinski@galeriabwa.bydgoszcz.pl or calling 523393053
Marta Bindek – curator at the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz. Graduated in Graphics at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (2009). Since 2010, curator of exhibition and graphics works at the Municipal Gallery bwa. Apart from coordination of exhibitions and other cultural events, shed designs numerous publications (invitations, posters, brochures, catalogues etc.) and develops them for printing. The author of dozens of projects of catalogues. Since 2014, she teaches graphic design, visual communication and printmaking at the University of Computer Science and Skills in Łódź (Branch Campus in Bydgoszcz).