The exhibition of Polish artists at Chiang Mai University Art Center is the third exhibition promoting Polish-Thai artistic exchange.
In October 2019, a group of artists from the University of Chiang Mai visited the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Maria Curie-Sklodowska: prof. Pongdej Chaiyakut, prof. Rossalin Garst, doc. Professor Thepsakdi Thongnopkoon, doc. Professor Chaivut Ruamrudeekool, doc. Professor Srijai Kuntawang, Dr. Pongsiri Kiddee, Dr. Nophaklao Srimatyakun, Mr. Trirat Sriburin, Miss Thanistha Nuntapojn, Mr. Amorn Thongpayong. Exciting and powerful graphic art by prof. Pongdej Chaiyakut, long-time dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chiang Mai University, was presented in the gallery of the Faculty of Arts at UMCS. The works of ten Thai artists, including paintings, graphics, sculptures and installations, were exhibited at the Provincial Library Gallery in Lublin. The exhibition was officially opened on 2nd of December 2019 at Chiang Mai University Art Center. The vernissage with their presence was honored by, among others Professor Niwes Nantachit, rector of Chiang Mai University and Polish Ambassador in Bagkok Mr. Waldemar Dubaniowski. The UMCS Faculty of Art was represented by prof. Artur Popek, curator of the three mentioned artistic events. The exhibition, which will last until the end of December 2019, presents artists - academic teachers professionally related to the environment of the Faculty of Arts at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University: doc. Professor Donat Kowalski, prof. Piotr Lech, doc. Andrzej Mosio, dr Anna Perłowska-Weiser, dr Sławomir Plewko, prof. Artur Popek, Professor Krzysztof Rukasz, prof. Krzysztof Szymanowicz, prof. Jacek Wojciechowski. The exhibition was enriched with the work of our friends from other academic centers in the country: Agnieszka Cieślińska and prof. Andrzej Węcławski from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, prof. Jan Pamuła and prof. Krzysztof Tomalski from the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts and prof. Chris Nowicki and prof. Jacek Szewczyk from the Wrocław Academy of Fine Arts. The colorful character Marcos Malinowski is an artist who is a kind of buckle - a Polish artist who in his youth emigrated to the USA, then to Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala, and has lived and worked in Chiang Mai for 12 years. It was not the goal to build an exhibition representative of Polish contemporary art. It is a rather interestingly composed set of works of art designed to interest the Thai recipient in Polish art and encourage him to further exploration of the subject. Exhibitions resulting from artistic exchanges between geographically and culturally distant countries are important for many reasons. In the era of globalization, some problems that were completely distant before are now discussed globally. Technical issues, workshop, used materials are recognized all over the world, because it is equally easy to buy the best Japanese woodcut paper, as well as Italian etching in Europe, the USA or Thailand. The most important, however, is the creative process, inspirations, cultural roots, motivations and emotions of everyday life - all those aspects of the artist's work that differ us and which we carefully look at. The differences that divide us become a source of constant inspiration and enriching our perception of the world and openness to the condition of modern man.
prof. Artur Popek
