Wolność (w małym formacie) (Freedom [in small format]) – post-competition exhibition
The organizer of the Visual Arts Competition for Bydgoszcz Artists is the Society of Cultural Initiatives in Bydgoszcz, and the co-organizer, since 2011, the Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz. This year’s competition was held for the tenth time. The themes of the previous ones: 2009 – The Yard at 62 Dworcowa St., 2010 – The Yard, 2011 – Bridges, 2012 – Inspired by Wyczółkowski, 2013 – Streets, 2014 – Home, 2015 – Us, 2016 ‒ Neighbours, 2017 ‒ Sources. Initially the competition was closed, that is several artists received an invitation to participate, and each was asked to create a work that was great or small in size. In 2013, the competition became open for a wide range of visual artists. At the same time, a small format of works was introduced (up to 2500 cm²) due to the small space of the Kantorek Gallery, where subsequent editions of post-competition exhibitions were held.
For this year’s competition, there were 45 works submitted – paintings, drawings, collage, graphics, sculptures, pottery, and photographies by 28 artists from Bydgoszcz.
The Jury composed of Prof. Aleksandra Simińska (painter) ‒ the president, Małgorzata Winter (art historian, curator of exhibitions), and Wojciech Woźniak (photographer, cultural expert), assessed the artistic values, composition structure, workshop quality of individual works. The thematic competition also imposed an evaluation of the artists’ interpretation of the word “freedom.” The combination of workshop and semantic analysis made it possible to select, in the opinion of the jury, the most interesting works ‒ non-standard in terms of subject and interesting in terms of formal solutions. The Jury awarded prizes and distinctions to six artists.

Winners:
1st Prize
Adam Strzałkowski
Freedom Leading, oil on paper, 20×30 cm
2nd Prize
Dariusz Gackowski
untitled, photography, paper, 30×40 cm
3rd Prize
Mateusz Chojnacki
Freedom, poster – digital print, paper, 42×30 cm
Distinctions:
Leszek Goldyszewicz
100 Years Later, from the Freedom series, oil on canvas, 60×40 cm
Ewa Grajnert-Hałupka
Taste of Freedom X, ink drawing on paper, 50×50 cm
Witold Jurkiewicz
Towards Freedom – Eaglets, photography, paper, 50×40 cm
The artists participating in the Freedom exhibition: