Now you can choose your favourite artwork from the Art Moves Festival 2012 the competition exhibition. This year we would like to invite you – our audience – to play with us. We are really curious of your opinion about the 10 selected works which are displayed now in Toruń. Which work is the most interesting, inspiring and stimulating for you? Which one is the best answer to the competition question: “Where is the meaning? At the top or at the bottom?”? Vote for your favourite artwork! That’s really simple. Press the like button beside the work which you like the most. Everyone is welcome to play with us!

VOTE HERE!

For five years now we have been presenting the most moving art works of the outstanding artists from all over the world in the public space. We use billboard – the symbol of the modern age of consumption – and change it into a symbol of consideration, reflection and a deep insight into ourselves and the surrounding reality. We want to reach out to ordinary people, those who do not usually attend art galleries and museums. We are driven by the belief that art can be very important to contemporary people, being a perfect resonator able to induce vibrations in the minds of the viewers, freeing people from their everyday routine and offering new perspectives on reality.

 

Art Moves is the only festival of art on billboard in the world. The festival’s programme features both the works of renowned artists and of young authors, who sent their works in for the billboard art competition. In this edition of the festival, we exhibited works of 20 artists from 9 countries. The works presented in the urban space during the festival were divided into two categories – the main exhibition and the competition exhibition.

 

The main exhibition:

Rirkrit Tiravanija / USA

Peter Liversidge / Great Britain  

Susan O’Malley / USA    

Alicia Eggert / USA

Christine Wong Yap / USA 

Joanna Górska / Poland

Anatol Knotek / Austria 

Rafał Góralski / Poland

Egor Kraft / Russia

 

The competition exhibition:

Michał Leśniczak, Maria Wawrzyniak / Poland

Przemysław Bukowski / Poland

Radosław Żubrycki / Great Britain  

Roy Meuwissen / Canada

Darya Zaichanka / Belarus / Austria 

Kevin Duff / Great Britain  

Taber Calderon / USA

Jerzy Skakun / Poland

Benjamin Bor / Hungary

Sayyed Mehran Zare / Iran

 

Billboard Art Contest attracts interest from artists around the world

784 artists from 62 countries entered the contest “Where is the meaning? At the top or at the bottom?”. We received 1450 art works from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia! The jury panel composed of artists and curators, including: Mark Titchner (artist, London, GB), Gavin Wade (artist-curator, Director of Eastside Projects, Birmingham, GB), Adam Niklewicz (artist, North Haven, Connecticut, USA), Joanna Górska (artist, curator,  Art Moves Festival art director, Toruń, Poland) selected 10 most interesting projects which will be exhibited on billboards in the competition component of Art Moves Festival 2012. The jury decided to confer the main award of 12000 PLN to Michał Leśniczak and Maria Wawrzyniak from Poland.

 

The opening

The official opening ceremony of the festival took place on September 14, at 7 p.m. in Brama Klasztorna. The event was accompanied by the concert of the Twilite. From September 14 till October 16, 20 art works were exhibited on specially installed  billboards on Rapacki Square, as well as on mobil billboards and LED displays. On September 13, we hold a meeting at 7 p.m. in Brama Klasztorna with the artists invited: Alicia Eggert / US, Christine Wong Yap / US, Susan O’Malley / US, Michał Leśniczak, Maria Wawrzyniak / Poland, Darya Zaichanka / Belarus, Kevin Duff / Great Britain, Egor Kraft / Russia, Roy Meuwissen / Canada, Joanna Górska i Rafał Góralski / Poland.

 Festival programme:

September 12 – October 16 – expositions of art works on LED screens (Kraszewski Street, Szosa Chełminska/NOT, Czerwona Droga/ Jan Paweł II Avenue)

September 12 – September 18 – expositions of art works on mobil billboards

September 13, 7pm – meeting with invited artists, Brama Klasztorna

September 14 – October 16 – expositions of art works on billboards (Rapacki Square, Chopin Street)

September 14, 7pm – official opening ceremony, concert of the Twilite, Brama Klasztorna

The festival has been co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Local Authorities of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region and Toruń Municipality.

The festival posters exhibited on Rapacki Square will be presented on the bilboards owned by AMS SA.

Partners: Plaza Toruń, STGU, CityCelebrity.ru 

Media sponsorship: AMS SA, Artysta.pl, Design Attack, Arteon, O.pl, cowtoruniu.pl, TVK Toruń, rynekisztuka.pl, Independent

Contact: artmoves@o2.pl

 

784 artists from 62 countries entered the contest “Where is the meaning? At the top or at the bottom?”. We received 1450 art works from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia!

