Jerzy Grzegorski – Impermanent Pleasures

The latest works by Jerzy Grzegorski – one of the most important figures of the Polish and Lodz art scene, co-founder of the Wschodnia Gallery – prepared especially for this edition of Fotofestiwal.

“My photo objects are primaly made from other people’s photographic prints, disregarded images, ownerless photos, which were once meant for private purposes only. (…) I create from them a new situation, establishing a kind of understanding with the events contained in them. I collect, analyse and compose new contexts (…). The element of memory is always present in these photographs. How we interpret it also results from our communication with other people. Photography lets us use our memory records consciously and subconsciously and in this way widen our scope of interpretation.

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Jerzy Grzegorski – lives and works in Łódź. His areas of interest include installation, sculpture, photography, photo objects, and drawing.

Jerzy has presented his works at group and individual exhibitions in Poland and abroad, e.g., at the 1 st European Graphics Biennial in Grenoble, France, Site-Ations Artists Project in Cardiff, Under One Roof in Berlin, Żywa Galeria – łódzki ruch progresywny 1967-1997 at Zachęta Gallery, Construction in Process V – Co-existence in Mitze Ramon, Israel, Lombard-Freid – Fine Arts in New York, Museum of Contemporary Art in Israel, Construction in Process VI in Melbourne, Australia and the Łaźnia Centre for Contemporary Art in Gdańsk.

Together with Adam Klimczak, since 1984 he has been curating one of the longest-standing contemporary art galleries in Poland, the Wschodnia Gallery in Łódź. It remains one of the most important places for the avant-garde of Polish artists.

Jerzy’s works are part of the collections of Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, World Bank in Washington, the National Museum in Szczecin, Grenoble library, Exchange Gallery, “Moje Archiwum” Gallery, In Situ foundation, Dariusz Bieńkowski’s and many more private collections.

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Wschodnia Gallery, Wschodnia 29/3

DID YOU KNOW that Wschodnia Gallery is named after the street on which it is located?

Wschodnia (East Street) was created at the most important moment in the development of industrial Łódź, when a settlement for wool clothiers named Nowe Miasto (New Town) was established. It was a Jewish street with synagogues, Jewish schools and craft workshops. Today, Wschodnia starts from number 5. The buildings at number 1 once stood where today’s Park Śledzia (which means “the Herring Park”, officially: Old Town Park) is located, but were demolished at the beginning of the Second World War. 

Interestingly, Władysław Reymont lived on Wschodnia Street while he was writing his book “The Promised Land”. The neighbourhood was very likely his inspiration.  

The same street was also home to Józef Piłsudski, who was arrested in his apartment at number 19. From 1935 until the war, the street was named after him (there is a plate at the Narutowicza Street to confirm this). 

At number 29, the Wschodnia Gallery was founded in the 1980s.