Janusz Bałdyga
Belongings

Zachęta / workshop room (entrance through the main hall)
video presentation

When Janusz Bałdyga was presenting his first performance on 7th December 1981, he had no idea that in a few days General Jaruzelski will impose martial law. In this way, GENERŁ CENTER became a prophetic event. The young artist, just at the beginning of his artistic path, has offered an excellent diagnosis of the relations between authoritarian power and society. Bałdyga's action was observed by a small group of people, fortunately the film documentation of the event has survived, though it only captures its spirit to some extent. On the fortieth anniversary of the event, the artist reconstructed the performance in the studio of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. After watching the recording, it became clear that although the reconstruction repeated the scenario from the past, it turned out to be something completely new, independent and, most importantly, acutely up-to-date. It was given a new title, State of Possession, which is a quote from the author's text explaining the situations arranged by the artist. The final result is a four-channel looped projection quite different from the original linear narration, which intensifies the strength of the work.

Upcoming events
all
  • 14.10 (Tue) 18:00
    Surreal spaces
    (in Polish)
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)
  • 15.10 (Wed) 11:00
    Time for art
    (in Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta
  • 15.10 (Wed) 18:00
    S(a)ns sztuki
    in Polish
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)
  • 16.10 (Thu) 12:15
    Thursday Guided Tour of Current Exhibitions
    (In Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta
  • 17.10 (Fri) 12:15
    LOOKING / TO SEE – Guided Tour for Adults 60+ of the Exhibition “Joanna Fluder. Śluz”
    (In Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta
  • 17.10 (Fri) 17:00
    Zachęta signs!
    (in Polish)
    Zachęta – National Gallery of ArtZachęta
  • 17.10 (Fri) 17:00
    Craft and Resistance
    What Are Our Collective Dreams? | Opening weekend
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)
  • 17.10 (Fri) 18:00
    Screening of ‘Escorias’ (2025) by the Ciudad
    What Are Our Collective Dreams? | Opening weekend
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)
  • 18.10 (Sat) 12:00
    Vladyslav Gryn. Galas | Workshops with the artist
    What Are Our Collective Dreams? | Opening weekend
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)
  • 18.10 (Sat) 14:00
    Sewing as a form of resistance | Workshop in English and Ukrainian
    What Are Our Collective Dreams? | Opening weekend
    Zachęta / workshop room (entrance through the main hall)Zachęta / workshop room (entrance through the main hall)
  • 18.10 (Sat) 16:00
    BAZARCH
    Teatr Komuna WarszawaTeatr Komuna Warszawa
  • 18.10 (Sat) 16:00
    Radical Pedagogy
    What Are Our Collective Dreams? | Opening weekend
    Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)Zachęta | entrance from ul. Burschego (down the stairs)