The jury panel composed of artists and curators, including:
Mark Titchner /artist, London, GB
Gavin Wade / artist-curator, Director of Eastside Projects, Birmingham, GB
Adam Niklewicz / artist, North Haven, Connecticut, USA
Joanna Górska / artist, curator,  Art Moves Festival art director, Toruń, Poland

selected 10 most interesting projects which will be exhibited on billboards in the competition component of Art Moves Festival 2012. Here is the list of honoured artists:

Michał Leśniczak, Maria Wawrzyniak / Poland
Przemysław Bukowski/ Poland
Radosław Żubrycki / Great Britain
Roy Meuwissen / Canada
Darya Zaichanka / Belarus, Austria
Kevin Duff / Great Britain
Taber Calderon / United States
Jerzy Skakun / Poland
Benjamin Bor / Hungary
Sayyed Mehran Zare / Iran

The jury decided to confer the main award of 12000 PLN to Michał Leśniczak and Maria Wawrzyniak from Poland. 

The Festival starts on 14-th of September.

Congratulation for the authors of singled out works! Obviously, there have been many more examples worthy of display, it would be simply impossible, however, to present them all, even for technical reasons. We would like to say „Thank you” all artists who submitted their works and invite them for checking up for next year’s topic.

The Polish language - a project of a mobile exhibition prepared by a Polish art group, Galeria Rusz (Joanna Górska and Rafał Góralski) in cooperation with the British artists, Mark Titchner and Andrew D. Willett made a huge success in Great Britain arousing a lively interest among the British and among Polish emigrants!

The artists worked together on the notion of the Polish language, as the means of conveying myths, beliefs, thinking patterns and ideas characteristic of the Polish society, in order to bring the Polish culture closer to the British. To the surprise of the Polish artists, many British citizens can speak Polish! Thanks to their contacts with Polish immigrants they know such words as “thank you”, “hello” or “how are you?”.

By means of an innovative, mobile exhibition, the artists reached a very wide audience. The van travelled for six days (from July 13^th to July 18^th, 2012) across three British cities which have a significant Polish population – Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall. The route of the van ran along the busiest roads of the abovementioned cities. The British had an opportunity to get to know four works created by the artists involved in the project. As part of the project Mark Titchner presented his work Defend me from myself, Andrew Willett – I can’t make you happy, Joanna Górska – Let’s be the architects of our own misfortune and Rafał Góralski – Instead of digging our own grave let’s dig down to the source.

During the travelling exhibition, three longer stops were organized – in Birmingham by Eastside Projects gallery, where on July 13^th the project was launched, in The Public in West Bromwich and in The New Art Gallery Walsall in Walsall. In The Public the artists preparing the project met with local community. The British were stopping by the van with great interest and willingly carried out discussions with the artists.

While creating the billboards, the artists were inspired by the works and ideas of Polish writers, poets and philosophers including Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, Stanisław Lec, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Leopold Staff, Ignacy Paderewski or Józef Piłsudski. The project aimed at presenting Polish culture and language as a source of inspiration and up-to-date ideas carrying a universal message for every person. The authors assumed that the Polish culture, which is relatively poorly known in Europe, could be an interesting inspiration to create fascinating works of art, attempting to capture the spirit of contemporary socio-cultural changes. It seems even more significant because of the theme of suffering and unhappiness strikingly visible in the Polish culture (which is connected with the complicated Polish history). At present this theme is especially up to date, since we live in the times of crisis, uncertainty and social and living turbulences. Inspired by the Polish culture, works undertaking the topics of contemporary, traumatic experiences of many Europeans were created.

The organizer of the „Polish language project” is Fundacja Rusz and co-organizer is Toruńska Agenda Kulturalna.

The project was co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Partners: Eastside Projects, The Public, The New Art Gallery Walsall.

contact: artmoves@o2.pl

There is no entry fee. The Competition is open and all artists interested in billboard art are invited to take part. The works should be submitted by the 20th July, 2012 via electronic mail to the address: artmoves@tlen.pl

10 most interesting works will be displayed on billboards in the city space during the Art Moves Festival in September /October 2012 in Torun, Poland. The author of the most interesting work will receive the Main Award in the amount of PLN 12.000 (about EUR 2.850, USD 3.700).

Artists are invited to prepare an artwork in response to this year’s competition theme “Where is the meaning? At the top or at the bottom?”

