Starting March 28, 2025, we invite you to Jan Kowalski’s exhibition “It feels warmer outside”, which is the result of the Audience Award from the 22nd SURVIVAL Art Review. In this exhibition, Kowalski explores the theme of growing up in an environment marked by alcohol. His works, presented at the Mieszkanie Geppertów gallery, hover between illusion and harsh reality, asking what remains of memories.
Jan Kowalski’s exhibition “It feels warmer outside” at the Mieszkanie Geppertów gallery is free to the public. The gallery is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. You’ll find it at ul. Ofiar Oświęcimskich 1/2, with the entrance through the courtyard.
A Table That Divides Instead of Unites
At the heart of the exhibition “It feels warmer outside” is a sculpture resembling a table—a household object traditionally symbolizing a place for gathering, spending time with loved ones, and nurturing bonds. However, Kowalski’s piece contradicts everything contained in the common Polish phrase “at the same table,” as it is made entirely from vodka glasses.
“Relationality, which the artist refers to, takes on grotesque qualities because it is mediated by alcohol: by intentionally induced altered states of consciousness, mental and verbal escapades, and ultimately – by addiction, which by its very nature significantly influences and eventually destroys the authenticity of any relationship,” says Michał Bieniek, the exhibition curator.
It feels warmer outside
Accompanying the central sculpture are three paintings in a magical realism tone. They imitate the windows of a room and depict a lake, a garden, and a forest – memories of solace, temporary escape, and the peace found in nature. Yet these are mere mirages; the atmosphere in the room gravitates toward the center, where a semi-transparent, shimmering beast lurks – a deeply internalized caricature, a mirror distorting and reflecting an entire life yet to unfold.
Audience Award for Jan Kowalski
The exhibition at the Mieszkanie Geppertów gallery is the result of Jan Kowalski receiving the Audience Award at the 22nd SURVIVAL Art Review for his work “land.pl – cheap clothes from the country.” For the past four years, the Art Transparent foundation has not only provided a financial prize but also made it possible for the Audience Award winner to present a solo exhibition at the Mieszkanie Geppertów gallery. Jan Kowalski’s win is especially significant, as the 22nd edition of the Review attracted over 20,000 visitors.
