Jerzy Kosałka

born in 1955 in Będzin, Poland; lives and works in Wrocław, Poland

After graduating from the Academy of Fine Art in Wrocław in 1981, where he specialised in painting, Kosałka immediately rejected this means of expression, which he considered not a particularly convincing medium and turned to interdisciplinary work instead. He started to build installations, create objects or use readymades employing different technologies and means of expression. He makes films and organises performances, he also creates art in the public sphere, which he considers a very important place for contemporary art. In terms of inspiration, he calls himself a realist-artist, since the surrounding reality is the main subject of his art. He interprets and processes this reality and in doing so, he often uses irony, which is his favourite artistic strategy. Lately, he has been particularly interested in the “site-specific” method, since he enjoys working on projects in which the local context of the presentation site is taken into consideration. One of the most interesting projects of this kind was the “Bioart and other works” exhibition in the Bomba art club in Kraków. The most spectacular of his latest projects was creating the “CosalCa-Club” in the Zero gallery in Berlin. At the opening of the club, female art curators, who had been previously recruited through a special competition, were pole dancing, while Kosałka presented a few performances, such as “Conjuring up a goldfish” or “The miracle of turning Coca-Cola into wine”, in which he used the classic technique taken from the magician’s acts. This technique is his favourite strategy to be employed in performances. Among the awards he has received, the one he finds most valuable is the Krystiana Robb-Narbut Foundation award, which was conferred upon him in 2010 in recognition of his independent artistic activity. Lately, after 30 years, he has returned to painting and his works prepared for the 2009 “Bielska Jesień” Biennale received four special awards from professional art journals.

What do contemporary people need art for?
Well, do they? I think that contemporary art constitutes a niche in visual arts, which are in turn a niche in art in general, which is itself a niche in culture, while the need of culture is a niche in the general needs of the society. How can you claim otherwise if society doesn’t spend even 1 per cent of its budget on culture?

Why do you create art?
Because it’s a space for Absolute Freedom for me.