Despite such a long tradition and the popularity of this practice, it has evoked discussions and disputes in artistic circles, especially in recent years, with some participants appreciating it as creative activity and a sign of freedom in culture, and others treating it as an act of piracy, or theft of intellectual property. The exhibition raises questions about the issue of originality, copying and reproduction, appropriation of works of art in the light of copyright law, and finally, the most essential issue – the problem of artistic freedom. The word ‘cannibalism’ present in the title of the exhibition is derived from critical studies of the eras of colonialism and post-colonialism – a period of absorption of the heritage of foreign cultures. In the case of the exhibition, the term refers to appropriations or borrowings of the works of other artists. In the colloquial sense of the word, ‘cannibalism’ bears negative connotations and contains an element of violence. One might ask if the strategy of appropriation so widely practised in contemporary culture is an act of violence of sorts – against the appropriated works and their creators.

artists: John Bock, Cezary Bodzianowski, Candice Breitz, Jordan Doner, Gardar Eide Einarsson, Jack Goldstein, Douglas Gordon, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Hold Your Horses, Johannes Kahrs, Deborah Kass, Edward Krasiński, Barbara Kruger, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, Robert Longo, Goshka Macuga, Sandro Miller, Jonathan Monk, Yasumasa Morimura, Henrik Olesen, Richard Pettibone, Richard Prince, Karol Radziszewski, Thomas Ruff, Adam Rzepecki, Cindy Sherman, Aleksandra Ska, Jan Smaga, John Stezaker, Radek Szlaga, Rosemarie Trockel, Piotr Uklański, Ai Weiwei