The competition slogan can be treated as a metaphor of all the processes taking place in the world at the moment. We live in the time of crisis and we perceive it as a disease of sorts – a disease, we would like to treat as quickly as we can. On the other hand this “disease” can be the only chance for us to slow down a bit in our fast-paced world and think again about where we are heading and why we chose this particular direction. Are we happy with the way the reality we created works? Are we reaching for the top or for the bottom? Are we happy with the goals we are setting for ourselves? Are these goals ours or are they imposed on us? Where is the meaning? Can it be placed on a map? Has it evaporated? Does the meaning of our existence lie in the constant maximization of profit, accumulation of goods, consumption, wealth, being on top? Or can it be found in escaping, isolating oneself, denying reality, hiding and living in the middle of nowhere? Or maybe, it is better to find new solutions that would allow us to make a better use of the goods created and developed by humanity and use them so that they help us be happier, have better relationships with people, take care of ourselves, our loved ones and reality? How can we find a satisfactory solution? Where can we find the meaning?For more information see the Competition Rules.

 

Competition Rules                                                                                                           Entry Form

 

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The Polish language is a project of a mobile exhibition prepared by a Polish art group, Galeria Rusz (Joanna Górska and Rafał Góralski) in cooperation with the British artists, Mark Titchner and Andrew D. Willett.

Galeria Rusz is an art group based in Toruń, established by the two artists, Joanna Górska and Rafał Góralski. Their main interest is the creation and presentation of art in public space. Since 1999, they’ve been running their own billboard gallery in Toruń, where they exhibit their works. It is the world’s longest existing project displaying art non-stop on the same billboard. The artists have received numerous awards and art grants, and participated in many exhibitions in Poland and abroad.

 

Mark Titchner works across a range of media including public works, sculpture, installation and video installation. His works contain an extraordinary variety of messages, coming from song lyrics, philosophical and scientific treatises and occult religions. He has exhibited his works extensively in museums, galleries and public sites all over the world. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2006 and took part in the Venice Biennale in 2007.

 

Andrew D. Willett – an artist and designer. He is interested in using the means, technology and information delivery systems typical of mass communication to initiate a re-examination of our acquired viewing responses. He presents his artworks mainly in Great Britain.

 

The artists have worked together on the notion of the Polish language, as the means of conveying myths, beliefs, thinking patterns and ideas, characteristic of the Polish society, in order to bring the Polish culture closer to the British. The British society got used to the view of Polish emigrants, doing various kinds of manual works. The image of Poles as a labour force has crystallized in the minds of many British citizens. The exhibition prepared by the Polish-British group of artists strives to change the viewpoint about Poles and bring it to the attention of the British that Poles are not only looking for employment abroad, but  can also boast of rich tradition and fascinating culture. The artists want to present the culture and Polish language as a source of inspiration and up-to-date ideas carrying a universal message for every person. The authors assumed that the Polish culture, which is relatively poorly known in Europe, can be an interesting inspiration to create fascinating works of art, attempting to capture the spirit of contemporary socio-cultural changes. It seems even more significant because of the theme of suffering and unhappiness strikingly visible in the Polish culture (which is connected with the complicated Polish history). At present that theme is especially up to date, since we live in the times of crisis, uncertainty and social and living turbulences. Inspired by the Polish culture, works undertaking the topics of contemporary, traumatic experiences of many Europeans were created.

While creating the billboards, the artists were inspired by the works and ideas of Polish writers, poets and philosophers including Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, Stanisław Lec, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Leopold Staff, Ignacy Paderewski or Józef Piłsudski. By means of an innovative, mobile exhibition, the artists want to reach the widest audience possible. The van will travel for six days (from July 13^th to July 18^th, 2012) across three British cities which have a significant Polish population – Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall. The route of the van runs along the busiest roads of the abovementioned cities. The British will have an opportunity to get to know four works created by the artists involved in the project. As part of the project Mark Titchner will present his work Defend me from myself, Andrew Willett – I can’t make you happy, Joanna Górska – Let’s be the architects of our own misfortune and Rafał Góralski – Instead of digging our own grave let’s dig down to the source.

 

During the travelling exhibition, three longer stops have been planned – in Birmingham by Eastside Projects gallery, where on July 13^th 6–8 pm the project will be launched, in The Public in West Bromwich (July 13^th 12–2pm) and in The New Art Gallery Walsall in Walsall (July 14^th 12–3pm). In addition, a meeting with the local community and the artists invited to the project will be organized in The Public on July 18^th 12–2pm.

The organizer of the „Polish language project” is Fundacja Rusz and co-organizer is Toruńska Agenda Kulturalna.

The project has been co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Partners: Eastside Projects, The Public, The New Art Gallery Walsall.

www.artmovesfestival.org, contact: artmoves@o2.pl